Fewer wrinkles? Reduce your AGEs!
Living a long and healthy life starts with a healthy lifestyle. AGE’s (Advanced Glycation Endproducts) are sugar-bound compounds that accumulate in your body. They don’t just age your skin—they affect your organs too. AGE’s enter your system through food and are also produced by your body during digestion. While your body is equipped to remove these particles, the modern diet—rich in processed food and aggressive cooking methods—leads to an overload. So, what can you do?
What are AGE’s?
Advanced Glycation Endproducts are small crystals formed from glucose, proteins, and fats. They’re created during cooking processes like browning and caramelizing. Think of the crust on bread, the crunch on fried foods, and the charred edge of grilled meat. This reaction, known as the Maillard reaction, was first described by French chemist Maillard. It also takes place in your body—at 37°C—where sugars and amino acids react to form these crystals. Normally, AGE’s are excreted, but excessive amounts can lead to buildup, a form of internal “pollution.”
And that pollution is one of the biggest causes of aging. It disrupts your body’s functioning, often starting with vague complaints and discomforts that can later evolve into diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, and dementia. Minimizing AGE intake helps you stay vital and energized.
Where Are They Found?
AGE’s occur naturally in food, but are especially abundant in ultra-processed foods. Common sources include:
Pasteurized, sterilized, or refined products like milk, dairy, cheese, and white sugar
Soft drinks (especially cola, including diet versions)
Trans fats and heated vegetable oils (except olive and coconut oil)
Pre-packaged foods with glucose-fructose syrup
Dry-baked carbs like toast, crackers, cookies, roasted nuts, and nut butters
Melted cheese (e.g. oven-baked or pizza)
Grilled or microwaved meats and fish, barbecued food, air fryer snacks
Red meat and processed cheese (raw milk cheeses contain fewer AGE’s)
Cooking methods like poaching, steaming, stir-frying, or eating raw produce help reduce AGE intake.
What do AGE’s do?
When waste isn’t removed, it causes damage—especially in the skin and connective tissue, accelerating aging. When AGE’s build up in blood, muscles, and organs, symptoms become more serious:
Blood sugar imbalance (hypo-/hyperglycemia), linked to Type 2 diabetes
Oxidative stress (excess free radicals)
Chronic low-grade inflammation
Blocked detoxification pathways for chemicals, pesticides, fine dust, and heavy metals
Impaired digestion, leading to visceral fat, food intolerance, constipation, bloating, and allergies
AGE’s are linked to high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, plaque buildup, osteoporosis, stiffness, kidney issues, brain and eye degeneration, premature skin aging, and deep wrinkles.
How do you get rid of AGE’s?
Preventing is better than curing. Reducing AGE’s is key to limiting internal pollution and maintaining health. Here are a few tips:
Eat polyphenol- and bioflavonoid-rich foods: chives, garlic, onion, rosemary, turmeric, ginger, grapes, ginkgo biloba, green tea
Marinate food in wine, vinegar, lemon juice, or beer to limit AGE formation
Cook meat by stewing, boiling, poaching, or lightly searing—avoid charring
Eat lightly cooked vegetables; grilled vegetables are better than grilled meat
Use herbs and spices generously—they’re rich in antioxidants that neutralize AGE’s and enhance flavor
Choose small wild-caught fish (smaller than your forearm)—they feed on plants and algae
Add omega-3-rich sources like plankton, algae, coconut oil, and red palm oil, which help neutralize AGE’s in the body
Blood sugar imbalance (hypo-/hyperglycemia), linked to Type 2 diabetes
Oxidative stress (excess free radicals)
Chronic low-grade inflammation
Blocked detoxification pathways for chemicals, pesticides, fine dust, and heavy metals
Impaired digestion, leading to visceral fat, food intolerance, constipation, bloating, and allergies
AGE’s are linked to high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, plaque buildup, osteoporosis, stiffness, kidney issues, brain and eye degeneration, premature skin aging, and deep wrinkles.
Author: Hayo Bol, Naturopathic Practitioner
