UCSB Scientist: Could AGE’s be The Most Harmful Compound for Human Cells?

👉AI summary of the YouTube video * What are AGEs? They are formed when carbohydrates attach to proteins [00:30]. This can happen non-enzymatically, especially when there's an abundance of glucose in the blood over long periods [00:39, 00:52]. * Impact on Cells: High blood glucose can disrupt cell signaling and recognition [01:13, 02:01]. * Inflammation: Glycation of proteins can trigger inflammation [02:25, 02:33]. * Acute vs. Chronic Effects: Prolonged high glucose levels are more detrimental than a single instance [03:50, 05:39]. * AGEs and Kidney Health: AGEs and oxidized lipids negatively affect kidney function [06:34, 07:22]. * Oxidation vs. AGEs from Seed Oils: Oxidation of lipids in seed oils is likely a bigger concern than AGE formation from them [07:42, 08:26]. * Tips for Avoiding AGEs: Lowering glucose levels and using certain cooking methods may help [10:41, 11:14]. * Context Matters: Occasional consumption of foods prepared in less ideal ways is likely not a major issue if overall diet and health are good [11:34, 11:56]. * Reversibility of Kidney Damage: Acute kidney function decrease might improve, but chronic consumption can cause irreversible damage [13:37, 13:57]. * Inflammation and Body Sensitization: Healthy individuals may feel the acute effects of inflammatory foods more readily [15:02, 16:11].

Healthy eating gets more confusing by the day.

Keep it as simple as possible. Try to stay in the moment, with God's Holy Spirit. He will guide you to the technical aspect of living, esp. eating as this video addresses (and so many these days). I'm 62 retired and don't have to work, but more than ever, find myself wanting to "eat" something when my body senses an emotional swing, etc. Back in the day, we didn't do this when we were busy working physical jobs, etc. Times have changed, and it is even more important to stay in touch with God and try to access that "peace which passeth all understanding" throughout the day and night. May God bless you and spend time with you every single day. ♥

Is there a simplistic summary of this information? I don't feel like the "what I should do" was really clear - not to me anyway. And looking at the comments, the suggestions are all over the map. thank you.

AI conclusion based on video's transcript: Oxidized lipids appear to be the most dangerous compound for human cells in this transcript, with advanced glycation end products also being highly harmful, but likely secondary in impact.

Little off topic, but something you mentioned at the very beginning of the video brought a question to mind. You talked before about how cooking a white potato until it was just to the proper temperature inside, I think around 165° roughly if I remember correctly, and then allowing it to cool back down let's the proteins reform back into a tighter structure and I was curious if that works with other types of foods like the sweet potatoes, other tubers or different kinds of foods in general? What other foods react like that that? In fact that would make for a great video talking about different types of foods that your body reacts differently to depending on the cook time and/or temperature that you consume them at. Hot, cold, chilled or anything in between.

Nice reheated content, Thomas

## Key Insights on Advanced Glycation End-products (AGEs) and Cellular Health This discussion, featuring insights from a UCSB scientist as presented by Thomas DeLauer, delves into the nature of Advanced Glycation End-products (AGEs), their formation, mechanisms of harm to human cells, and practical considerations for minimizing their impact. **1. Definition and Formation of AGEs:** * AGEs are formed when carbohydrates (sugars) attach to proteins. This process is primarily non-enzymatic, meaning it occurs spontaneously without the help of enzymes. * The primary concern for endogenous (internal) AGE formation is **chronically high blood glucose levels**. Abundant glucose in the bloodstream over extended periods leads to its random attachment to various proteins. * This is distinct from the immediate glycation some might fear from consuming a carbohydrate and protein meal together; the transcript suggests that short, acute spikes in glucose are less likely to cause significant AGE formation due to the time-dependent nature of these non-enzymatic reactions. **2. Cellular Mechanisms of Harm by AGEs:** * **Glycocalyx Disruption:** Every cell has a "glycocalyx," a coating of branched sugar molecules on its surface proteins. These sugars have a specific orientation crucial for cell identification ("self" vs. "non-self") and as docking sites for other molecules. High glucose can randomly add sugar molecules to this glycocalyx or the proteins themselves, disrupting this "code." * This disruption can lead to the immune system misidentifying a cell as foreign, potentially triggering **autoimmune responses**. * It can also prevent proteins from docking correctly or cause incorrect molecules to bind, altering cellular signaling. * **RAGE Receptor Activation:** Glycation of proteins within the body can lead to the formation of AGEs that are recognized by the **Receptor for Advanced Glycation End-products (RAGE)**. * RAGE receptors are ubiquitous, found throughout the body, including the vasculature. * Activation of RAGE triggers an **inflammatory response**. **3. Factors Influencing AGE Formation and Impact:** * **Duration and Concentration of Glucose Exposure:** Both the concentration of glucose and the duration of exposure are critical. Sustained high glucose levels (e.g., as potentially seen in endurance athletes maintaining high glucose for performance over many hours, or in poorly managed diabetes) pose a greater risk. * **Dietary AGEs from Cooking:** * Certain cooking methods significantly increase AGE formation in food. **"High and dry" cooking methods** (like grilling, roasting, air frying at high temperatures) are major culprits. * Conversely, **"low and slow" cooking methods** (like stewing, poaching, steaming) tend to produce fewer AGEs. * Adding **vinegar** (e.g., balsamic) during cooking may help mitigate AGE formation. * **Oxidized Lipids as a Compounding Factor:** * Oxidized lipids (e.g., from rancid oils or oils repeatedly heated to high temperatures, like in deep fryers) are also detrimental to health and often co-occur with AGE-promoting conditions or cooking methods. * Both AGEs and oxidized lipids can negatively impact kidney function and trigger similar inflammatory cascades (e.g., involving NLRP3). * The speaker opines that **oxidation of lipids (especially seed oils used in deep fryers) is likely a more significant health concern** than the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio debate itself, as highly oxidized fats are inherently damaging to cell membranes. **4. Systemic and Long-Term Consequences:** * **Kidney Health:** Both AGEs and oxidized lipids contribute to kidney damage. Studies (referenced anecdotally regarding chicken nuggets) have shown decreased kidney function after consuming foods likely high in these compounds, with potential for chronic consumption to lead to a downward spiral. * **Arterial Stiffness and Accelerated Aging:** Chronic exposure to high glucose and AGEs may contribute to arterial stiffening and the appearance of accelerated aging, beyond just oxidative stress. * **Chronic Inflammation:** Persistent AGE formation and RAGE activation lead to chronic inflammation. This state disrupts normal cellular processes: * Cells remain in a "preparatory state" for an emergency response, diverting resources from essential maintenance tasks like clearing damaged organelles (e.g., mitochondria). * This impaired cellular repair and accumulated damage can, over time, contribute to pathologies like cancer. * **Blood-Brain Barrier:** The ability of specific AGEs to cross the blood-brain barrier would depend on the size of the glycated protein. **5. Acute Sensitivity vs. Chronic Adaptation to Inflammation:** * Individuals who are generally healthy and maintain a low inflammatory state may acutely feel the negative effects of foods that induce inflammation (e.g., feeling stiff, achy, reduced performance). This is because their homeostatic baseline is low, and deviations are more noticeable. * Conversely, individuals in a chronically inflamed state may have a higher homeostatic baseline for inflammation. They might not perceive additional inflammatory insults as acutely because their "normal" is already elevated. They might, however, notice an improvement if inflammation significantly decreases. **6. Hormesis and Dose-Response:** * The principle of "the dose makes the poison" applies. Occasional exposure to foods higher in AGEs (a "punctuated stress") is less likely to be problematic if overall dietary habits and lifestyle are healthy, potentially acting as a hormetic stressor. * However, chronic, day-after-day consumption of AGE-rich foods or maintenance of high blood glucose is likely to lead to detrimental health consequences. --- **Conclusion:** Advanced Glycation End-products (AGEs) represent a significant, potentially harmful class of compounds that form both endogenously from chronically elevated blood glucose and exogenously through certain high-heat cooking methods. They exert their detrimental effects by disrupting cellular signaling via the glycocalyx and by triggering widespread inflammation through RAGE receptor activation, impacting various systems including the kidneys and vasculature, and contributing to accelerated aging and chronic disease. While acute, short-term glucose spikes are less of a concern for AGE formation, sustained high glucose levels and frequent consumption of AGE-rich foods are problematic. Mitigating AGE-related damage involves managing blood glucose levels, choosing cooking methods wisely (favoring "low and slow," potentially using vinegar), and minimizing intake of oxidized fats. The body's response to these compounds underscores the importance of long-term dietary patterns and the potential for even healthy individuals to acutely perceive the inflammatory impact of certain foods.

I am so glad someone else said it. All foods can go bad, and in the end it's knowing when they destabilize that matters. Again it's been bugging me that we keep saying "seed oils." What we should be specifying is hexane processed which causes that toxic rancidity immediately. Sesame oil has some insane benefits, but serious long term issues if heated over 250f. I think everyone trying to do this right needs to know what every oils thermal breakdown is.

It makes yu wonder - is there a safe thing to eat . One time is lectins and some other oxalates then sugar fat and meats then fructose —- so what can we live on