In this episode of the College of Glycation, Dr. Paul Reynolds—Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology—reveals how glycation quietly undermines muscle strength, recovery, and performance. By binding sugars to proteins in the body, glycation produces toxic compounds known as AGEs that stiffen muscle fibers, disrupt collagen, and trigger chronic inflammation. The result? Slower recovery, greater injury risk, and accelerated muscle aging—even in those who train regularly.
Dr. Reynolds connects cutting-edge biochemistry with everyday fitness, showing how high-sugar diets, poor recovery habits, and metabolic stress blunt the benefits of exercise. Backed by peer-reviewed research, he explores how glycation impairs flexibility, vascular health, and muscle regeneration—and shares practical strategies to reverse the damage. From anti-glycation nutrients like carnosine to smarter training and nutrition choices, this episode offers evidence-based tools to protect your muscles, optimize performance, and extend your athletic longevity.
In this episode of College of Glycation, Dr. Paul Reynolds—Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology—explores how toxic advanced glycation end-products (TAGEs) compromise gut integrity at the cellular level. Drawing on new research from Takeda et al. (2025), Dr. Reynolds explains how these sugar-derived toxins disrupt tight junction proteins like ZO-1 and claudin-7, leading to increased intestinal permeability, oxidative stress, and inflammation. The result? A weakened gut barrier that fuels chronic disease, from diabetes to neuroinflammation.
Through clear scientific storytelling, Dr. Reynolds connects molecular biochemistry to real-world health—showing how diet, glucose overload, and oxidative stress silently erode intestinal resilience. He also highlights emerging strategies to protect the gut, including antioxidant defense, AGE inhibitors like aminoguanidine, and lifestyle approaches that preserve the body’s most important barrier.
In this episode of The College of Glycation, Dr. Paul Reynolds—Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology—dives into how sugar-driven molecular damage accelerates skin aging from the inside out. Through the lens of glycation, he explains how advanced glycation end products (AGEs) stiffen collagen and elastin, weaken skin structure, and ignite inflammation through the RAGE pathway. The result? Wrinkles, sagging, and a loss of that youthful bounce—driven not just by time, but by diet, UV exposure, and everyday lifestyle choices.
Blending cutting-edge research with practical takeaways, Dr. Reynolds reveals how diet, antioxidants, and AGE-lowering strategies can protect your skin’s integrity and slow the clock on aging. Whether you’re into skincare, nutrition, or metabolic health, this episode illuminates the powerful connection between what’s on your plate and what shows in the mirror—and offers science-backed tools to help your skin stay resilient, radiant, and strong.
In this thought-provoking episode of the College of Glycation podcast, Dr. Paul Reynolds unpacks the powerful and overlooked connection between glycation and mental health. He explores how sugar-driven molecular damage—through advanced glycation end products (AGEs)—can inflame the brain, disrupt neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, and worsen conditions such as depression, anxiety, and cognitive decline. By activating the RAGE pathway and impairing insulin signaling, glycation may serve as a biochemical bridge between metabolic dysfunction and psychiatric illness.
Dr. Reynolds also highlights how diet, gut health, and lifestyle choices shape this relationship, offering practical ways to reduce glycation and protect brain function. Drawing on cutting-edge research in metabolic psychiatry, he reveals how improving insulin sensitivity, supporting gut integrity, and lowering AGE burden may hold the key to restoring emotional resilience and mental clarity.
In this insightful episode of The College of Glycation, Dr. Paul Reynolds unpacks how sugar-driven molecular reactions silently erode your strength from the inside out. Glycation—the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs)—crosslinks muscle proteins, stiffens connective tissue, and disrupts insulin signaling, accelerating the loss of muscle mass and power known as sarcopenia.
Drawing from current metabolic and clinical research, Dr. Reynolds explains how AGEs impair muscle regeneration, blunt key growth pathways like Akt/mTOR, and fuel inflammation that blocks repair. But it’s not all decline—he outlines practical, science-based strategies to restore resilience through resistance training, nutrient timing, and antioxidant support. Whether you’re aging, active, or simply determined to stay strong, this episode reveals how managing glycation can help preserve your mobility, vitality, and metabolic health for life.
In this episode of The College of Glycation, Dr. Paul Reynolds uncovers how glycation—the sugar-driven process behind advanced glycation end products (AGEs)—silently damages the lungs. From stiffened collagen and reduced elasticity to chronic inflammation fueled by RAGE signaling, glycation plays a hidden but powerful role in conditions like COPD, asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, and even lingering post-COVID complications.
Blending research insights with practical strategies, Dr. Reynolds explores how both internal AGEs from high blood sugar and external ones from cigarette smoke or pollution converge to undermine respiratory health. Listeners will learn how diet, antioxidants, exercise, stress management, and breathing therapies can help preserve lung function, restore resilience, and slow glycation-related decline.
In this episode of the College of Glycation series, Dr. Paul Reynolds—Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology—reveals how sugar’s toxic fingerprints reshape the liver and fuel a silent epidemic: non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its aggressive cousin, NASH. Glycation and its byproducts, known as AGEs, act like molecular graffiti—damaging proteins, inflaming tissues, and driving fibrosis that can progress to cirrhosis and liver failure.
Drawing on decades of research, Dr. Reynolds unpacks the biochemical chain reaction behind liver disease, from insulin resistance and de novo lipogenesis to RAGE signaling and stellate cell activation. Most importantly, he highlights evidence-based strategies—low-carb diets, intermittent fasting, exercise, and stress reduction—that can halt or even reverse early damage. Whether you’re concerned about metabolic health or simply want to protect your liver, this lecture offers practical tools and empowering science to take control.
In this episode of the College of Glycation series, Dr. Paul Reynolds—Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology—reveals the overlooked but critical connection between glycation and sleep. Far from being a passive state, sleep is when the brain and body perform vital repair work, yet advanced glycation end products (AGEs) can sabotage this process. From disrupting melatonin production and circadian rhythms to worsening conditions like sleep apnea, insomnia, and restless leg syndrome, glycation quietly undermines our most restorative rhythms.
Drawing on cutting-edge research, Dr. Reynolds explains how poor sleep, insulin resistance, and glycation form a destructive cycle—and, most importantly, how diet, exercise, stress management, and sleep hygiene can help break it. If you’ve ever struggled with sleep quality or want to protect long-term health, this episode offers both the science and the practical steps you need.
In this episode of the College of Glycation, Dr. Paul Reynolds—Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology—reveals how glycation, the sugar-driven process that creates AGEs (advanced glycation end products), undermines human fertility. From sperm DNA damage and declining egg quality to impaired endometrial receptivity and placental dysfunction, glycation silently sabotages reproduction in both men and women. Linked to PCOS, endometriosis, male infertility, and gestational diabetes, this biochemical “rust” is emerging as a hidden driver of today’s fertility crisis.
Drawing on peer-reviewed studies and clinical insights, Dr. Reynolds explains how AGEs alter reproductive biology—and, most importantly, what can be done about it. Listeners will learn actionable strategies to reduce AGE burden through diet, lifestyle, and promising new therapies. Whether you’re navigating fertility challenges, pregnancy complications, or simply seeking to better understand reproductive health, this episode offers a clear, science-backed roadmap for protecting the next generation.
In this episode of the College of Glycation series, Dr. Paul Reynolds explores how sugar-driven damage in the form of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) accelerates brain aging and contributes to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, depression, and other mental health challenges. He breaks down the science of glycation and insulin resistance, showing how they disrupt brain function, fuel inflammation, and create what many researchers call “Type 3 Diabetes.”
Drawing from cutting-edge research and clinical insights, Dr. Reynolds highlights why standard treatments often fall short and how nutrition—particularly ketogenic therapies and low-AGE diets—can protect and even restore brain health. Packed with practical strategies and science-backed guidance, this conversation equips listeners with the tools to reduce glycation, support cognitive performance, and take control of long-term brain health.
In this episode of the College of Glycation, Dr. Paul Reynolds—Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology—explores the surprising biochemical connection between glycation and Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR), a painful inflammatory disorder that limits movement and quality of life. He explains how advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) can stiffen collagen, alter fascia, and transform the interstitial fluid that should keep muscles and joints moving freely—creating the perfect environment for pain and rigidity.
Drawing on recent studies, Dr. Reynolds reveals how diet, inflammation, and oxidative stress intertwine in PMR, and why reducing sugar intake may help break the cycle. He also discusses ketogenic and low-carb eating as potential tools to lower AGE burden and ease stiffness, offering practical steps for protecting connective tissue health at any age.
In this eye-opening episode of the College of Glycation, Dr. Paul Reynolds—Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology—unpacks the hidden connection between glycation, mitochondrial damage, and declining cellular energy. He explains how sugar-driven advanced glycation end products (AGEs) sabotage the mitochondria—the body’s energy factories—by damaging key proteins, increasing oxidative stress, and choking off ATP production. The result? Fatigue, brain fog, metabolic inflexibility, and accelerated aging.
Blending cutting-edge research with practical strategies, Dr. Reynolds reveals how to protect and restore your mitochondria through blood sugar control, targeted nutrition, and exercise that sparks mitochondrial renewal. Whether you’re aiming for sharper thinking, higher energy, or healthier aging, this episode offers the science and solutions to keep your cellular engines running strong.
In this episode of the College of Glycation podcast, Dr. Paul Reynolds—Professor of Cell Biology and Biomedical Scientist—uncovers how a single biochemical process, glycation, can set off a chain reaction leading to metabolic syndrome. From stiffened arteries and distorted cholesterol to insulin resistance and mitochondrial damage, advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) quietly but powerfully drive the cluster of conditions that raise the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
Drawing on decades of research, Dr. Reynolds explains how AGEs form both inside the body and on our plates, thanks to high-heat cooking, processed foods, and sugar-heavy diets. You’ll learn how these “molecular wrecking balls” fuel inflammation, oxidative stress, and hormonal imbalance—and more importantly, how to interrupt the cycle. Packed with practical tips, this episode empowers you to make small, science-backed changes in your diet, lifestyle, and cooking habits to protect your metabolic health and longevity.
In this episode of the College of Glycation, Dr. Paul Reynolds, Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology, dives into the powerful yet underrecognized link between glycation and immune dysfunction. Learn how advanced glycation end products (AGEs) sabotage immune defenses by impairing macrophages, weakening antibodies, and triggering chronic inflammation through the AGE-RAGE pathway. Dr. Reynolds unpacks how these sugar-related changes contribute to aging, insulin resistance, and increased risk of infection, autoimmunity, and chronic disease.
Backed by cutting-edge research, this lecture also offers practical strategies to protect and restore immune health—through smart dietary choices, physical activity, and antioxidant support. Whether you're a clinician, researcher, or health-conscious listener, this episode arms you with the knowledge to fight back against glycation and strengthen your body’s first line of defense.
In this episode of The College of Glycation, Dr. Paul Reynolds uncovers how sugar chemistry may be quietly compromising your vision. From cataracts and macular degeneration to diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma, glycation and its toxic byproducts—advanced glycation end products (AGEs)—wreak havoc on the delicate structures of the eye. With clarity and depth, Dr. Reynolds explains how long-lived eye proteins, oxidative stress, and insulin resistance create a perfect storm for vision loss.
Drawing on recent research and clinical insights, he outlines practical strategies to slow glycation, improve metabolic health, and protect your sight through diet, antioxidants, and lifestyle change. Whether you're managing blood sugar, concerned about aging eyes, or simply want to stay ahead of chronic disease, this episode offers science-backed tools to keep your vision clear and strong.
In this episode of The College of Glycation, Dr. Paul Reynolds explores a surprising connection between sugar chemistry and your allergies. Building on previous discussions about glycation’s role in chronic disease, he dives into how advanced glycation end products (AGEs) can damage epithelial barriers, activate inflammatory pathways, and turbocharge allergic responses—from seasonal sneezing to asthma flare-ups.
Dr. Reynolds also connects the dots between insulin resistance, processed foods, and immune overactivation, revealing how metabolic dysfunction may be silently amplifying your symptoms. Backed by peer-reviewed science and practical strategies, this episode offers a fresh perspective on why your allergies may be worse than they should be—and what you can do about it.
In this episode of The College of Glycation, Dr. Paul Reynolds explores the hidden impact of glycation on bone health—revealing how sugar-driven molecular damage weakens the very foundation of our bodies. Building on previous episodes, Dr. Reynolds explains how advanced glycation end products (AGEs) stiffen collagen, disrupt bone remodeling, and accelerate the progression of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. Aging and insulin resistance further amplify this damage, making bones more fragile and susceptible to fractures—even when density appears normal.
Drawing from cutting-edge research and real clinical insight, Dr. Reynolds breaks down the science behind progressive matrix loss, bone cell dysfunction, and the metabolic factors that erode skeletal strength over time. This episode isn’t just informative—it’s empowering. You’ll come away with practical, evidence-based strategies to lower AGE formation, improve insulin sensitivity, and preserve bone integrity for the long haul.
Could sugar damage be silently fueling cancer? In this powerful episode of The College of Glycation, Dr. Paul Reynolds unpacks how a little-known process called glycation might be creating the perfect storm for tumors to grow and spread.
You’ll learn how high blood sugar and insulin resistance do more than affect diabetes—they can generate toxic molecules called AGEs (advanced glycation end products) that inflame tissues, damage DNA, and create a cancer-friendly environment. Dr. Reynolds breaks down the science in clear, relatable terms and offers practical tips to protect yourself through diet, lifestyle, and smarter blood sugar control.
If you're interested in preventing cancer, aging well, or just understanding what’s really happening in your body, this episode is a must-listen.
In this episode of the College of Glycation, Dr. Paul Reynolds dives into the often-overlooked link between sugar damage and gut health. Glycation—through its toxic byproducts known as AGEs—doesn’t just age your arteries or brain; it also wreaks havoc on your digestive system. Dr. Reynolds unpacks how AGEs contribute to leaky gut, microbiome imbalance, and inflammatory bowel conditions like IBD, while also fueling insulin resistance and systemic inflammation.
Backed by cutting-edge research and clear clinical insights, this episode breaks down the molecular mayhem AGEs cause in the gut and offers practical, science-backed solutions—from dietary changes and prebiotics to blood sugar control and antioxidant support. Whether you're navigating digestive issues or simply want to protect your long-term metabolic health, this episode is a must-listen.
In this powerful episode of the College of Glycation podcast, Dr. Paul Reynolds takes listeners deep into the hidden world of glycation and its devastating impact on kidney health. Building on previous episodes, Dr. Reynolds explains how advanced glycation end products (AGEs) silently damage the kidneys—compromising filtration, triggering chronic inflammation, and accelerating the march toward chronic kidney disease and dialysis. With clarity and urgency, he exposes how insulin resistance and elevated blood sugar fuel this process, creating a vicious metabolic cycle that threatens millions worldwide.
Grounded in peer-reviewed science and rich historical context, this episode also explores emerging diagnostic tools like skin autofluorescence and highlights practical strategies to reduce AGE burden through diet, cooking methods, and lifestyle changes. Whether you're navigating diabetes or simply aiming to protect your long-term kidney function, this episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking to understand and interrupt the silent sabotage of glycation.