Just as a chef caramelizes onions in a pan, new science shows that sugars are \u201ccaramelizing\u201d our insides, prematurely aging us and potentially contributing to a host of health complications \u2014 from cognitive decline to cardiovascular deterioration and even increased cancer risk.<\/p>\n
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AGEs, or Advanced Glycation End products, are proteins that have been warped by sugars \u2014 they can lead to premature aging from the inside out. sebra \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n
As researchers recently noted in the journal Advances in Orthomolecular Research<\/a>, sugars create \u201cchemical handcuffs\u201d that \u201cgum up your proteins, deactivate your enzymes, trigger unhealthy biochemical signaling in your cells and damage your DNA.\u201d<\/p>\n The result? Aging. Or, more to the point, AGEing.<\/p>\n Speaking to the Daily Mail<\/a>, Dr. Pankaj Kapahi, professor at the California-based Buck Institute for Research on Aging, explained that AGEs are a group of toxins formed by any variations of sugar: fructose, sucrose or glucose.<\/p>\n That includes regular table sugar, fruit juice, breakfast cereals, soft drinks, carbs and processed foods \u2014 all will produce AGEs via glycation, the reaction of tissues in our muscles and organs when exposed to sugars in the bloodstream.<\/p>\n Consuming lots of sugar can affect a person\u2019s appearance by eating away at their collagen reserves in the skin, leading to premature aging on the outside. The potential for internal damage is much spookier.<\/p>\n Glycation has been shown to warp any number of proteins in the body, causing issues with joints, muscles, tendons and cartilage. With long-term exposure, it can even soften the brain by damaging the lining of the arteries that provide it with oxygen \u2014 an effect demonstrated by some studies that show these outcomes after just 10 days of a diet high in sugar.<\/p>\n Too much sugar has also been linked to increases in dementia-causing proteins in the brain, which, when glycated, coagulate and start to build up.\u00a0<\/p>\n One food in particular raises glycation red flags. Fruit juices have a long history as a health halo<\/a>, from \u201cbalanced breakfasts\u201d to wellness cleanses. It turns out the fructose in fruit juice is one of the worst AGE offenders.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"Liquid](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/liquid-brown-caramel-glass-woman-125113586.jpg\")
The worst AGE offenders include fare like fruit juice and sweets. Denira \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n