Why Blood Sugar Might Be The Key To Aging Gracefully

by Dr. Daniel Minier

Many of us have a complicated relationship with sugar—and it’s about to get a whole lot more complicated.

When you ingest sugar, here’s what happens: sugar molecules enter your bloodstream and latch themselves onto your body’s fat and protein cells.

This process is called glycation, and the newly-sugar-carrying-cells are referred to as glycation end products. Simply put: the more sugars you eat, the more glycation end products will end up in your body.

What does this have to do with aging?

Glycation end products are directly correlated to the onset of premature aging.

The presence of glycation end products and high blood sugar encourage processes known as oxidative stress and inflammation—two well-documented contributors to premature aging.

The good news is that we can “lose” glycation end products over time. And if you follow a particular set of habits and routines, you can minimize the amount of glycation end products that form in your body and contribute to needless aging.

Here are three things you can do to age gracefully and minimize glycation’s impact on your health.

1. Avoid Foods That Will Raise Your Blood Sugar

Since high blood sugar is the main contributor to the frequency of the glycation process, you’ll want to closely monitor your blood sugar levels, and make sure to limit the intake of foods known to raise blood sugar.

Proper control of blood sugar levels is vital in diabetics, but even people who are not diabetic should limit their intake of sweetened drinks or products containing refined sugars like glucose and fructose as much as possible.

Eating whole foods and integrating fiber and legumes have also been proven to help control blood sugar. Avoiding a sedentary lifestyle is also beneficial—a brisk walk 15 minutes after a meal or even a 2-minute walk every 20 minutes helps keep blood sugar levels in check.

These simple habits can reap real benefits for the body.

2. Add Vinegar (or Lemon Juice) to Foods Before Cooking

Vinegar can play a number of roles in the kitchen, but science has discovered that vinegar also has at least two major health benefits.

First, adding vinegar (or lemon juice) to foods before cooking them reduces the formation of glycation end products.

In addition, studies have shown that vinegar can reduce rises in blood-sugar levels and insulin in humans, whether they are diabetic or not.

Just a little vinegar (10 mL or 2 teaspoons)—even just in salad dressing—can favorably impact blood sugar levels after eating.

3. Use Plenty Of Spices and Herbs (Before Cooking)

Some spices and herbs have antioxidant effects, while others have anti-inflammatory effects. Many studies have also shown that they are effective in fighting glycation reactions.

Adding spices to food before cooking it offers additional benefits and reduces the formation of certain toxic products.

A study compared hamburger patties seasoned with a mixture of herbs and spices to unseasoned ones. After cooking, the seasoned patties contained fewer products toxic to the genetic code and fewer products promoting glycation in the body. Thus, foods seasoned with herbs and spices before cooking really caused less damage to the body.

Here’s a list of herbs and spices that demonstrate anti-glycation effects:

• Allspice
• Basil
• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Coriander seeds
• Cumin
• Ginger
• Marjoram
• Oregano
• Parsley
• Pepper
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Tarragon
• Thyme
• Turmeric

Glycation Can Also Occur Outside The Body (And Might Age You Faster)

While much of what we have discussed so far has referenced preventing glycation and the formation of glycation end products inside your body, it’s important to be aware that glycation can also occur outside of your body.

This is important, because while you can choose to take certain actions to prevent the internal glycation process, you might still come into contact with already-formed glycation end products in the natural world, which can have negative health consequences.

For example, in addition to cigarette smoke, some foods contain high levels of glycation end products: particularly sausage, meats, and fats that have been grilled, roasted, or fried. (On the other hand, foods that are boiled, stewed, and steamed contain relatively little glycation end products).

Unfortunately, ingesting or inhaling externally formed glycation end products can still have negative consequences, as a portion of the ingested or inhaled glycation end products are absorbed into the blood and pumped throughout the body.  Whether formed outside or inside your body, glycation end products promote the processes of oxidative stress and inflammation, which can expedite the aging process.

However, by taking the simple actions outlined above, including monitoring your blood sugar levels and changing your diet to reduce the negative effects of glycation, you can reduce health risks and slow down the process of needless aging.

It will likely take work and discipline, especially in the beginning, but much of these behaviors will soon become routine. And you’ll likely thankful you took the action in the first place.

It’s important to note that glycation is only one of the major contributors to the aging process. You can learn about the other factors in Dr. Minier’s book Getting Older… It’s Avoidable! The Strategy to Keep the Youth of Your Cells and Your Body.

(Dr. Daniel Minier is a licensed dermatologist who has been affiliated with the University of Sherbrooke for over 20 years. He is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology and the author of Getting Older… It’s Avoidable! The Strategy to Keep the Youth of Your Cells and Your Body.)

Please follow and like us: