Advanced glycation products or AGEs are a heterogeneous group of molecules formed by exposure of tissue constituents to high levels of reducing sugars, e.g. glucose. The interaction of these compounds with extra- and intra-cellular components may account in part for several conditions related to aging. It has recently been recognized that AGEs are also formed during the preparation of food by heating, are absorbed into the circulation and become largely incorporated into tissue components. Accumulation of these exogenous substances over time may, together with those generated endogenously, contribute to the clinical manifestations and complications of aging.