Cook Smarter, Age Slower: How to Reduce AGEs in Your Diet
When we think about healthy eating, we often focus on the ingredients: more vegetables, less sugar, good fats. But did you know that the way we cook those foods is just as important?
What we eat, and how we cook it, can change the chemistry of our bodies.
That golden crust on a steak or the crisp edges of fries may taste delicious, but they also carry compounds that can quietly drive inflammation and aging inside the body.
What Are AGEs?
Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are harmful compounds that form through a natural process called glycation – when proteins, fats, or nucleic acids from foods react with sugars in our body. Our cells naturally produce AGEs, but we also absorb them from external sources like smoking, alcohol, and even the foods we eat.
The good news is that AGE intake is not fixed — everyday choices in the kitchen can lower it.
The Maillard reaction is the chemical process that happens when foods are cooked at high heat. It’s what makes bread turn golden in the toaster, meat develop a seared crust, and cookies smell irresistible as they bake. In short, it’s the reaction behind much of the colour, flavour, and aroma we associate with “deliciously cooked” food. But here’s the trade-off: while the Maillard reaction makes food taste better, it also produces AGEs.
An Evolutionary Perspective
Why are we drawn to browned and crispy foods that are so bad for us? From an evolutionary standpoint, the Maillard reaction was a safety signal: it indicated that meat had been cooked enough to kill harmful pathogens. In that context, the long-term risks of AGEs were far less important than surviving food-borne illness.
Why It Matters for Health
AGEs accumulate in our tissues as we age, contributing to oxidative stress and inflammation. Research has linked high AGE levels to various age-related diseases and conditions, such as skin damage, respiratory issues, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, and cancer. 1
High AGE levels are linked to accelerated aging.
What the Research Shows
A landmark study expanded the database of foods and their AGE content, and showed how cooking methods shape what ends up on our plates.2 Researchers looked at cooking times, temperatures, fats, oils, and marinades to see how they influenced AGE formation.
Study Findings: Cooking Methods
- Dry heat cooking methods create the most AGEs. Grilling, roasting, and frying can raise AGE levels by 10- to 100-fold compared with raw foods.
- Moist heat helps. Poached or steamed chicken contained less than one quarter of the AGEs found in roasted or broiled chicken.
- Cooking temperature matters. Scrambled eggs over medium-low heat had about half the AGEs of eggs cooked at high heat.
- Acidity reduces AGEs. Marinating foods with lemon juice or vinegar before cooking reduces AGE formation.
Study Findings: Food Groups
Animal Products
Beef and aged cheeses topped the list, containing the highest AGE levels.
Full-fat and aged varieties like Parmesan had more AGEs than lower-fat cheeses such as mozzarella, cottage cheese, or reduced-fat cheddar.
Fats
High-fat spreads like butter, cream cheese, margarine, and mayonnaise were also among the richest sources of AGEs.
Complex Carbohydrates
Plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and milk were among the lowest in AGEs, unless prepared with added fats.
Processed Carbohydrates
Dry-heat snacks like crackers, chips, and cookies had some of the highest AGE levels in the carbohydrate group. While still lower than meats, regular snacking on these foods may raise exposure over time.
Simple Cooking Swaps to Reduce AGEs
You don’t need to give up your favourite foods — just balance cooking methods and add some protective touches.
- Opt for steaming, boiling, poaching, or stewing more often.
- Cook at lower temperatures when possible.
- Use acidic marinades (like lemon juice or vinegar) before cooking meat or poultry.
- Swap cooking fats: cook with extra-virgin olive oil
- Save grilling and deep-frying for special occasions rather than daily habits.
Small cooking tweaks can lower your AGE intake without giving up flavour.
Foods That Help
AGE intake can be lowered by:
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Increasing intake of: 🐟 fish 🫘 legumes 🥦 vegetables 🍎 fruits 🌾 whole grains |
Decreasing intake of: 🧈 solid fats 🥩 fatty meats 🧀 full-fat dairy products 🍪 highly processed foods
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Whole plant-based foods also bring protective compounds:
- Antioxidant-rich foods like berries, cruciferous vegetables, spices, and green tea help neutralise free radicals
- Soluble fibre that helps regulate blood sugar and slow the glycation process.
The Key Takeaway
Small, sustainable changes add up. By being mindful of both what we eat and how we prepare it, we can reduce a hidden source of stress on our bodies and support long-term resilience, energy, and healthy aging.
Sources:
1. Wautier, J.-L. and Schmidt, A.M. (2004) ‘Protein Glycation: A Firm Link to Endothelial Cell Dysfunction’, Circulation Research, 95(3), pp. 233–238. doi:10.1161/01.res.0000137876.28454.64.
2. Uribarri, J., Woodruff, S., Goodman, S., Cai, W., Chen, X., Pyzik, R., Yong, A., Striker, G. E., & Vlassara, H. (2010). Advanced glycation end products in foods and a practical guide to their reduction in the diet. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 110(6), 911–16.e12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2010.03.018
