The College of Glycation is an educational video series dedicated to helping viewers understand one of the most critical and often overlooked processes in human biology: glycation. Led by Dr. Paul Reynolds, Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology at Brigham Young University, this series explores how sugar interacts with proteins and fats in the body, forming harmful compounds called Advanced Glycation End-products (AGEs). These compounds accelerate aging, contribute to chronic diseases, and play a key role in metabolic dysfunction. Each video is designed to break down complex topics into clear, practical insights. Whether you’re a healthcare professional, student, or simply someone seeking to improve your health, this series will give you a deeper understanding of the biological roots of inflammation, insulin resistance, and cellular damage—and what you can do to address them.
Curated by: PaulReynoldsPhD (74 videos)
Topic Sleep, circadian disruption, and melatonin: how the timing of meals and the quality of your sleep raise glucose peaks, extend exposure, and accelerate glycation — even when the food on the plate stays identical. Summary Paul Reynolds, biomedical scientist and Professor of Cell Biology, shows why the same meal produces a higher glucose peak and slower clearance at night than in the morning, and why that difference is a direct glycation problem. Controlled experiments demonstrate that six nights of sleep restriction in healthy young men impair glucose tolerance to a degree that resembles normal aging. Circadian misalignment independently reduces insulin sensitivity, and the pancreas itself contains an autonomous molecular clock (CLOCK/BMAL1); disrupting that clock impairs insulin secretion. A late dinner raises peak glucose by roughly 18 % and reduces overnight fat oxidation. Melatonin has genuine but limited anti-glycation activity against early Maillard chemistry, yet exogenous melatonin at mealtime suppresses insulin release and worsens glucose tolerance — a physiological contradiction created by eating late and then taking a melatonin capsule. Obstructive sleep apnea adds intermittent hypoxia that accelerates oxidative stress and AGE formation while lowering protective soluble RAGE. Practical levers are clear: protect 7–9 hours of sleep, anchor the master clock with morning light and evening dimness, finish eating 2–3 hours before bed, separate any melatonin dose from food, and evaluate for sleep apnea when glycemic control fails despite good diet. Glycation is concentration multiplied by time; aligning meals and sleep with the body’s clocks shortens that daily window of elevated glucose without changing a single food. References and more For complete show notes and references, we invite you to become an Insider subscriber. You'll enjoy a weekly newsletter, premier early access to College of Glycation episodes with full reprints of cited publications, a dedicated College of Glycation question portal with live recorded answers, Paul's Weekly Research Review Podcasts, and more. Learn more: paulreynoldsphd.com Translation Notes You can click the gear icon at the bottom of this video to auto-translate captions. For example, to translate into French, select Subtitles, choose Auto-Translate, then first choose English, then choose Auto-Translate again, then choose French. Timestamps 0:00 Same meal → different glucose by clock time 0:34 Timing & sleep drive glycation risk 2:28 Sleep restriction impairs glucose tolerance 3:51 Shift work raises diabetes odds 5:07 Pancreatic beta-cell clock 6:27 Circadian misalignment harms insulin 7:53 Late dinner raises glucose peak 18% 9:18 Glycation = concentration × time 9:58 Melatonin: anti-glycation but impairs tolerance 12:39 MTNR1B gene links melatonin to diabetes 14:34 Keep melatonin away from food 15:14 Sleep apnea lowers protective sRAGE 17:15 7-9 hrs sleep + early light + earlier meals 18:38 Finish eating 2-3 hrs before bed 19:55 Fix timing to lower AGE formation NOTE The information presented is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Paul Reynolds is a biomedical scientist and professor of cell biology, not a licensed clinician. Always seek the advice of your own qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions. #CircadianMetabolism #ChronoNutrition #SleepAndBloodSugar #MelatoninScience #SleepApneaAwareness #insulinresistance #Glycation #AGEs #inflammation #OxidativeStress #ROS #Redox #CollegeOfGlycation #Ketodiet #LowCarb #InsulinResistance #HealthyAging #SugarDamage #HealthyLiving #KetoDiet #LowCarb #HealthPodcast #AntiAging #Nutrition #BiomedicalScience #BloodSugar #Wellness #HealthTips #SciencePodcast #HealthyEating #CellularHealth #Keto #KetoCommunity #HealthEducation Paul’s favorite yerba mate: https://unicity.link/121f260bfe Yerbe mate with a special formulated Balance fiber: https://ufeelgreat.com/c/PaulReynolds Full Metabolic System storefront: https://shop.unicity.com/paulreynolds Paul’s favorite source for clean, earth-sourced essentials such as salt, electrolytes, hydration, pre-workout and more. Go to https://redmond.life and use PAULSALT for 15% discount. Paul’s favorite exogenous ketones: A high-quality option is the NSF-certified goBHB from Clean Form Nutrition, where you can use the code Paul10 for a 10% discount: https://cleanformnutrition.com/products/go-bhb Paul’s favorite allulose source: https://rxsugar.com (discount: PAUL20) Paul’s favorite health check-up for men or women: https://blokes.co/DRPAUL (discount: DRPAUL for 50% off of labs and smart supplements and 15% off all other products)