What AGEs the Brain?

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are detrimental compounds the body absorbs from food sources – particularly foods prepared at high heat that are commonly available as fast foods.  AGEs accumulate over time, and are thought to cause chronic, persistent, low-level inflammation.   Helen Vlassara, from the , University of Connecticut Health Center (Connecticut, USA), and colleagues enrolled 93 men and women, ages 60 years and older, in a study in which blood samples were collected to test for MG (methyl-glyoxal derivatives) – a specific type of AGEs, and a standardized assessment administered to assess for dementia.  The team found that those subjects with higher levels of AGEs displayed a larger reduction in cognitive skills, in a nine-month period.  Reporting that: “The data suggest that food-derived AGEs, an environmental factor, contribute to [Alzheimer’s disease] by causing chronic SIRT1 suppression,” the study authors submit that: “reduction of food-derived AGEs is feasible and may provide an effective treatment strategy.”