High
Blood Sugar Linked To Aging And Disease
Lester
A. Packer, Ph.D. Professor Department of Molecular and Cell
Biology
University
of California, Berkeley
advanced
glycation end products And Antioxidants
Is
it possible that by eating too many metabolically active dense
carbohydrates, you are much more likely to accelerate aging and
disease?
Here's why
Each
time we eat a meal containing carbohydrates, blood glucose levels
increase. According to the insulin sensitivity theory, as we age
blood glucose levels tend to increase and insulin becomes less and
less effective at bringing them down.
Sustained
high levels of sugars in the blood ultimately cause proteins to
stick together thereby damaging the function of the proteins. For
example, excess blood sugar is more likely to react with proteins
such as collagen in the skin which can lead to brown splotches or
"age spots" as well as loss of elasticity and premature
wrinkling.
These
sugar-damaged, very dangerous cross-linked proteins are called advanced
glycation end products, or AGE!
According
to one of the world's leading antioxidant researchers, Lester
Packer, Ph.D., "the acronym AGE is quite appropriate, since a
high number of these damaged proteins can...wreak havoc on
virtually all other body tissues...and lead to premature
aging."1
Some examples
- If
excess blood sugar damages proteins in the lens of the eye,
cataracts and eventual blindness can result.
- If
collagen in the arteries suffers damage from the protein/sugar
complex called AGE, fatty plaques are more likely to form.
- Similarly,
if the collagen in our connective tissues becomes cross-linked
as a result of AGE, arthritis could occur.
- The
process of glycation (sugar damaged proteins) has even been
linked as a "likely culprit" in the destruction of
nerve cells in the brain that can eventually lead to
Alzheimer's and other neuro-degenerative diseases.2
- Furthermore,
glycation accelerates the formation of damaging free radical
molecules which can accelerate aging and increase risk of
disease.
The Mechanism of Glycation
The process of glycation occurs in everyone. Normally, special
enzymes are able to "unstick" the potentially dangerous
matrix of glycated proteins. But when blood sugar concentrations
increase while enzyme concentrations stay the same, the enzymes
are unable to cope, causing the equilibrium to shift in favor of
AGE formation.
As
a result, proteins stick together in a process of glycation that
damages the functioning of proteins in tissues throughout the
body. This is the kind of environment often seen in hyperglycemic
(high blood sugar) individuals, which may explain the increased
levels of damaging glycation end products seen in diabetics.
The
Role of Alpha Lipoic Acid
According to
Dr. Packer, the damage that can be inflicted by excess glucose,
insulin resistance and diabetes needs to be controlled as early as
possible. Although he does not propose lipoic acid as a cure, Dr.
Packer suggests that it can have a remarkably beneficial effect in
terms of helping to control symptoms and preventing some of the
serious problems that can arise as a result of hyperglycemia and
diabetes.5
For
example, it is well known that high blood sugar can contribute to
coronary heart disease. Diabetes patients are known to be
particularly vulnerable to heart problems. Previous clinical
studies have established that AGE increase atherosclerosis by
glyco-oxidation of low density lipoproteins (bad cholesterol) and
the promotion of vascular cell adhesion molecules (VCAM) on artery
walls. Researchers investigating the effect of alpha lipoic acid
on VCAM reported reductions in AGE induced adhesion molecules of
22% - 13.8%.3,4
In
addition to boosting antioxidant levels, lipoic acid can reduce
protein damaging AGE in both humans and animals. Since advanced
glycation end products are thought to be a factor in the aging
process itself, there is good evidence that lipoic acid may help
to slow down aging in general.4
The Role of Acetyl L-Carnitine
Those who are
susceptible to high levels of blood sugar and accumulation of
damaging advanced glycation end products in the lens of the eye
can develop cataracts or other serious vision disorders. In a
Medical College of Georgia study calves' lens tissues were
incubated in two glucose solutions for 15 days; one with L-carnitine
and the other with acetyl L-carnitine. The solution containing L-carnitine
showed no effect on glycation (formation of protein-sugar matrix)
in the calf lens tissue. However, the acetyl L-carnitine (ALC)
decreased glycation by 42%. ALC also demonstrated a positive
effect on antibodies to AGE. These findings suggest that acetyl L-carnitine
may hold potential for preventing or slowing AGE processes and
specifically blindness caused by cataracts.6
The
Role of Chromium
More than 90% of Americans are deficient in the trace mineral
chromium. Chromium is often called the "Godfather" of
sugar metabolism because both chromium and insulin are essential
to help the body utilize sugar and metabolize fat.7
High carb, high sugar diets are known to deplete the body of
chromium, triggering increased sugar cravings. The more sugar
eaten, the more chromium levels are depleted.8
Even the slightest deficiency of chromium interferes with the
body's metabolism of glucose.
USDA
studies showing that chromium can help improve glucose tolerance,
suggest it may be extremely beneficial for those with
hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), insulin resistance and diabetes.9
It stands to reason that chromium can play an important role in
reducing the risk for health damaging AGE by supporting healthy
glucose metabolism and blood sugar levels.
The Role of Taurine
The sulfur containing amino acid taurine can offer potent
antioxidant protection against the ravages of AGE. Furthermore,
emerging research suggests that taurine may be especially valuable
for its ability to support healthy increased insulin sensitivity
while helping to maintain longer term reduced blood sugar levels.10
In a European Journal of Pharmacology report, researchers suggest
that taurine levels in the pancreas (where insulin is made and
secreted), may play a crucial role in blood sugar control.11
Perhaps that's why those with blood sugar disorders, frequently
have below normal levels of taurine, which can compound their
susceptibility to AGE, retinopathy (nerve damage) and
cardiovascular disease.
Lester
A. Packer, Ph.D. Professor Department of Molecular and Cell
Biology and Director of the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory Membrane
Bioenergetics Group. Dr. Packer received his Ph.D. from Yale
University in microbiology and biochemistry. His scientific
research has mainly focused on vitamin E and related compounds at
the membrane and cellular levels. Dr.
Packer is the executive editor of Archives of Biochemistry and
Biophysics, and serves on the editorial advisory boards of Free
Radical Biology and Medicine, The Journal of Applied Nutrition,
and The Journal of Optimal Nutrition. He is a member of eight
professional societies and is President of the International
Society for Free Radical Research, and Vice President of
UNESCO’s Global Network of Molecular and Cell Biology.
1 Packer,
Lester, Ph.D., The Antioxidant Miracle p. 47-7.
2 Ibid.
3 Clin Sci 1999 Jan 96, p.75-82.
4 Colaco, Camilo, The Glycation Hypothesis of Atherosclerosis
(Medical Intelligence Unit) May 1997.
5 Packer, Lester, p. 45-46.
6 Swamy-mruthinti S., et al., "Acetyl-L-carnitine decreases
glycation of lens proteins: in vitro studies." Exp Eye 1999
Jul;69(1):109-15.
7 Atkins, R., M.D., Vita Nutrient Solution p. 145.
8 Anderson, R., Biological Trace Element Research, 1992;32:19-24.
9 Packer, p.190.
10 Franconi, F., et al., Am J Clin Nutr, 1995;61:1115-19.
11 Tokunaga, H. et al., Eur J Phamacol 1983 Feb 18;87(2-3):237-43.
Print This
Feature
