The College of Glycation with Dr. Paul Reynolds

In this episode of College of Glycation , Dr. Paul Reynolds—Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology—explores the liver’s central role in metabolic health and reveals how glycation and chronic inflammation quietly disrupt its vital functions. As the body’s primary metabolic hub, the liver is uniquely exposed to high concentrations of glucose and fructose, making it especially vulnerable to the for...

In this episode of the College of Glycation , Dr. Paul Reynolds—Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology—explores the blood and immune system to reveal how glycation and chronic hyperglycemia disrupt immunity, oxygen delivery, and inflammation control. Moving beyond the idea of blood sugar as a passive biomarker, Dr. Reynolds explains how glycation actively alters hemoglobin, stiffens red blood ce...

In this episode of the College of Glycation podcast, Dr. Paul Reynolds—Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology—dives into the science of glycation and its powerful role in accelerating skin aging. Glycation occurs when sugar molecules bind to proteins and fats, forming advanced glycation end products (AGEs) that damage collagen and elastin. Through AGE crosslinking, inflammatory signaling via the...

In this episode of the College of Glycation , Dr. Paul Reynolds—Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology—kicks off a new physiology-focused series by exploring how glycation disrupts the metabolic and endocrine systems at the foundation of human health. Beginning with core concepts like insulin and glucagon signaling, fed versus fasted metabolism, and energy partitioning across liver, muscle, and...

Glycation doesn’t just alter blood sugar markers—it reshapes the kidneys in ways that silently drive disease. In this episode of the College of Glycation , Dr. Paul Reynolds breaks down how advanced glycation end products (AGEs) accumulate in renal tissues, stiffen filtering membranes, damage podocytes, and trigger the inflammatory RAGE pathway that accelerates diabetic nephropathy. Drawing from d...

In this episode of the College of Glycation , Dr. Paul Reynolds explores how yerba mate—a traditional South American infusion rich in polyphenols, xanthines, and antioxidants—may offer powerful support against glycation and its wide-ranging metabolic consequences. By breaking down the science of AGEs, oxidative stress, and glucose dysregulation, Dr. Reynolds shows how yerba mate’s bioactive compou...

In this episode of the College of Glycation, Dr. Paul Reynolds unpacks the powerful relationship between ketones and glycation, revealing how the body’s natural fat-derived fuel source can counteract one of the most damaging biochemical processes in modern health. He breaks down how glycation and advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) drive inflammation, oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and a...

In this compelling episode of the College of Glycation podcast, Dr. Paul Reynolds unpacks the overlooked but powerful link between glycation —the sugar-driven chemical reaction happening inside all of us—and the development of cancer . Building on our ongoing exploration of AGEs, oxidative stress, and metabolic dysfunction, Dr. Reynolds explains how chronically elevated blood sugar and the accumul...

In this episode of The College of Glycation , Dr. Paul Reynolds—Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology—dives into the cutting-edge science behind detecting advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in our food. Building on years of research and a landmark 2025 Molecules review by Hiroyuki Kataoka, Dr. Reynolds unpacks how scientists measure these sugar-protein compounds that quietly influence every...

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 in...

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...

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? Wrink...

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 c...

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...

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 po...

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 fibros...

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...

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 a...

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, an...

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...

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...

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 driv...

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 u...

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 ey...

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 a...