AGEs (Advanced Glycation End Products)

Advanced glycation end products are stable adducts that form when sugars react non-enzymatically with proteins, lipids, or DNA. Permanent damage at the molecular level.

Mechanism — Drives arterial stiffness, glomerular dysfunction, lens opacification (cataracts), and skin aging via collagen cross-linking. Activates the RAGE receptor to amplify inflammation. Endogenously produced and consumed dietarily (high-heat-cooked foods are the dominant source).

Use case — Reduce intake (lower-heat cooking, wet methods over dry, less browning). Improve clearance (glucose control, autophagy). Marker: skin autofluorescence via AGE Reader devices.

Caveats — You can't undo accumulated AGEs — only slow new formation. The case for low-AGE cooking is real but easy to overstate; total dietary impact remains modest compared to glucose control.