Advanced Glycation Endproducts (AGEs)
AGEs are formed when proteins react with sugars and fats in food. This happens when foods are cooked in the home and when they are processed in the factory. Amounts of AGEs are higher in foods that have been heavily heat-treated, e.g., breadcrust, roasted meat, roasted coffee. These foods are heated above 200 °C. AGEs are also formed naturally in the body as part of the normal ageing process and at higher rates in the presence of diabetes. AGEs are proinflammatory and can thus promote inflammatory diseases such as cardiovascular disease and may promote inflammatory bowel disease.
The research questions we are addressing are:
- What is the impact of dietary AGEs on human health?
- Are dietary AGEs as important for human health and disease as AGEs formed in the human body?
- How can food composition, food processing and home cooking be modified to minimise any adverse health consequences of dietary AGEs?
