001 grain brain the surprising truth about wheat, carbs, and sugar your brain's silent killers

cataracts have rogue proteins that collect in the eye lens. Cystic fibrosis, a hereditary disorder caused by a defect on the DNA, is characterized by improper folding of the CFTR protein. And even a type of emphysema owes its devastation to abnormal proteins that build up in the liver and never reach the lungs.

Okay, so now that we’ve established that wayward proteins play a role in disease and especially neurological degeneration, the next question is, what causes the proteins to mis-fold? With a condition like cystic fibrosis, the answer is more clear-cut because we have identified a specific genetic defect. But what about other ailments that have mysterious origins, or that don’t manifest until later in life? Let’s turn to those glycation end products.

Glycation is the biochemical term for the bonding of sugar molecules to proteins, fats, and amino acids; the spontaneous reaction that causes the sugar molecule to attach itself is sometimes referred to as the Maillard reaction. Louis Camille Maillard first described this process in the early 1900s.11 Although he predicted that this reaction could have an important impact on medicine, not until 1980 did medical scientists turn to it when trying to understand diabetic complications and aging.

This process forms advanced glycation end products (commonly shortened, appropriately, to AGEs), which cause protein fibers to become misshapen and inflexible. To get a glimpse of AGEs in action, simply look at someone who is prematurely aging—someone with a lot of wrinkles, sagginess, discolored skin, and a loss of radiance for their age. What you’re seeing is the physical effect of proteins hooking up with renegade sugars, which explains why AGEs are now considered key players in skin aging.12 Or check out a chain-smoker: The yellowing of the skin is another hallmark of glycation. Smokers have fewer antioxidants in their skin, and the smoking itself increases oxidation in their bodies and skin. So they cannot combat the by-products of normal processes like glycation because their bodies’ antioxidant potential is severely weakened and, frankly, overpowered by the volume of oxidation. For most of us, the external signs of glycation show up in our thirties, when we’ve accumulated enough hormonal changes and environmental oxidative stress, including sun damage.