Advanced glycation end products: AGE and sugar
Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) and Sugar Consuming too much sugar 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 useless, 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 appears to receive little press, perhaps because it did not come to light until the late 1980s. AGEs are a crosslinking or connection of a sugar molecule and a protein. There may be a cross link with lipoproteins that also contain fats and proteins. Here’s the problem with AGEs, they cause:
- Cardiovascular problems due to its connection with the linings of the blood vessels and, therefore, 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 due to clouding and hardening of the lens
- Kidney problems due to interference with the nephrons that filter waste in the kidneys.
- Nerve transmission problems due to interference with the conduction of signals due to the resistance produced by AGEs in the nervous tissue.
- Cognitive impairment because they cause inflammation in brain tissue and prevent neurotransmission.
- Overworking the immune system, especially macrophages.
EFAs are foreign irritants to the body and must be treated. It is the job of macrophages (pac-man type of white blood cells) that are equipped with special AGE receptors, to deal with the culprits. In fact, macrophages remove these AGEs, but they can become a costly waste of immune system resources. Macrophages lead the charge in most immune responses and their decreased numbers cannot 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 incredible and hard to believe, but the food industry adds sugar to literally everything. They learned that candy always sells better. You name it … ketchup, salad dressing, soup, any packaged food … pretty much all 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 sodas. Many fruit juices sold in the supermarket add water and sugar in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
There are several forms of sugar that even natural foods have. The table sugar that everyone is familiar with contains two sugar molecules, glucose and one fructose molecule.
Fructose (fruit sugar) was once thought to be better for you. Unfortunately, when it is removed from the other metabolites found in fruit, it is much more dangerous to health.
Normally, fructose (in fruit) is accompanied by bioflavonoids and polyphenols that are great antioxidants; counteract inflammation and oxidative damage from free radicals. In addition there are vitamins, minerals, catalysts and God only 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 compelling evidence that pure fructose, such as that found in high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) … along with glucose … is one of the main causes of the obesity epidemic that spreads found in our western world.
The body was not designed to handle such high concentrations of sugar, stripped and separated from other ancillary metabolites. Why is concentrated fructose, like the one 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
- It causes atherosclerosis, heart disease, and strokes.
- Association with increased obesity
- Increased inflammatory uric acid
- Improved flavor
Dr. Joseph Mercola, ND has one of the most recognized and cutting edge health blogs on the internet. It says this about fructose, it’s:
- Increases insulin resistance
- Increase hypertension
- Raises 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 into perspective, 100 years ago 15 grams were consumed per person per day. Today the estimate is 73 grams per person per day. That’s almost a five-fold increase.
The 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 due to the bottom line. Fifty-five percent of all sugar sweeteners used in the food industry is HFCS.
Not only does fructose drive obesity, it is now closely associated with the leading cause of death in the US It is cardiovascular disease. It is associated with high blood pressure, myocardial infarction, and stroke.
The overabundance of sugar in the blood and elsewhere in the body over-saturates any tissue it comes in 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, reports in his June 2010 newsletter to cut down on sugars (glucose and fructose) and take good supplements. What are the good supplements? List vitamin B-1 in the form of benfotiamine, which is fat soluble (B’s 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 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 frequent 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 reducing 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.
