Overeating and obesity are known to cause serious health problems. They increase your risk of developing insulin resistance, diabetes, and heart disease (1Trusted Source).
However, studies have found that harmful compounds called advanced glycation end products (AGEs) may also have a powerful effect on your metabolic health — regardless of your weight.
AGEs accumulate naturally as you age and are created when certain foods are cooked at high temperatures.
This article explains all you need to know about AGEs, including what they are and how to reduce your levels.
Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are harmful compounds that are formed when protein or fat combine with sugar in the bloodstream. This process is called glycation (2Trusted Source).
AGEs can also form in foods. Foods that have been exposed to high temperatures, such as during grilling, frying, or toasting, tend to be very high in these compounds.
In fact, diet is the biggest contributor of AGEs.
Fortunately, your body has mechanisms to eliminate these harmful compounds, including those involving antioxidant and enzymatic activity (3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source).
Yet, when you consume too many AGEs — or too many form spontaneously — your body can’t keep up with eliminating them. Thus, they accumulate.
While low levels are generally nothing to worry about, high levels have been shown to cause oxidative stress and inflammation (5Trusted Source).
In fact, high levels have been linked to the development of many diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure, and Alzheimer’s, as well as premature aging (6Trusted Source).
Furthermore, people who have high blood sugar levels, such as those with diabetes, are at a higher risk of producing too many AGEs, which can then build up in the body.Therefore, many health professionals are calling for AGE levels to become a marker of overall health.
Summary
AGEs are compounds formed in the body when fat and protein combine with sugar. When they accumulate in high levels, they increase the risk of many diseases.
