None of us wants to age. It affects our health, our beauty, our mind, and our emotions. It’s hard to grow old. But while you can’t stop the calendar from turning, you do have a lot of control over how you age.
That’s because aging starts with your diet. There’s something hidden in our Western food that’s making us old before our time. As you may know, the standard American diet (or SAD) includes the poor eating habits we’ve come to associate with the West – fried foods, heavy meat consumption, few vegetables, and the like. And eating this way can contribute to the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs).
AGEs form when proteins or lipids become glycated in the presence of sugar, and they can be quite harmful to your cells. Even if you don’t consume a high-sugar diet, you could be getting more AGEs than you realize. In fact, carbohydrates aren’t actually the primary source of dietary AGEs. Let me tell you more about where AGEs come from, what issues they can cause, and what you can do to protect yourself from their effects.
The biggest source of AGEs is our diets, and not only the foods we choose but how we prepare them can contribute to our AGE load. In fact, a study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics indicates that cooking foods using dry heat (such as by broiling or barbecuing) may increase AGE formation by 10 to 100 times. While whole foods high in carbohydrates, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and milk, are relatively low in AGEs, protein-rich products like meat are much higher in AGEs and are more susceptible to AGE increases in the presence of heat.
The researchers found that grilling, broiling, roasting, searing, and frying are the biggest culprits when it comes to increasing AGE formation. For example, they found that raw beef has 720 kU of AGEs per serving. But if you pan-fry that beef with olive oil, the number jumps to 9,052 kU of AGEs per serving. Of course, we can’t solve this problem by eating raw beef, but there are cooking and preparation methods that can help minimize AGE content in foods. I’ll have more on that below. First, let’s talk about why keeping your AGE consumption low is so important.
AGEs really can age you. Not only can they wreak havoc on your skin by breaking down collagen, they are also associated with a number of age-related diseases. In fact, these same researchers evaluated mice with diets high and low in AGEs. Those who consumed a lot of AGEs suffered from issues like atherosclerosis and kidney disease. Those who had restrictions on their AGE consumption had better vascular and kidney function, lower rates of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, better insulin sensitivity, and even faster wound healing. Restricting AGE intake even seems to extend mice’s lifespans in the same way restricting overall calories intake does.
In humans, research has also found connections between AGE consumption and diabetes and kidney disease. Moreover, research recently published in the journal Carcinogenesis indicates that AGEs may help explain the link between diabetes and cancer risk. Because blood sugar is often chronically elevated in diabetes patients, AGEs can form more easily. This study indicates that these AGEs may in turn spur the spread of cancer and growth of tumors.
Unfortunately, increasing your risk of another disease isn’t the only downside of AGEs for diabetics. As proteins go through the glycation process, they can also contribute to diabetic complications, according to a study published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. AGEs can attack endothelial cells, causing blood vessels to constrict; contribute to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques; and lead to diabetic neuropathy.
In fact, inhibiting protein cross-linking that occurs because of glycation processes is one of
the best ways to delay or prevent diabetic complications. Managing AGE intake and proliferation in the body is a great way to do that.
However, managing AGEs isn’t just a good idea for diabetics. AGEs are also known to contribute to another disease many of my readers are concerned about: Alzheimer’s. A study published earlier this year in ACS Chemical Neuroscience linked AGEs with Alzheimer’s pathology. As AGEs interact with AGE receptors (appropriately called RAGEs), they can trigger neurodegeneration. The researchers found that in the brains of adults with Alzheimer’s, AGE and RAGE levels are often elevated, and AGEs seem to contribute to the formation of other proteins that drive Alzheimer’s progression as well, such as tau proteins.
Clearly, we need to try to limit our intake of AGEs, decrease our body’s ability to let them proliferate by keeping blood sugar under control, and take action to contain the damage they can do by promoting inflammation and oxidative stress. But how do we do that?
First, we can decrease our dietary AGEs by choosing our foods wisely and using safer cooking methods. You don’t need to switch to a raw or vegan diet, but you should consider cutting down on your meat consumption. Try treating meat as a side dish rather than the main event. Protein sources like fish, eggs, and even tofu are typically much lower in AGEs than red meat and poultry, so pick these first.
When you do eat meat, you can decrease the AGE content by marinating it in an acidic solution that contains ingredients such as lemon juice or vinegar. (Look for recipes with these ingredients rather than simply soaking the meat in an acid though—otherwise you might cut down on your meat consumption simply because your final product doesn’t taste good!) Researchers have found that these acids help inhibit the production of AGEs when the meat is heated. Moreover, using low, slow heat and moisture-rich environments for cooking rather than high, dry heat can make a significant difference. For example, poaching or steaming chicken causes it to develop only one-fourth of the AGEs that roasting or broiling generates. Stewing and steaming are also good options.
We’ve talked about diet, so of course,
I have to mention its partner-in-crime-fighting: exercise. Regular exercise helps our bodies handle oxidative stress and inflammation more effectively, and a study published in the journal Heart and Vessels has found that this may be due in part to physical activity’s ability to decrease inflammation related to AGEs. For this study, the researchers had 98 participants follow an exercise program for eight months. They found that the activity increased the participants’ serum receptors for AGEs, which in turn decreased AGE-related inflammation throughout the body. Researchers believe this helps explain why exercise helps decrease risk of cardiovascular disease. The researchers also found that the participants who weren’t physically active prior to the study got the best results, so this is an important reminder that it’s never too late to get started!
Still, no matter how vigilant you are with your diet or how vigorous your exercise program is, you are going to encounter AGEs. So the very best thing you can do to deal with them is to give your body tools to fight oxidative stress and inflammation in the form of antioxidants. If you’re eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, you’re already well on your way to tipping the AGE/antioxidant balance in the right direction. However, there are some specific foods and nutrients that are true powerhouses when it comes to fighting AGEs.
One of the most effective is cherries – but not just any old cherries. While the sweet varieties of cherries you’ll find in the produce section are a great snack option, to really maximize your antioxidant intake you need tart cherries, like the Morello, Amarelle, or Montmorency varieties. As their name suggests, these cherries are much more sour and acidic than sweet, so you’ll typically find them sold as juices or dried fruits rather than in whole form.
But they’re worth searching out, as tart cherries contain high levels of anthocyanins, a powerful flavonoid found in many red, purple, and blue fruits and vegetables. In fact, tart cherries are the only berry boasting all six of the primary anthocyanins, which have been linked to anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-cancer effects. They also help the body defend itself from oxidative stress and diseases like diabetes and gout. If you’re following my advice above to exercise regularly, tart cherries can help your muscles recover and will even cut down on soreness if you overdo it.
While we know that antioxidants in general are good in the fight against AGEs, research published in Food and Nutrition Sciences found that tart cherries are particularly beneficial because they have anti-glycation properties, especially when the cherries are allowed to reach peak ripeness.
This means that they can help prevent AGEs from forming in the first place, keeping you a step ahead of the disease-promoting oxidative stress and inflammation. A study published in The British Journal of Nutrition linked consuming concentrate from Montmorency tart cherries to improvements in vascular function that could help reduce risks of cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s. The link between cherries and AGEs may explain why the cherry extract worked
so well.
While tart cherries are powerful, they aren’t the only AGE-fighting food out there. While you may not want to drink this one in juice form, a nutrient found in onion skin can also be very effective. This antioxidant, called quercetin, has been shown to be a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory in a number of studies. According to research published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, quercetin can decrease chronic inflammation throughout the body as well as help improve insulin resistance. This means that it can help decrease your risk of diabetes, which AGE intake can make you susceptible to. Plus, a study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food found that it can help you avoid skeletal muscle atrophy and sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss) due to obesity. Protecting your muscles in this way helps you be better able to exercise, which, as I explained above, will also decrease your AGE load.
An antioxidant you’re likely more familiar with is resveratrol. Found in the skin of red grapes, resveratrol is a powerful antioxidant that also has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. As you probably know, it makes a great headline because it’s found in red wine, but it’s best consumed in supplement form if you want to get the most bang for your buck. Research from Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition has linked it to anti-cancer effects in a number of different cancer forms thanks to its antioxidant properties.
Red wine isn’t the only popular drink that contributes to anti-AGEing efforts, however. Coffee can also boast those effects because it contains a polyphenol compound called chlorogenic acid (CGA). Like resveratrol, CGA has been found to have antibacterial, antioxidant, and anticarcinogenic properties. A study published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that CGA can also help with glucose and lipid metabolism, decreasing diabetes risk by improving insulin sensitivity and improving glucose levels in the blood that can promote AGE formation.
Clearly, diet can play a big role in your AGE intake – and in your ability to fight the effects of AGEs. However, while
I want you to consume plenty of antioxidants, I understand that it can be difficult to include all of the most potent players mentioned above on a daily basis (cup of coffee, perhaps, notwithstanding). If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed by the destructive power of AGEs and are eager to give your body the tools it needs to fight them, I have good news for you: all of the antioxidants I’ve described (and more) are included in a new supplement designed specifically for this purpose.
Advanced Anti-AGEs Formula will support healthy aging by supplying you with antioxidants from Montmorency cherries, quercetin from onion skin extract, red grape skin extract, and chlorogenic acid from green coffee bean extract. It also contains vitamin C, the antioxidant power of which you probably already recognize; Amla, a commercial extract shown in a study published in Journal of Medicinal Food to reduce oxidative stress and improve glucose metabolism in diabetic rats; and thiamine, a B vitamin. In combination with a healthy diet and exercise routine, this supplement can go a long way in helping you avoid some of the most devastating diseases associated with aging, including diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer’s. You can order the Advanced Anti-AGEs Formula by calling 800-791-3395. Be sure to use special offer code WH7318 when you call.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3704564/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29373651
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4459441/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29384651
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29368166
https://biofoundations.org/tart-cherry-promotes-broad-protection-against-cancer/
https://file.scirp.org/pdf/FNS_2014082715122921.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27989253
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29562620
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29569982
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28001084
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3766985/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16176148.
How to Help Your Liver
Help You Live Longer
If there were ever to be an award given for the dubious honor of “most underrated organ,” it would have to be given to the liver. This powerhouse performs over 500 essential functions for us and can actually regenerate itself fully even if it loses up to 75% of its original mass. Yet it rarely gets the same level of attention as organs like the heart or lungs. That’s unfortunate because not only is the liver essential to our overall health, it also has a lot to teach us about how our cells can function and age optimally.
Although the liver’s ability to regenerate itself truly is astonishing, the mechanism by which it does this has been studied a lot less than you might expect. Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine are trying to remedy this, and their research on liver stem cells, published in the journal Nature, provides some important reminders about how we can protect all our cells, especially ones that don’t have the superpowers these liver cells have.
I’ve written before about telomeres, the protective caps on the ends of our DNA strands. Typically, these caps get a bit shorter each time a cell divides. Once the telomeres are gone, the DNA strand unravels, and the cell dies. As you might expect, longer telomeres are generally associated with healthier aging processes.
A protein called telomerase can help keep telomeres from shortening and allow a cell to divide practically indefinitely. Though this sounds like a good thing, telomerase can be both a friend and a foe – keep in mind that fundamentally, cancer is unchecked cell division, and telomerase can contribute to this process in a variety of cells, including liver cells.
However, according to this research, telomerase does contribute positively to liver cells’ ability to regenerate. The researchers found that in mice, approximately 3-5% of liver cells have extra-high telomerase levels, allowing them to create new groups of liver cells when needed. Because these special cells are evenly distributed throughout the liver, they can help the organ regenerate quickly no matter where damage occurs. The researchers found that if they killed these special liver cells in mice, the mice experienced much more liver scarring in response to a liver-damaging chemical.
The researchers are hopeful that future therapies may be able to help protect these cells so that they can do their jobs effectively to protect patients at risk of cirrhosis and other liver issues. However, dysfunction in these cells may also be where some types of liver cancer originate, so researchers will need to tread carefully as they manipulate these cells.
This research provides an important reminder of how powerful our cells can be when their telomeres are intact. Most of our organs don’t have the advantage of specialized telomerase-producing cells that can allow them to regenerate, so we need to take steps ourselves to protect our telomeres. I’ve written before about some of the most effective ways to do this. All the typical healthy lifestyle habits will help, and there are a number of nutrients that have been found to protect telomeres as well. You can find a variety of these nutrients in Advanced Telomere Support (800-791-3395). Taking this supplement might not be as easy as having protective cells built right in to every organ, but it could be the next best thing!
Shengda Lin, Elisabete M. Nascimento, Chandresh R. Gajera, Lu Chen, Patrick Neuhöfer, Alina Garbuzov, Sui Wang, Steven E. Artandi. Distributed hepatocytes expressing telomerase repopulate the liver in homeostasis and injury. Nature, 2018; DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0004-7.
Nutrition Detective
Why the Health of Your Heart Could Be Hiding in Your Handshake
In the business world, women occasionally need to be reminded to offer a firm handshake, with the assumption being that this will convey both competence and confidence. However, even if you aren’t brokering introductions or closing deals, the strength of your hand grip could communicate more than you realize about your inner well-being. So don’t be surprised if your doctor starts to keep track of this measurement in the next few years. Here’s why the information is helpful – and what you can do if your hands aren’t as strong as you’d like.
Researchers at the Queen Mary University in London knew that hand grip strength can often be used to provide information about overall muscular strength. Moreover, they knew that there seems to be a correlation between hand grip strength and risk of cardiovascular issues and mortality. But they wanted to see if they could find out more about this connection. For a study published in PLOS ONE, they reviewed information from cardiovascular MRIs and hand grip strength data from 5,065 people who had participated in the UK Biobank prospective cohort study.
After building a model that could account for a variety of factors, including demographic information, cardiac risk factors, muscle mass drivers, and physical activity, the researchers still found a connection between hand grip strength and the overall shape and function of the heart. In particular, people with stronger grips typically pumped more blood with every heart beat but had lower heart mass compared to those who had weaker grips. When the heart has to work harder and generate more mass to pump blood, it’s often going through a process called remodeling, which can occur after a heart attack or as the heart fights against issues like high blood pressure. While remodeling does ultimately help keep your heart functioning, it’s best to avoid the need for it in the first place.
The association that the researchers found means that your doctor may be able to easily get an idea of whether your heart is struggling simply by measuring your grip strength. If the results aren’t ideal, you’ll need to take action to protect your heart. Regular exercise can help improve both your muscle strength and your overall cardiovascular health. If you do still find that your heart needs some help, taking a heart product like Advanced Blood Pressure Formula (800-791-3395) can help you resolve the issues that may be pushing your heart into a state of remodeling.
Sebastian E. Beyer, Mihir M. Sanghvi, Nay Aung, Alice Hosking, Jackie A. Cooper, José Miguel Paiva, Aaron M. Lee, Kenneth Fung, Elena Lukaschuk, Valentina Carapella, Murray A. Mittleman, Soren Brage, Stefan K. Piechnik, Stefan Neubauer, Steffen E. Petersen. Prospective association between handgrip strength and cardiac structure and function in UK adults. PLOS ONE, 2018; 13 (3): e0193124 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193124.
LETTERS
Q: What is your personal take on promoting strontium citrate for bone building when ALL the studies have been completed with strontium ranelate? – Siri D.K., via email
Hi Siri,
There has been some controversy around the strontium ranelate. Advanced Bionutritionals, years ago, took the position of combining strontium (natural occurring mineral) with citric acid (naturally occurring in fruits) vs. the ranelate which is a synthetic compound. A case can be made that strontium citrate is NOT natural but manmade – man is combining strontium with citrate.
What I do know is that we receive consistent letters telling us about the improvement of DEXA result and the absence of side effects. I have patients who have used ranelate and it seems it’s a little more difficult to deal with as far as digestion goes. I’m not aware of any studies that test them toe to toe. The ranelate research is obviously compelling. And probably the most significant reason to choose strontium citrate is because it is simply easier on the digestion.
Q. I’m now in remission from colon cancer. My oncologist doesn’t care what I eat. But I’ve seen articles suggesting I avoid sugar and some other foods. But what about nuts? I love nuts and think they would help because of the fiber. I’ve also heard they’re high in calories. I’d really like to eat them. What do you think? – Fran C., via email
Dear Fran,
You might be onto something. A large study recently finished by researchers at Yale Cancer Center found that nuts could be an incredibly easy way to lower your cancer recurrence and mortality risks.
For this study, the researchers followed 826 participants who had received a stage III colon cancer diagnosis at some point. They followed the participants for a median of 6.5 years after they wrapped up surgery and chemotherapy. The researchers found that just one simple healthy habit boosted their likelihood of cancer-free survival by 42% and overall survival by 57%.
The participants got these great results just by eating at least two one-ounce servings of nuts every week. And the subgroup that ate only tree nuts (such as almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, and pecans) rather than peanuts (which are technically a legume) saw an additional 46% boost in their results.
It’s true that unhealthy lifestyle factors like obesity have been linked to an increase in colon cancer risk. And it’s also true that nuts are high in fat and calories. But don’t let that scare you! Research has actually consistently linked nut consumption to positive outcomes, including healthy body weight. The researchers believe that the satiating power of nuts may help keep you from eating unhealthy foods that can contribute to insulin resistance and weight gain.
Other ways to reduce your mortality and cancer recurrence risk after colon cancer include exercising and keeping carbohydrate consumption to a moderate levels, but I think we can all agree that eating a handful of nuts a couple times a week is an incredibly easy place to start.