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)
In this foundational episode of the College of Glycation series, Dr. Paul Reynolds—Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology—dives into two of the most vulnerable and underappreciated targets of metabolic dysfunction: the sensory organs, specifically the eyes and the ears. Building on previous episodes exploring glycation’s systemic effects, this lecture reveals how sugar-driven chemistry quietly damages the delicate neural and microvascular structures that allow you to see and hear—often long before a person is ever diagnosed with diabetes. This episode explains why the retina, lens, and cochlea are uniquely susceptible to glycation. Dr. Reynolds explores how high metabolic demand, extremely fine end-artery microcirculation, barrier breakdown, and limited regenerative capacity create the perfect storm for damage. You’ll learn why diabetic retinopathy begins with pericyte loss, how cataracts accelerate due to glycation of lifelong crystallin proteins, and why hearing loss in diabetes is far more common—and more overlooked—than most people realize. Backed by decades of peer-reviewed research, this lecture connects molecular biochemistry to real-world outcomes including diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, and diabetes-associated hearing impairment. Most importantly, it highlights how glucose control, insulin sensitivity, and dietary AGE exposure influence long-term sensory aging—and why you don’t need a diabetes diagnosis to be at risk. Topics Covered -What glycation is and how AGEs form -Why the retina is neural tissue with extreme metabolic demand -The role of pericytes in retinal and cochlear microvascular stability -How AGE-modified basement membranes trigger pericyte dysfunction and apoptosis -Blood-retinal barrier and blood-labyrinth barrier breakdown -How diabetic retinopathy progresses from microaneurysms to proliferative disease -Why cataracts accelerate in diabetes through crystallin glycation and cross-linking -The cochlea’s dependence on the stria vascularis and microvascular integrity -The research linking A1c levels to progressive hearing loss risk Timestamps 00:00:00 – Intro + recap of glycation series 00:00:31 – Today’s focus: eyes + ears 00:01:06 – Why sensory loss matters; glycation refresher 00:01:44 – Amadori products + HbA1c 00:02:24 – AGEs: what they do and why they’re harmful 00:03:12 – What accelerates glycation (blood sugar, fructose, dietary AGEs) 00:03:54 – Retina anatomy + blood supply basics 00:04:39 – Pericytes + blood-retinal barrier 00:05:22 – Lens crystallins and cataract vulnerability 00:06:49 – Ear anatomy overview (cochlea + hair cells) 00:07:38 – Stria vascularis + blood-labyrinth barrier 00:09:01 – Diabetic retinopathy begins: pericyte loss 00:10:29 – Progression to ischemia + VEGF + proliferative retinopathy 00:11:58 – Intracellular AGE damage (methylglyoxal, mitochondria) 00:12:37 – Cataracts: crystallin glycation + aggregation 00:14:48 – Diabetes & hearing loss risk (meta-analysis) 00:15:31 – Cochlear microvascular damage parallels retina 00:16:15 – Hearing loss rises as A1C rises 00:17:48 – Why eyes/ears are so vulnerable (5 reasons) 00:20:44 – Take-home: serious but preventable with glucose control 00:21:26 – Closing Whether you’re interested in metabolic disease, aging, vision, hearing, or the cellular roots of chronic degeneration, this episode makes one message clear: your sensory health is inseparable from your metabolic health—and protecting your eyes and ears starts with controlling glycation. About Dr. Paul Reynolds Dr. Reynolds is a biomedical scientist and professor at Brigham Young University, known for translating complex cellular physiology into clear, actionable insights. His College of Glycation series empowers students and lifelong learners to understand how metabolic chemistry shapes aging, chronic disease, and now—sensory organ health. #EyeHealth #HearingHealth #SensoryOrgans #Glycation #AGEs #DiabeticRetinopathy #Cataracts #HearingLoss #InsulinResistance #BloodSugar #OxidativeStress #Inflammation #Mitochondria #MetabolicHealth #HealthyAging #CollegeOfGlycation #Nutrition #BiomedicalScience #HealthPodcast #SciencePodcast #CellularHealth #AntiAging #Wellness #HealthEducation Paul’s favorite yerba mate: https://ufeelgreat.com/usa/en/c/C63EE3 Paul’s favorite source for clean, earth-sourced essentials such as salt, elecrolytes, 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)