Glycation
A decade ago the process of glycation, the cross-linking of sugar compounds with protein leading to oxidative cellular degradation, was mostly known to professionals and patients dealing with diabetes.
In the particular case of diabetic patients, excessive blood sugar and glycation tends to compound the adverse affects of diabetes manifesting itself by neuropathy, circulatory problems, and vision impairment just to name a few examples. The medical community subsequently learned that vision impairment in diabetics was directly associated with the process of glycation and the cross-linking of sugar to proteins exerting their effect on the tiny capillaries of the eye, constricting and tightening the blood vessels leading to loss of vision. We now know that this same tightening of the vessels is what causes circulatory and neuropathy issues in diabetics, all resulting from glycation.
Today we know so much more about the process of glycation, that the terminology is destined to become mainstream. We know that it is not only limited to diabetics. Consumers are beginning to understand that glycation begins to manifest itself in younger healthier individuals via the process of aging. This has been accelerated significant by our diets, which are excessively high in sugar.
It is well documented that over the past 150 years we have dramatically increased our consumption of sugar through the product we consume. For example, in the mid 1800’s the average annual consumption of sugar was less than 10 pounds. Today it approximates 200 pounds! Therefore, the rate of glycation and the byproducts of glycation (advanced glycosylation endproducts or AGE’s) are dramatically higher and cascading to provoke numerous disease states.
More specifically, AGEs are byproducts of glycation, a process whereby a heterogeneous group of molecules forms from the non-enzymatic reaction of reducing sugars with free amino groups of proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. Glycation and AGEs lead to intra-molecular cross-linking that is highly reactive to oxidation and interferes with normal metabolic processes. A key characteristic of glycation is the ability for covalent crosslink formation between proteins, which alters their structure and function, as in cellular matrix, basement membranes, and vessel-wall components. Other major features of AGEs relate to their interaction with a variety of cell-surface AGE-binding receptors, leading either to cellular activation and pro-oxidant, pro-inflammatory events. Diabetes is among the top health & wellness concerns for marketers of consumer products.
Worldwide by 2010, the number of people with diabetes is estimated to exceed 220 million. There is a worldwide movement to decrease the rise in diabetes via regulated diet and exercise. In the US alone, diabetes will exceeds 135 Million today!
In the particular case of diabetic patients, excessive blood sugar and glycation tends to compound the adverse affects of diabetes manifesting itself by neuropathy, circulatory problems, and vision impairment just to name a few examples. The medical community subsequently learned that vision impairment in diabetics was directly associated with the process of glycation and the cross-linking of sugar to proteins exerting their effect on the tiny capillaries of the eye, constricting and tightening the blood vessels leading to loss of vision. We now know that this same tightening of the vessels is what causes circulatory and neuropathy issues in diabetics, all resulting from glycation.
Today we know so much more about the process of glycation, that the terminology is destined to become mainstream. We know that it is not only limited to diabetics. Consumers are beginning to understand that glycation begins to manifest itself in younger healthier individuals via the process of aging. This has been accelerated significant by our diets, which are excessively high in sugar.
It is well documented that over the past 150 years we have dramatically increased our consumption of sugar through the product we consume. For example, in the mid 1800’s the average annual consumption of sugar was less than 10 pounds. Today it approximates 200 pounds! Therefore, the rate of glycation and the byproducts of glycation (advanced glycosylation endproducts or AGE’s) are dramatically higher and cascading to provoke numerous disease states.
More specifically, AGEs are byproducts of glycation, a process whereby a heterogeneous group of molecules forms from the non-enzymatic reaction of reducing sugars with free amino groups of proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. Glycation and AGEs lead to intra-molecular cross-linking that is highly reactive to oxidation and interferes with normal metabolic processes. A key characteristic of glycation is the ability for covalent crosslink formation between proteins, which alters their structure and function, as in cellular matrix, basement membranes, and vessel-wall components. Other major features of AGEs relate to their interaction with a variety of cell-surface AGE-binding receptors, leading either to cellular activation and pro-oxidant, pro-inflammatory events. Diabetes is among the top health & wellness concerns for marketers of consumer products.
Worldwide by 2010, the number of people with diabetes is estimated to exceed 220 million. There is a worldwide movement to decrease the rise in diabetes via regulated diet and exercise. In the US alone, diabetes will exceeds 135 Million today!