AGEs, DAGEs, RAGEs; BEWARE!!!

The incidence of diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes, is increasing at an alarming rate. Worldwide, about an estimated 221 million people had diabetes by 2010, and this increase is non-repentant.

When you go to the doctor, the first thing s/he diagnoses you with is hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), because it is still considered the principal cause of diabetes complications. But there're more serious culprits behind diabetes, of which most doctors aren't even aware of.

It's not your doctor's fault s/he doesn't know it, two things might be involved:

1. It was probably never mentioned to him in med school.
2. These culprits are products of recent studies, research and discoveries.

Doctors would normally warn you against health threateners such high-fat foods, salty foods, sugary foods, and so on - end of the story - but will hardly mention to you this word, AGEs.

AGEs, WHAT ARE THEY?

By AGEs, it doesn't mean 10, 20 years, and by RAGEs, no one's talking about burning fury.

Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs), also known as GLYCOTOXINS, are a diverse group of highly oxidant compounds with pathogenic significance in diabetes and in several other chronic diseases. RAGEs on the other hand, are cellular receptors for AGEs.

When AGEs bind to RAGEs, the fury unleashed in the body isn't a very good story to tell.

Although these terms are unknown to most physicians, their meaning and implications have huge toll on our health and well-being.

AGEs naturally form inside the body when proteins or fats combine with sugars. They are formed both outside and inside the body from glycation reaction. Glycation is a process by which glucose binds with proteins without the involvement of an enzyme.

This affects the normal function of cells, making them more susceptible to damage and premature aging.

Outside the body, AGEs can be formed by heating foods (for example, cooking, roasting, frying).

AGEs form at a constant but slow rate in the body, starting in early embryonic development, and accumulate with time. However, their formation is markedly accelerated in diabetes because of the increased availability of glucose.

Recent evidence has found that excessive consumption of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), can accumulate in the body as people age, and are a major cause of inflammation, and can increase the risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

If the concentration of AGEs becomes excessive in our bloodstream, they can cause damage to almost every tissue and organ in our bodies.

The problem with AGEs is that they act like a key that permanently turns on low level inflammation in our bodies by binding to AGE to their receptors, RAGEs.

AGEs are directly involved with or accelerate the progression of numerous diseases including:

• The Metabolic Syndrome which includes : 

              - Type 2 diabetes
              - High blood pressure

•  Cardiovascular diseases 
•  Kidney failure
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Allergy and autoimmune diseases 
• Cancers
• Cataracts and retinal degeneration
• Gastrointestinal diseases.

Additionally, excessive AGEs are known to speed the ageing process.

In the past decade scientists have discovered that foods also contain AGEs, and may greatly add to the AGEs burden in our bodies.

Which type of foods fall under this category? Read AGEs, FOOD SUBSTANCES THAT ARE INVOLVED For more information.

#STAYHEALTHY.