Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs) You
Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are proteins or lipids that become glycated as a result of exposure to sugars. They are a bio-marker implicated in aging and the development, or worsening, of many degenerative diseases, such as diabetes, atherosclerosis, chronic kidney disease, and Alzheimer's disease
In plain words: Excess __sugars__, simple carbohydrates (like refined sugar) or complex carbohydrates (like flour) gradually __attach to proteins in the body__. This happens very slowly, several months to several years and partly limited by body temperature (normally 36.4 - 37.2C).
In short: __Sugar ages us in many ways, both internally and externally, including our skin__.
Why are AGEs "Big Deal"?
AGEs age You. Before other health symptoms send you to see a doctor, AGEs make your skin wrinkle. You look older, not healthy and with skin blemishes.
How to tell if you have a __sugar face__ ? The surface of your skin looks hard and shiny. Deep, crosshatch lines appear along your upper lip. Discoloration and hyperpigmentation mark your skin.
What are the problems: Your glycated collagen (sugar face) can show up when you are 20 years of age. Other health problems: (other than aging fast) many degenerative diseases, such as diabetes, atherosclerosis, chronic kidney disease, and Alzheimer's disease. These can cut short your life span.
Will I look younger when I stop eating sugar?
You will age slower. Stop eating high AGEs [sugar added products] will help to make you look younger longer and keep your health better longer.
While glycation itself cannot be stopped altogether, it can be slowed down and its effects reversed or even prevented in the future. Our bodies can use __antioxidants__ to combat the negative effects of glycation, but this defense is often not enough when dealing with accelerated AGE formation.
Studies show that by quitting sugar, acne diminishes and collagen production increases, which can take years off of your complexion. Quitting sugar could be the cheapest skincare product you can invest in.
What foods high in AGEs?
Meat (especially red meat), certain cheeses, fried eggs, butter, cream cheese, margarine, mayonnaise, oils, and nuts. Fried foods and highly processed products also contain high levels.
__Many foods contain combinations of Sugar, Carbohydrates, Oils/Fats and cooked at High Temperature.__ (Ask yourself if you want AGEs.)
Bread, rice, grains, legumes, milk, vegetables and fruits contain very small amounts of AGEs. Less fatty food is even safer than the full-fat variety.
Can __antioxidants__ help?
A diet high in antioxidants may reduce the risk of many diseases (including heart disease and certain cancers). Antioxidants scavenge free radicals from the body cells and prevent or reduce the damage caused by oxidation. The protective effect of antioxidants continues to be studied around the world.
Antioxidants also repair oxidative damage and scavenge free radicals that cause cell damage in the brain. Eating more antioxidant-rich foods can increase the feel-good chemicals in our brain and heighten mood.
Three of the major antioxidant vitamins are __beta-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E__. You'll find them in colorful fruits and vegetables, especially those with purple, blue, red, orange, and yellow hues. ["Eat the rainbow" fruits and vegetables.]
Resveratrol has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, glucose and lipid regulatory, neuroprotective, and cardiovascular protective effects, therefore, can protect against diverse chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cancer, liver diseases, obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease,... https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7143620/ ..top food sources include red wine, _grapes, some berries and peanuts_ ...
Anthocyanins possess antidiabetic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-obesity effects, as well as prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs)... reduce the effects of UV radiation on skin. .. _Red to purplish blue-colored_ leafy vegetables, grains(__black rice__ __purple corn__), roots, and tubers; also _redish purple_ fruits and some fruit-skins are good sources.
What about Gut Bacteria?
Increasing evidence suggests that the gut microbiome lies at the core of many age-associated changes, including immune system dysregulation. The gut microbiome is a contributory factor in ageing-related health loss and in several non-communicable diseases in all age groups. Research points to changes in the gut microbiome as a predictor of longevity and how well we age. ...
Gut Bacteria and AGEs:
Studies on interactions between AGEs and gut bacteria point to strong correlations and impacts on health. More studies are needed to understand more and to work out conditions for better health outcomes.
[You will be at the frontier of medical sciences if you study in this field.]
Congratulations! You have read this far.
This is your rewards:
- You now know that __AGEs age you__
- Selecting the foods you eat can help you look younger, healthier, longer
- Anitoxidants can help combat AGEs: beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, Resveratrol and Anthocyanins
What are on the sides?
- for farmers - grow more low AGEs vegetables and fruits -- everyone in the world wants to look young
- for cooks - offer more low AGEs recipes -- people like foods more than medicines
- for governments - the soft power of 'eat the rainbow' is already in place, use it!
PS. There is a series of posts __Food or Rubbish?__ https://www.gotoknow.org/posts/592068 and https://www.gotoknow.org/posts/592230 , https://www.gotoknow.org/posts/592300 , https://www.gotoknow.org/posts/592585 to Food or Rubbish 5 https://www.gotoknow.org/posts/603180 and น้ำตาล vs/+ น้ำมัน --> ? https://www.gotoknow.org/posts/563453
