Glycation, Aging, and Low Carbohydrate Diets

The term “AGEs” is an acronym derived from “Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs).” The medical community has been focusing on AGEs in recent years. So, what exactly is “glycation”? Glycation refers to the reaction in which monosaccharides such as glucose or fructose directly bind to proteins or other substances. AGEs produced in the body cause diabetic complications. AGEs have garnered attention because they are now considered a primary cause of various diabetic complications. The processes involved are diverse, but the most straightforward example is when AGEs accumulate in the inner walls of blood vessels, leading to atherosclerosis. Depending on which part of the blood vessels is affected by atherosclerosis, the resulting diabetic complications vary, but it is no exaggeration to call them all vascular diseases. AGEs in the vessel walls are like an unpayable debt, often referred to as the “memory of high blood sugar.”