Advanced glycation end-product

This is just an intro to all this, right? But the last thing I want to tell you is about aging products.

AGES, Advanced Glycation End Products.

Why is that? Advanced Glycation End Products.

In summary, it's a combination of a sugar moiety to the nitrogen moiety of a protein molecule.

But wait, I noticed in the research that it's not just the sugar we consume in, like, a donut.

We are actually eating preformed AGEs based entirely on how we cook our food.

Yes, dietary AGEs are a huge factor.

We're talking about the Maillard reaction, right? That beautiful, delicious browning you get when you sear a steak or toast a piece of bread?

Exactly.

It tastes amazing, but...

But it's actually the exact same glycation process happening right there in the pan.

When you expose animal fat from proteins to high dry heat, you are manufacturing AGEs.

Now, that's not only due to inflammation, though, with the diabetic population.

Um, have you heard of AGEs, A-G-E-S? It's an acronym.

It stands for advanced glycation end products.

Oh, I ha-- I, okay, I know what-

and more liable to chronic diseases.

So AGEs contribute to inflammation and in the brain they may contribute to dementia.

And I think no one will be surprised to hear that AGEs are very, like, what am I trying to say? They're more common in animal foods.

Like, they're more common to be produced in the body after eating meat.

Yeah,

yeah.

So the modern Western diet is very high in AGEs.

Our ancestors ate much less meat than we do.

You know, the Maillard effect.

So I think paying attention to that, doing a bit of your own research on it, finding out what AGEs are, A-G-E-S, the advanced glycation end products, and just educating yourself on this stuff.

You know, don't take my word for it.

It's always important that you get tapped into research yourself, all of you, just like we do.

All these important molecules and cellular components become caramelized and into these clusters called advanced glycation end products.

And these are also affectionately known as AGEs, becau-- and aptly so, because they are, uh, uh, largely responsible for premature aging of the brain and other tissues throughout the body.

So the brain isn't a passive organ that's going to allow these to accumulate and, and interfere with normal cell function.

The brain has an immune system, and when it sees these dysfunctional molecules accumulating, uh, in its synapses, it, it, it, it, uh, creates deliberately, on purpose to, uh, kind of call out the troops, it deliberately creates inflammation and oxidative stress, um, by releasing, uh, kind of little SOS signals, if you will, sort of inflammatory cytokines, uh, what are called inflammatory cytokines, and, uh, reactive oxygen species, oxygen free radicals.

And these, these are very important and normal and healthy parts of the immune system.

We respond to every threat, an injury, infection, what have you, AGEs.

Um, the first step to responding, in responding to any threat is always inflammation and oxidative stress.

But it's supposed to be targeted, controlled, temporary inflammation and oxidative stress.