AGE
AGE stands for Advanced Glycation End products. Glycation may be the single most important reason we age. First, let me familiarize you with the various theories on why we age:
- First is the free radical or oxidative theory, first advanced by Denham Harman, M.D., Ph.D. in 1956. Free radicals are molecules that have lost an electron in their interaction with other molecules. Consequently, they become unstable and reactive and begin searching for another molecule that will provide the missing component. A free radical molecule will steal an electron from a healthy molecule, making the healthy molecule dysfunctional. We take antioxidants to control this chain of events.
- Second is the membrane theory, proposed by Imre S. Nagy. This theory states that cell membranes become less pliable as we grow older, due to the loss of lipid and water stored within each cell. This loss impedes the efficiency of the flow of fluids in and out of the cells, which can lead to toxic accumulations of cellular material, known as liposfucin. Several food items have been cited as being helpful to the cell membrane repairing process including lecithin, omega-3 oils, glucosamine, and essential fatty acids.
- Third is the mitochondrial theory. The mitochondria are tiny power plants in every cell of the body that supply energy. Cells cannot borrow energy from each other; so if the mitochondria of a particular cell fail, so does the cell. One of the best supplements to counteract this is acetyl-l-carnitine.
- Fourth is the telomeres theory of aging. Telomeres (the sequences of nucleic acids extending from the ends of chromosomes) shorten every time a cell divides, which is believed to lead to cellualr damage. Each time a cell divides, it duplicates itself a little less perfectly than the time before, and this eventually leads to cellular dysfunction and aging.
- Fifth is the hormonal theory, which states that as we age, our delicate hormonal mechanism breaks down and nearly all our beneficial hormones (HGH, testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, DHEA, melatonin, etc.) decline. At the same time, the pro-aging hormones (insulin, cortisol) incline! These simultaneous progressions cause unfortunate results.
- The last one I’ll mention is the glycation and protein carbonylation theory. The problem begins when the circulating glucose level in the blood is high. The excess glucose reacts with proteins such as collagen. The glucose bonds with the protein molecule or DNA, and the function of the protein or DNA becomes irreversibly compromised — a process called glycation. Glycation results in cross linking of proteins, which creates a sugar-damaged protein called an advanced glycation end product — AGE. A high number of these damaged proteins leads to premature aging.
All these processes appear to work in concert to do their dirty work. But I’d like to focus on glycation for now. The process of glycation occurs in everyone, but it’s much higher in people who are diabetic. In fact, the damage to skin collagen is twice as great in diabetics as it is in nondiabetics, which is why diabetics are more vulnerable to age spots and wrinkles. But AGEs will cause wrinkles and unwanted pigmentations in all of us. In addition to causing cosmetic damage to skin, AGE can wreak havoc on virtually all other body tissues. For example, if the proteins in the lens of the eye become damaged, cataracts and eventual blindness may occur. If the collagen in the arteries becomes damaged, fatty plaques could form and result in a heart attack. The glycation process in the brain has been cited as a possible culprit in Alzheimers and other neurodegnerative diseases. Arthritis has also been associated with AGEs. AND glycation can promote the formation of free radicals, so it enhances the aging processes of theory number one.
So what’s to be done? There are several supplements that are considered effective in preventing glycation: Benfotiamine (vitamin B1 variant), alpha lipoic acid (to be the subject of a later blog), and carnosine (also to be the subject of a later blog). Exercise is also effective — walking is a great way to lower blood sugar. Proper dental care has been associated with lower blood sugar. And we can change our diets. From what I’ve read, the ADA recommended diet doesn’t appear to lower blood sugar in anyone, but then I haven’t checked every record. I personally believe in a diet high in fruits and vegetables, limited in other complex carbohydrates, with several servings of healthy fats (olive oil, avocados, raw nuts, fish oil) and adequate complete proteins every day. And I eat very few sugar-laden products. I also have cinnamon in my food every day, since cinnamon has been shown to lower blood sugar.
The best approach is to figure out what works for you. If you have or can get hold of a glucometer, here’s a link to a flyer that recommends a common sense approach to determining which foods increase your blood sugar. Flyer
If you don’t know what your blood sugar is, but you believe you’re a candidate for diabetes or prediabetes, you should ask your doctor to perform a blood panel, including a fasting glucose and an A1C test. Even if your glucose level is normal but on the high side (normal fasting glucose is 70 to 110 mg/dL), work to lower your blood sugar before it becomes a problem. Not only will you not have to worry about the degenerative complications of diabetes, but you also won’t have to deal with the wrinkles and age spots caused by AGEs. That’s a couple of great benefits!
December 17th, 2008 at 5:42 am
hanks for sharing your blog with all of us, very imformative.