Scientists Are Just Now Quantifying the Huge Impact that Sugar Metabolism Chemistry Has on Health and Aging
The chain-reactions that occur during and after the body converts glucose (blood sugar) to energy are called "glycation" reactions. Glycation reactions are taking place in your body every day. The rate of waste product formation is dependent on age, health, blood sugar levels, and other factors. In any case, the accumulation of waste products from these reactions, in tissues and organs throughout the body, pose a real threat to life and health. Even as you read this, glycation waste products may be setting you up for serious health problems by:
- Making normally supple body structures stiff and brittle
- Impairing nerve function and sensitivity
- Depositing sticky, debilitating waste throughout the cells and organs in your body
- Interrupting essential intercellular communication
- Contributing to buildup in your arteries
- Clogging pathways in the brain
- Causing tissue damage in your joints
- Destroying capillaries in the kidneys and the eyes
Scientists have identified three distinct stages of glycation reactions. In the Early Stage, the reactions are rapid and the molecular products created are unstable but relatively harmless. Often these "Early Glycation Products" or "Schiff's Bases" break down into the same molecules that created them to start with.
In the Intermediate Stage, the Early Glycation Products go through a molecular rearrangement to form more stable "Intermediate Glycation Products" called "Amadori Products." These reactions can also reverse themselves and recreate Early Glycation Products.
The third stage "Advanced Glycation" happens as intermediate Glycation Products degrade due to a host of factors. The Advanced Glycation reactions are virtually irreversable and form a tar-like residue called "Advanced Glycation End-products" (AGE).
