The College of Glycation with Dr. Paul Reynolds

Paul Reynolds
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The College of Glycation with Dr. Paul Reynolds explores how sugar impacts aging, health, and disease. Join Dr. Reynolds as he unpacks the science of glycation and AGEs through expert interviews, myth-busting insights, and practical takeaways. Whether you're a health professional or simply curious, this podcast brings clarity to the sticky world of sugar metabolism. New episodes weekly.

  1. Adipose Glycation and Fat Cell Hypertrophy

    5d ago

    Adipose Glycation and Fat Cell Hypertrophy

    Podcast Episode Description:In this eye-opening episode of the College of Glycation, Professor Paul Reynolds explores adipose glycation — the hidden process where fat cells themselves become chemically modified by sugar, turning them into drivers of metabolic dysfunction. Far from being passive storage tanks, hypertrophic adipocytes generate their own glycating agents like methylglyoxal (MGO), activating the AGE-RAGE axis, inflammation, hypoxia, and fibrosis. This creates a self-reinforcing loop that promotes insulin resistance, cytokine release, and impaired fat expandability — explaining why fat cell size and behavior matter far more than total body fat.Drawing on key studies, Reynolds connects the dots between chronic hyperinsulinemia, fructose intake, RAGE-driven hypertrophy, and the breakdown of healthy adipose remodeling. The episode reveals why some people develop metabolic disease at lower BMIs and offers practical, empowering strategies: lower insulin through carb restriction and time-restricted eating, minimize fructose, support the glyoxalase system, and stay active to keep fat cells healthy and quiet. A must-listen for anyone interested in body composition, inflammation, and breaking the cycle of metabolic illness.Paul’s favorite yerba mate: https://unicity.link/121f260bfe Yerbe mate with a special formulated Balance fiber: https://ufeelgreat.com/c/PaulReynolds For the 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)

    24 min
  2. GLP-1 Beyond Glucose

    Jun 3

    GLP-1 Beyond Glucose

    In this eye-opening episode of the College of Glycation, biomedical scientist and Professor of Cell Biology Paul Reynolds goes beyond the headlines on the blockbuster GLP-1 receptor agonists—semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound). While everyone talks about dramatic weight loss, Reynolds reveals what these drugs are actually doing at the cellular level: directly downregulating the RAGE receptor, suppressing AGE-induced inflammation, and powerfully activating autophagy. Drawing on landmark trials like SELECT (which showed a 20% drop in major cardiovascular events even in people without diabetes), he demonstrates how these benefits stem from four overlapping anti-glycation mechanisms that go far deeper than glucose control or appetite suppression. Reynolds walks listeners through the full family of incretin therapies, the science of the dangerous AGE-RAGE-NF-κB axis, and how GLP-1 agonists restore cellular recycling by shifting the AMPK-mTOR balance—clearing damaged, glycated proteins in ways that explain their impressive tissue-protective effects. He closes with a balanced, practical perspective: these are powerful pharmacologic tools that mimic healthy metabolic states, but they work best as temporary bridges to real food, movement, sleep, and fasting rather than lifelong crutches. If you want to truly understand why metabolic dysfunction drives chronic disease—and what the GLP-1 story teaches us about fixing it at the root—this episode is essential listening. Paul’s favorite yerba mate: https://unicity.link/121f260bfe   Yerbe mate with a special formulated Balance fiber: https://ufeelgreat.com/c/PaulReynolds   For the 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)

    26 min
  3. Autophagy and Glycation

    May 27

    Autophagy and Glycation

    In this episode of the College of Glycation, Dr. Paul Reynolds explores autophagy—one of the body’s most powerful yet underappreciated defenses against aging. Autophagy, the Nobel Prize-winning cellular “self-eating” process, allows cells to identify, package, and recycle damaged proteins, dysfunctional mitochondria, misfolded molecules, and glycated junk before they mature into advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). These sugar-modified compounds stiffen tissues, impair insulin signaling, promote inflammation, and accelerate chronic disease. Dr. Reynolds explains how constant eating and elevated insulin keep autophagy suppressed, trapping cells in perpetual “build and store” mode and allowing glycation damage to accumulate.Intermittent fasting changes everything by lowering insulin, suppressing mTOR, and activating AMPK—triggering the metabolic switch that rapidly ramps up autophagy and delivers a true glycation reset. Drawing on landmark research, Dr. Reynolds shows how even short fasting windows (like 16:8) can clear glycated proteins, improve metabolic health, and support cellular renewal. He offers practical, step-by-step guidance for beginners through advanced fasters, while clearly outlining who should avoid fasting and how to combine it with smart eating and exercise for maximum benefit. This episode delivers the science and the actionable strategy to harness your body’s built-in cellular housekeeping system.Paul’s favorite yerba mate: https://unicity.link/121f260bfe Yerbe mate with a special formulated Balance fiber: https://ufeelgreat.com/c/PaulReynolds For the 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)

    20 min
  4. The Sugar Diet and Glycation

    May 20

    The Sugar Diet and Glycation

    In this episode of the College of Glycation, Dr. Paul Reynolds takes a clear-eyed look at the viral “sugar diet” trend sweeping social media — where people are eating bowls of sugar, drinking large amounts of fruit juice and honey, and eliminating fat while claiming major improvements in energy, mood, and metabolism. He asks the question almost no one else is asking: what does this dietary pattern actually do to glycation? Drawing on peer-reviewed research, Dr. Reynolds explains why fructose is dramatically more glycating than glucose, how it drives rapid methylglyoxal formation and advanced glycation end product (AGE) accumulation, and why even short-term high-fructose intake can increase liver fat, visceral adiposity, and insulin resistance within days to weeks.While acknowledging the real short-term effects some people experience (such as feeling warmer or more energetic), Dr. Reynolds shows why these acute benefits do not reflect long-term safety. He highlights the critical gap between normal fasting glucose and hidden glycation damage, the complete lack of long-term clinical trials on sugar-dominant diets, and why this approach ultimately maximizes the very biochemical pathways that accelerate tissue aging, vascular stiffening, and chronic disease. The episode offers a science-based alternative perspective for anyone prioritizing metabolic health and longevity over trending dietary extremes.Paul’s favorite yerba mate: https://unicity.link/121f260bfe Yerbe mate with a special formulated Balance fiber: https://ufeelgreat.com/c/PaulReynolds For the 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)

    18 min
  5. Fermentation and Glycation

    May 13

    Fermentation and Glycation

    In this episode of the College of Glycation, Dr. Paul Reynolds reveals why traditional fermented foods—staples of every human culture for thousands of years—may be one of the most powerful, yet underused tools for lowering your glycation burden and resetting metabolic health. He explains how fermentation pre-digests sugars, delivers living microbes and bioactive compounds (lactic acid, acetic acid, short-chain fatty acids, and peptides), and counteracts the modern Western diet’s relentless drive toward advanced glycation end products (AGEs), chronic inflammation, and insulin resistance.Drawing on landmark research including the 2021 Stanford study, Dr. Reynolds walks through the five key mechanisms by which real fermented foods boost gut microbial diversity, blunt post-meal glucose spikes, inhibit AGE formation and RAGE signaling, improve insulin sensitivity, and strengthen the intestinal barrier. He also shares a clear, practical protocol: which foods matter most, how much to eat, smart timing strategies, and important cautions for getting the maximum benefit. If you’re serious about reducing glycation and reclaiming the metabolic protection our ancestors took for granted, this episode shows you exactly how to make fermented foods a daily, non-negotiable habit.Paul’s favorite yerba mate: https://unicity.link/121f260bfe Yerbe mate with a special formulated Balance fiber: https://ufeelgreat.com/c/PaulReynolds For the 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)

    23 min
  6. Fasting and Glycation

    May 6

    Fasting and Glycation

    In this episode of the College of Glycation, Dr. Paul Reynolds—Professor of Cell Biology—explains how fasting is one of the most powerful and underutilized tools for resetting the glycation burden your body carries. He breaks down how the standard modern eating pattern of frequent, carbohydrate-rich meals drives near-constant glucose and insulin elevations that accelerate the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). These permanent molecular modifications stiffen tissues, trigger inflammation through the RAGE receptor, and fuel the chronic diseases we associate with aging. Dr. Reynolds shows why this damage isn’t inevitable and how fasting interrupts the cycle at its root.He details the profound metabolic shifts that occur when you stop eating insulin drops, the body flips the “metabolic switch” to fat-burning and ketone production, and autophagy—the cellular recycling program—ramps up to clear out damaged, glycated proteins. Drawing on key research, he covers practical approaches including time-restricted eating, early time-restricted feeding, alternate-day fasting, extended fasts, and fasting-mimicking diets. You’ll also learn why how you break a fast matter and how these strategies improve insulin sensitivity, reduce oxidative stress, and enhance metabolic flexibility—independent of weight loss. Whether you’re new to fasting or looking to deepen your practice, this episode delivers a clear, science-backed roadmap for using one of the body’s own repair mechanisms to fight glycation and support long-term health. Paul’s favorite yerba mate: https://unicity.link/121f260bfe   Yerbe mate with a special formulated Balance fiber: https://ufeelgreat.com/c/PaulReynolds   For the 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)

    18 min
  7. Glycation and Your Mouth as a Metabolic Canary

    Apr 29

    Glycation and Your Mouth as a Metabolic Canary

    Your gums may be telling you something critical about your metabolic health. In this episode of the College of Glycation, Dr. Paul Reynolds explores the overlooked connection between gum disease, glycation, and systemic inflammation. He explains how Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) form and accumulate—and how periodontal disease doesn’t just result from metabolic dysfunction, but can actively drive it. From inflammatory signaling to insulin resistance, this episode reveals how the mouth plays a central role in whole-body health. If you’re interested in metabolism, aging, or the deeper biochemical drivers of chronic disease, this episode offers a powerful new perspective on why oral health is far more than cosmetic—it’s metabolic. Paul’s favorite yerba mate: https://unicity.link/121f260bfe   Yerbe mate with a special formulated Balance fiber: https://ufeelgreat.com/c/PaulReynolds   For the 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)

    26 min
  8. Glycation and Your Hormones

    Apr 22

    Glycation and Your Hormones

    In this episode of the College of Glycation series, Dr. Paul Reynolds explores how advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) quietly disrupt the body’s hormonal systems. Moving beyond blood sugar alone, he explains how glycation damages key proteins involved in hormone production, transport, and signaling—affecting thyroid function, testosterone levels, insulin sensitivity, and fertility. Even when lab results appear normal, these molecular changes can impair how hormones actually function at the tissue level. Dr. Reynolds connects the chemistry of glycation to real-world conditions like hypothyroidism, PCOS, infertility, and metabolic dysfunction, while introducing the RAGE pathway as a major driver of chronic inflammation and hormonal imbalance. This episode offers a deeper framework for understanding the link between diet, metabolic health, and endocrine function—and what you can do to reduce glycation and protect long-term health. Paul’s favorite yerba mate: https://unicity.link/121f260bfe   Yerbe mate with a special formulated Balance fiber: https://ufeelgreat.com/c/PaulReynolds   For the 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)

    29 min
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The College of Glycation with Dr. Paul Reynolds explores how sugar impacts aging, health, and disease. Join Dr. Reynolds as he unpacks the science of glycation and AGEs through expert interviews, myth-busting insights, and practical takeaways. Whether you're a health professional or simply curious, this podcast brings clarity to the sticky world of sugar metabolism. New episodes weekly.

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