Cellular Stiffening, also called extracellular crosslinking is the term that describes changes to cellular platforms. These structures, like blood vessels, stiffen over time. As we age, the proteins that hold cells together start to interact or “crosslink” with each other. If you think about bread as the youthful state, then toast is the crosslinked state. As these things stiffen, they also start to break down from mechanical wear and tear that is worsened by movement. Youthful structures are flexible, but older ones are stiff, and that brittleness causes them to break.
What Happens
The crosslinking or stiffening wreaks all sorts of havoc. In the case of the arterial walls, this stiffening eventually leads to atherosclerosis, heart disease and other diseases caused by brittle cellular matrices. As tissues age, they lose their ability to remain elastic, and ultimately, the blood pressure gradually increases. This leads to stroke, heart attack, and these other diseases associated with stiffening of the cellular matrices.
Reference Link: http://www.sens.org/research/introduction-to-sens-research/extracellular-crosslinks
What We Can Do
There are currently two approaches. While the long-term strategy is to develop a drug that has an affinity for a substance called glucosopine there are some things we can do in the meantime. Advanced Glycation End Produces, AGES, are the culprits that create “sugar damage.” There are a few supplements that can limit your exposure to sugar, like metformin and beta-alanine (or l-carnosine). Also, if you can cut down on alcohol and cooked foods the resultant sugar damage will also be minimized.
There may be some substances like Chebulic acid that could even break the cross-links – but this is still speculative. Since there are little downside and potentially huge upside, I take Chebulic acid via harataki powder with the hope of breaking crosslinked structures.
Key Supplement Stacks / Supplements
General Cross Link Breaking stack to be included with updated research.
Beta-alanine http://life7.ca/index.php/home/supplements/beta-alanine/
R-alpha lipoic http://life7.ca/index.php/home/supplements/r-alpha-lipoic-acid/
Chebulic Acid link for Harataki powder to be added.