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 Fatty liver and MASLD: how the organ that clears advanced glycation end-products becomes the organ that accumulates them — a self-reinforcing loop driven by fructose, methylglyoxal, and RAGE that turns reversible steatosis into hard-to-reverse fibrosis. Summary Paul Reynolds, biomedical scientist and Professor of Cell Biology, reveals why the liver sits at the center of systemic glycation in this episode of the College of Glycation. Healthy sinusoidal endothelial cells and Kupffer cells clear circulating AGEs via scavenger receptors; when the liver is burdened with fat, inflammation, and fibrosis, clearance fails, plasma AGEs rise, and every downstream tissue inherits the excess. Fructose is the key substrate: it bypasses the main regulatory brake of glycolysis, driving both de novo lipogenesis and methylglyoxal production in the same unregulated flux. A nine-day isocaloric fructose-restriction study in children produced measurable drops in a methylglyoxal marker even while glucose intake rose. RAGE, activated by AGEs and the danger signal HMGB1, is required for hepatic stellate cells to transform into scar-producing myofibroblasts; once collagen is deposited, AGE crosslinks make that scar resistant to enzymatic breakdown. Measurement tools include FIB-4, FibroScan (stiffness + CAP), and supportive skin autofluorescence. Reversal scales with intervention intensity: steatosis improves at 3–5 % weight loss, steatohepatitis at 7–10 %, and fibrosis regression mainly at ≥10 %. Fructose restriction, meaningful weight loss, and the emerging histology data from semaglutide all target points in this loop while it is still reversible. 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 Intro: Liver clears AGEs but accumulates them 0:32 Feedback loop in fatty liver 2:34 MASLD/MASH new nomenclature (2023) 4:49 Liver scavengers clear circulating AGEs 6:12 Cirrhosis raises AGEs; transplant lowers them 8:10 Fructose drives fat + methylglyoxal 10:10 Fructose cut drops MGO markers in 9 days 12:19 RAGE/HMGB1 activates stellate cells 13:47 RAGE required for liver fibrosis 14:31 Glycation cross-links collagen scar 15:54 FIB-4, FibroScan & skin AF 18:32 Fructose restriction primary lever 19:49 Weight loss thresholds for reversal 21:15 Semaglutide improves MASH 23:19 Fatty liver = flux problem 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. #MASLD #FattyLiver #MASH #LiverFibrosis #FructoseAndTheLiver #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)