Processed foods are a key hallmark of the Western diet. There is now a growing body of evidence that processed foods are detrimental to human health. The availability and consumption of processed, thermally treated food has increased substantially over the past decades, in line with the obesity and diabetes pandemic. Obesity and diabetes associate with microvascular complications, particularly chronic kidney disease (CKD). CKD affects almost 14% of the general population and is itself a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality.
One increasingly recognized and potentially pathogenic component of processed foods is a group of posttranslational modifications known as advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs). AGEs are generated from mixtures of amino acids and reducing sugars via the Maillard reaction that takes place under heat conditions such as during thermal processing, which commonly occurs during food production and processing. Because the Maillard reaction induces chemical changes within foods that impart flavor and aroma, the food industry has long enhanced or supplemented Maillard reaction products in foods to increase sensory properties and palatability, and as such, AGEs are a ubiquitous component of processed (and particularly extensively heat-treated) foods. The consumption of processed foods containing these AGEs may underlie chronic disease risk.
