Advanced glycation end products: AGEs and sugar

Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) and Sugar Excessive sugar consumption is a well-known health problem, but most don’t realize how serious it can be. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are a combination of sugar and protein that combine into a worthless inflammatory foreign substance that accelerates degenerative diseases. The overabundance of sugar in the body results in an attack on many cells and proteins in the body. This danger seems to get little press, perhaps because it only came to light in the late 1980s. AGEs are a cross-link, or connection, of a sugar molecule and a protein. There may be cross linkage with lipoproteins which also contain fat in addition to protein. Here’s the problem with AGEs, they cause:

• Cardiovascular problems by its connection with the linings of the blood vessels and thus increase the rate of atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke.
• Skin problems by binding to collagen (fiber) and increasing wrinkles and producing less flexibility in the skin.
• Eye problems by causing the lens to become cloudy and hard
• Kidney problems from interference with the nephrons that filter waste in the kidneys.
• Nerve transmission problems due to interference in signal conduction due to the resistance produced by AGEs in the nervous tissue.
• Cognitive impairment because they cause inflammation in brain tissue and impede neurotransmission.
• Overworked immune system, especially macrophages

AGEs are foreign irritants to the body and must be treated. It is the job of macrophages (pac-man type of white blood cells) which are equipped with special AGE receptors, to tackle the culprits. Macrophages do indeed remove these AGEs, but it can become a costly drain on the immune system’s resources. Macrophages lead the charge in most immune responses, and their reduced number may not be good for immune health.

There are many reports of excessive sugar consumption, but most conclude that US residents consume between 139 and 159 pounds per person per year. Michael Cutler, MD reports that the latest statistic is 170 pounds per person per year.

That sounds unbelievable and hard to believe, but the food industry adds sugar to literally everything. They learned that sweet things always sell better. You name it…ketchup, salad dressing, soup, any packaged food…pretty much all of them have added sugar.

One of the biggest and most important contributors to excessive sugar consumption is soft drinks. There are 8 to 12 teaspoons of sugar in most soft drinks. Many fruit juices sold in supermarkets have added water and sugar in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

There are various forms of sugar that even natural foods have. The table sugar that everyone is familiar with contains two sugar molecules, glucose, and one molecule of fructose.

There was a time when fructose (fruit sugar) was thought to be better for you. Unfortunately, when removed from the other metabolites found in the fruit, it is much more dangerous to health.

Ordinarily, fructose (in the fruit) is accompanied by bioflavonoids and polyphenols that are great antioxidants; They counteract oxidative free radical damage and inflammation. In addition there are vitamins, minerals, catalysts and only God knows what else that helps the metabolism of fructose. Fructose is less concentrated in fruit.

When fructose is separated from these helpful ingredients, there is a 10-fold (1000%) increase in AGE accumulation. There is convincing evidence that pure fructose, such as that found in high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)…along with glucose…is a major cause of the obesity epidemic found in our western world.

The body was not designed to handle such high concentrations of sugar, stripped and separated from other helpful metabolites. Why is concentrated fructose, like that found in HFCS, so harmful? The simple answer is that it is associated with the destruction of health by:

• Damage to fructose metabolism
• Driving diabetes II
• Producing atherosclerosis, heart disease and stroke.
• Association with increased obesity
• Increased inflammatory uric acid
• greater flavor

Dr. Joseph Mercola, ND has one of the most reputable and cutting edge health blogs on the internet. He says this about fructose:

• Increases insulin resistance
• increases hypertension
• raise triglycerides
• Increases cardiovascular disease…heart attack and stroke
• Increases nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
• It is associated with an increase in cancer
• It increases arthritis and is highly correlated with obesity and weight gain.

To put fructose consumption in perspective, 100 years ago, 15 grams per person per day were consumed. Today the estimate is 73 grams per person per day. That’s almost a five-fold increase.

Widespread use of HFCS became prevalent during the 1970s. HFCS is 20% sweeter and cheaper than table sugar. This means that the food industry will favor its use because of the bottom line profits. Fifty-five percent of all sugar sweeteners used in the food industry is HFCS.

Fructose not only drives obesity, it is now closely associated with the leading cause of death in the US This is cardiovascular disease. It is associated with high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.

The overabundance of sugar in the blood and elsewhere in the body oversaturates any tissue it comes into contact with, causing inflammation and creating advanced glycation end products. These drive degenerative diseases, premature cell death, and ultimately a shorter lifespan.

Julian Whitaker, MD advises in his June 2010 newsletter to cut back on sugars (glucose and fructose) and take good supplements. What are good supplements? He lists vitamin B-1 in the form of Benfotiamine, which is fat soluble (B vitamins are generally only water soluble), and vitamin B-6. He also recommends ALA (alpha lipoic acid). All of these supplements are reported to be beneficial in improving the symptoms of diabetes II, especially neuropathy, as well as reducing AGE production.

Not surprisingly, apparently due to the influence of pharmaceutical companies, the FDA has tried to block the sale of natural B-6. Since this substance counteracts the common side effects of diabetes II, in terms of neuropathy and other organ damage, it competes with the sale of diabetes drugs.

Dr. Whitaker has successfully treated thousands of diabetes patients over the years at his Whitaker Wellness Clinic without medication. He reports that cutting back on sugars and adding good supplements can reverse many of the deleterious symptoms that result from diabetes. These include neuropathy (pain and numbness in the extremities), cardiovascular, eye, skin, and kidney problems.