AGEs will Age you!

Advanced glycation endproducts, or AGEs, are formed either exogenously (outside the body) or endogenously (inside the body). They are formed exogenously during cooking when sugars are heated with fats and proteins. They are formed endogenously as part of the aging and disease process. The formation of AGEs has been implicated in many inflammatory conditions, such as diabetes, Alzheimers, heart disease, and premature aging. AGEs increase oxidation and inflammation in your body. The good news is is that you can do something about this. You can control your exogenous intake through your diet and your cooking habits. Heres how:

-Cooking with water prevents sugars from binding to proteins. Poaching and boiling is the best way to cook meat. Roasting and broiling is the worst way.

-Steam vegetables or eat them raw.

-Avoid brown baked goods, like brown cookies and brown bread crust. Stay away from the Cinn-a-bon! The sugar frosting on top of the brown pastry is carmelized (ie. HIGH AGE content). This browning of foods is called the maillard reaction, in which a chemical reaction takes place between an amino acid and a sugar.

-Avoid barbequed and smoked meats. These foods are through the roof high in AGEs. Blackened meats are very carcinogenic, increasing your risk of certain cancers, such as pancreatic cancer.

Eating raw and steamed foods when possible can significantly reduce your intake of AGEs, thus decreasing your risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, alzheimers, and premature aging.