Effect of a Low Advanced Glycation End Products (AGE) Diet in the Metabolic Syndrome

The metabolic syndrome (MetSyn), a well-defined cluster of pathogenic conditions, includes glucose intolerance, insulin resistance (pre-diabetes), hypertension, abdominal obesity, and dyslipidemia. The MetSyn has a strong inflammatory component and raises the risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) by five-fold and of diabetes by two fold in aging. Although, excessive caloric intake, i.e. "over nutrition" is known to be involved in developing the MetSyn, the actual causative agents of MetSyn in human nutrition have not been determined. The investigators have previously shown that Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs) can induce oxidant stress and inflammatory responses and modulate insulin signaling in animal models and more recently in humans. These studies separated the effects of "over-nutrition" from the pro-inflammatory effects of AGEs, a factor not previously considered. These data support our hypothesis that AGE-restriction could be an important intervention in the MetSyn in aging. The investigators would like to demonstrate that this safe, practical and economical intervention can arrest the progression of three major "epidemics" of aging: diabetes, obesity, and vascular disease associated with the metabolic syndrome. This simple intervention could have significant health and economic implications. Our hypothesis is that dietary AGE restriction can reverse several cardinal manifestation of the MetSyn, specifically insulin resistance, abdominal obesity and cardiovascular disease.