Some nice educating material by Ben Greenfield about what happens after you eat sugar. Now, remember the sugar in fruit is part of this as well. I say that because some of you think the sugar in fruit is healthy or different than sugar from other sources. ROS stands for “Reactive Oxygen Species”, and studies have shown the formation of these nasty little unstable forms of oxygen molecules to be a central mechanism for glucose toxicity from chronic oxidative stress. Your pancreas is one valuable organ especially sensitive to reactive oxygen species because of it’s low natural concentration of antioxidant enzymes. Because of this, high-sugar diets can increase pancreatic cancer risk due to what is called “hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress” and free radical damage to pancreatic cells. ROS’s also cause irreversible damage to the cell wall, cross-link collagen and elastin (a primary cause of wrinkles and pre-mature aging) and lessens the skin’s natural ability to repair itself. When combined with AGE’s, this is a potent one-two combo for aging much, much faster. Advanced glycation end products (AGE’s) are a complex group of compounds formed when sugar reacts with amino acids. They have a fitting acronym because – along with ROS’s – they are one of the major molecular mechanisms by which cellular damage accrues in your body. When sugar bonds with protein via glycation, this process creates inflammation, activates your immune system. As a result, your immune system’s scavenger cells bind to the AGE’s, and unfortunately, this defense process also causes a fair share of damage. Inside your arteries, for example, the scar tissue created from this process is called plaque. AGE’s also contribute to cross-linking of collagen protein fibers (more wrinkles), inflammation, inhibited skin cell growth and accelerated aging. There is mounting evidence that AGE’s are implicated in the development of chronic degenerative diseases such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s and diabetes, and several studies have shown that restricting the consumption of AGEs can lead to an increased lifespan in animals. Of all the molecules you could eat that are most capable of inflicting AGE-related damage in your body, sugar is the highest. You can find out more about Ben Greenfield at the following link: bengreenfieldfitness/
Posted on: Thu, 01 Aug 2013 16:19:21 +0000