Are Your Carbs Turning Your Blood Into a Sticky Mess?

The Hidden Dangers of Glycation Revealed!

Glycation, a lesser-known but critical process, is intrinsically linked to high blood glucose levels that can transform your blood into something akin to a "sticky" trap. This isn't about turning your blood into syrup, but it's a tale of biochemical changes that spell trouble for your blood flow, especially in those tiny, life-sustaining capillaries.

Here's the breakdown of this stealthy process:

1) Protein Transformation: Picture this - your blood is awash with glucose, and these sugar molecules start cozying up to proteins like hemoglobin. It's not a friendly hug, though. This glycation alters the proteins, impacting their normal superhero duties in your body.

2) AGEs Invasion: With time, these sugar-protein rendezvous result in Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs). These AGEs aren't just lounging around; they're hard at work stiffening your blood vessels and reducing their elasticity, making it harder for blood to flow through the smaller channels.

3) Thicker Blood: The plot thickens, quite literally, as glycation ramps up. The presence of glycated proteins and AGEs makes your blood more viscous, a fancy word for "thicker," which can slow down its flow, particularly in smaller blood vessels.

4) Oxygen Delivery Woes: When hemoglobin gets glycated (scientists call it HbA1c), it struggles to deliver oxygen efficiently. Less oxygen to tissues is never good news.

5) Inflammation and Damage: AGEs are like unwelcome guests causing inflammation and damaging the endothelium, the delicate lining inside your blood vessels. This can further impair blood flow and raise the risk of vascular complications. High glucose levels can wreak havoc in small blood vessels, leading to complications in eyes, kidneys, and nerves. This is why managing blood sugar levels through diet is so crucial.

But glycation doesn't play favorites with just sugars; it's a game of Russian roulette with various carbs:

1) Direct Sugars: Think sodas, honey, HFCS, and table sugar.

2) Refined Carbohydrates: Breakfast cereals, bread, pasta, and pastries are the usual suspects.

3) Processed Foods: Often loaded with added sugars and refined carbs.

4) Unprocessed Carbohydrates: Even the good guys like fruits, rice, whole grains, and starchy veggies join in, with their natural sugars and starches.

And the effects? They range from the immediate to the long-term:

Short-term: Inflammation, oxidative stress, hyperglycemia, visceral fat.

Intermediate-term: Skin aging, vascular damage, fatty liver, fatty pancreas.

Long-term: Risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, arthritis, Alzheimer's, and cancer; organ dysfunction; serious diabetes complications. Understanding the foods that fuel glycation and their impacts is key to making smarter dietary choices. While keeping a check on carb intake, particularly the refined and processed villains, is important.

Or just stop playing around and go carnivore or ketogenic!

#Carnivore #keto #diabetes

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