It’s a scary statistic: Atherosclerosis is responsible for more than forty percent of the deaths in this country.1 But what’s even more frightening is that one of its primary causes has long been overlooked—and this risk factor resides in your body right now, whether you realize it or not.
Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are molecules formed by a process called glycosylation in which excess sugars attach themselves to your body’s proteins and lipids. And once formed, these AGEs are completely irreversible—wreaking havoc on your body, where they damage cells and tissues while prematurely aging your body.
Of course, under normal circumstances, this isn’t a problem—a healthy body is well equipped to remove these toxic molecules on a regular basis. But in the all-too-common case of prolonged oxidative stress (caused by high blood sugar, a diet rich in processed food or an environment steeped in toxins), you may not be so lucky. In cases like these, AGEs build up at a faster rate than your body can handle—and studies show that the damage they can do to your tissues… and especially your arteries, kidneys and retinas… is severe.2-5
Research reveals that AGE accumulation occurs in the small arteries in the heart muscle and arteries that have lost their normal elasticity due to diminished nitric oxide levels, increased plaque formation and inflammation—all of which directly contribute to the risk of serious cardiac events like heart attacks and strokes.6-7 What’s worse, these artery-hardening and clogging effects have been shown to be completely independent of risk factors like age, high blood pressure and hyperglycemia—which means that when AGEs are involved, even otherwise healthy people may be at risk.8-10
The only surefire way to protect your heart is to block these toxic, AGE molecules from forming in the first place… and several natural compounds can play a critical role in doing just that.
For starters, the dipeptide Carnosine is a powerful AGE inhibitor, which protects proteins and lipids from glycation and reduces the damaging effects of oxidative stress. The bad news? Muscle carnosine levels drop by as much as 63 percent from age 10 to age 70, indicating the importance of supplementation with this nutrient.11-15
Botanicals like Guava and Yerba Mate also have been shown to inhibit glycation in a dose-dependent manner—contributing to a reduction in both cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.16-18 Similarly, compounds like N-acetyl-cysteine and lipoic acid are also proven to reduce AGE-related cell death.
B vitamins are another crucial source of protection. Pyridoxal-5-phosphate—the active form of B6—is converted to pyridoxamine in the liver. Pyridoxamine inhibits AGE formation, which helps to reduce the AGE-initiated aggregation of blood platelets and the formation of clots.19-20 And studies show that alpha-lipoic acid in combination with benfotiamine (a lipid-soluble form of vitamin B1) can block AGE formation by as much as 40 percent.21 As an added benefit, this class of antioxidant vitamins is also known to decrease diabetic complications and inhibit the release of inflammation-causing chemicals like NFkappaB.22
You can find all of these natural compounds as part of a unique heart-protecting, anti-glycation blend called AGEBlock®, available from Vitamin Research Products.
References:
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Potential Infectious Etiologies of Atherosclerosis: A Multifactorial Perspective. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol7no5/oconnor.htm#1. Accessed on: 8-10-09.
2. Forbes JM, Soldatos G, Thomas MC. Below the radar: advanced glycation end products that detour “around the side”. Is HbA1c not an accurate enough predictor of long term progression and glycaemic control in diabetes? Clin Biochem Rev. 2005 Nov;26(4):123-34.
3. Tan D, Wang Y, Lo CY, et al. Methylglyoxal: its presence and potential scavengers. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2008;17 Suppl 1:261-4.
4. Wendt TM, Tanji N, Guo J, et al. RAGE drives the development of glomerulosclerosis and implicates podocyte activation in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. Am J Pathol. 2003 Apr;162(4):1123-37.
5. Ahmed N. Advanced glycation endproducts--role in pathology of diabetic complications. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2005 Jan;67(1):3-21.
6. Zieman SJ, Kass DA. Advanced glycation endproduct crosslinking in the cardiovascular system: potential therapeutic target for cardiovascular disease. Drugs. 2004;64(5):459-70.
7. McNulty M, Mahmud A, Feely J. Advanced glycation end-products and arterial stiffness in hypertension. Am J Hypertens. 2007 Mar;20(3):242-7.
8. McNulty M, Mahmud A, Feely J. Advanced glycation end-products and arterial stiffness in hypertension. Am J Hypertens. 2007 Mar;20(3):242-7.
9. Semba RD, Najjar SS, Sun K, et al. Serum carboxymethyl-lysine, an advanced glycation end product, is associated with increased aortic pulse wave velocity in adults. Am J Hypertens. 2009 Jan;22(1):74-9.
10. Vlassara H, Fuh H, Donnelly T, et al. Advanced glycation endproducts promote adhesion molecule (VCAM-1, ICAM-1) expression and atheroma formation in normal rabbits. Mol Med. 1995 May;1(4):447-56.
11. Loske C, Neumann A, Cunningham AM, et al. Cytotoxicity of advanced glycation endproducts is mediated by oxidative stress. J Neural Transm. 1998;105(8-9):1005-15.
12. Hipkiss AR. Would carnosine or a carnivorous diet help suppress aging and associated pathologies? Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2006 May;1067:369-74.
13. Reddy VP, Garrett MR, Perry G, et al. Carnosine: a versatile antioxidant and antiglycating agent. Sci Aging Knowledge Environ. 2005 May 4;2005(18):pe12.
14. Guiotto A, Calderan A, Ruzza P, et al. Carnosine and carnosine-related antioxidants: a review. Curr Med Chem. 2005;12(20):2293-315.
15. Hipkiss AR, Chana H. Carnosine protects proteins against methylglyoxal-mediated modifications. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1998 Jul 9;248(1):28-32.
16. Hsieh CL, Yang MH, Chyau CC, et al. Kinetic analysis on the sensitivity of glucose- or glyoxal-induced LDL glycation to the inhibitory effect of Psidium guajava extract in a physiomimic system. Biosystems. 2007 Mar;88(1-2):92-100.
17. Lunceford N, Gugliucci A. Ilex paraguariensis extracts inhibit AGE formation more efficiently than green tea. Fitoterapia. 2005 Jul;76(5):419-27.
18. Mosimann AL, Wilhelm-Filho D, da Silva EL. Aqueous extract of Ilex paraguariensis attenuates the progression of atherosclerosis in cholesterol-fed rabbits. Biofactors. 2006;26(1):59-70.
19. Yamagishi S, Matsui T, Takenaka K, Nakamura K, Takeuchi M, Inoue H. Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) prevents platelet activation and aggregation in diabetic rats by blocking deleterious effects of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2009 Mar;25(3):266-71.
20. Suji G, Sivakami S. DNA damage during glycation of lysine by methylglyoxal: assessment of vitamins in preventing damage. Amino Acids. 2007 Nov;33(4):615-21.
21. Du X, Edelstein D, Brownlee M. Oral benfotiamine plus alpha-lipoic acid normalises complication-causing pathways in type 1 diabetes. Diabetologia. 2008 Oct;51(10):1930-2.
22. Hammes HP, Du X, Edelstein D, et al. Benfotiamine blocks three major pathways of hyperglycemic damage and prevents experimental diabetic retinopathy. Nat Med. 2003 Mar;9(3):294-9.
