Another self-sabotaging reaction that results from being alive and using energy is browning, technically glycation. Browning occurs when sugar and protein react with the help of heat. Glycation gives cooked foods like baked bread and roasted meat their dark, aromatic, tasty exteriors, but what’s good for cookies is bad for kidneys. These reactions can damage tissues and produce compounds (advanced glycation end products) that stiffen blood vessels, wrinkle skin, harden the lenses in our eyes, clog up kidneys, and more. These and other kinds of damage then trigger inflammation.
