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paranakee
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Posting this since I feel like it isnt discussed much. I think this will be important for looksmaxxers looking to ascend in a later, more wealthy stage of life (jfl i know) or people in general who want to age well.
What is glycation?
This refers to the reactions of free sugars (glucose) bonding to proteins, lipids, or nucleic acids.
Why is that bad (in the context of skin)?
When free sugars bond to collagen in the skin, it reduces the functionality of collagen, making your skin less elastic and more prone to wrinkes.
Sugar-bonded collagen molecules also cannot be repaired by the usual collagen repair processes that the human body has.
This sugar-bonded collagen molecule is a type of molecule known as an advanced end glycation product, or AGE. the accumulation of AGEs is a hallmark of aging.
How do I reduce it?
Eat less sugar - eating lots of sugar increases sugar concentration in your body, increasing the chances of AGE formation.
Eat less browned foods - There are AGEs that originate from your diet, and they also contributes to skin aging. Any food that has undergone the Mallard reaction (the golden crust of bread, the brown skin of roast chicken, etc.) has AGEs. Anecdotally, the skin of geriatric asians are a lot nicer than those of westerners since their methods of cooking food are usually water based (boiling, steaming, etc.) which prevent the Mallard reaction from happening. Compare this to baking, roasting, frying etc.
Exercise - Regular exercise increases antioxidant activity. Antioxidants inhibit AGE formation. This is because AGE formation is driven by reactive oxygen species which are inactivated by antioxidants.
AGE Inhibitors - Synthetic AGE inhibitor research has slowed down for a while since a lot of them were ineffective or had dangerous side effects. However, some herbal compounds have been found to have AGE inhibiting activity. These are:
Epicatechin - found in green tea
Quercetin - red wine, green tea, apples, onions
Genistein - fava beans and soybeans
Sesamin- sesame
its interesting to note that most of these compounds are found in Asian cuisines, which kind of gives another reason for why old Asians look better.
All information here comes from two sources:
Sugar Sag: Glycation and the Role of Diet in Aging Skin
The role of glycation in the pathogenesis of aging and its prevention through herbal products and physical exercise
The "how to reduce" portion is based on studies cited by these articles. Note that most of them are based on tests in mice
What is glycation?
This refers to the reactions of free sugars (glucose) bonding to proteins, lipids, or nucleic acids.
Why is that bad (in the context of skin)?
When free sugars bond to collagen in the skin, it reduces the functionality of collagen, making your skin less elastic and more prone to wrinkes.
Sugar-bonded collagen molecules also cannot be repaired by the usual collagen repair processes that the human body has.
This sugar-bonded collagen molecule is a type of molecule known as an advanced end glycation product, or AGE. the accumulation of AGEs is a hallmark of aging.
How do I reduce it?
Eat less sugar - eating lots of sugar increases sugar concentration in your body, increasing the chances of AGE formation.
Eat less browned foods - There are AGEs that originate from your diet, and they also contributes to skin aging. Any food that has undergone the Mallard reaction (the golden crust of bread, the brown skin of roast chicken, etc.) has AGEs. Anecdotally, the skin of geriatric asians are a lot nicer than those of westerners since their methods of cooking food are usually water based (boiling, steaming, etc.) which prevent the Mallard reaction from happening. Compare this to baking, roasting, frying etc.
Exercise - Regular exercise increases antioxidant activity. Antioxidants inhibit AGE formation. This is because AGE formation is driven by reactive oxygen species which are inactivated by antioxidants.
AGE Inhibitors - Synthetic AGE inhibitor research has slowed down for a while since a lot of them were ineffective or had dangerous side effects. However, some herbal compounds have been found to have AGE inhibiting activity. These are:
Epicatechin - found in green tea
Quercetin - red wine, green tea, apples, onions
Genistein - fava beans and soybeans
Sesamin- sesame
its interesting to note that most of these compounds are found in Asian cuisines, which kind of gives another reason for why old Asians look better.
All information here comes from two sources:
Sugar Sag: Glycation and the Role of Diet in Aging Skin
The role of glycation in the pathogenesis of aging and its prevention through herbal products and physical exercise
The "how to reduce" portion is based on studies cited by these articles. Note that most of them are based on tests in mice
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