Most pet parents work hard to choose the right food for their dogs—reading labels, comparing ingredients, and avoiding questionable additives. But there’s a deeper issue in many commercial pet foods that rarely gets talked about: advanced glycation end-products, commonly known as AGEs.
According to the Anti-AGEs Foundation, pets who consume heavily processed diets may be ingesting up to 100 times more AGEs than humans. And researchers are increasingly concerned about what this means for long-term health.
Here’s what every dog owner should know.
What Are AGEs?
AGEs are harmful compounds that form when proteins, fats, and sugars react under high heat—a process called the Maillard Reaction. It’s what makes toast brown or gives grilled meat that charred crust.
While small amounts of AGEs are unavoidable, high, chronic exposure overwhelms the body and promotes inflammation, oxidative stress, and accelerated aging.
Humans accumulate AGEs from processed foods…
Pets accumulate far more.
Why Processed Pet Food Is So High in AGEs
The overwhelming majority of commercial pet foods—especially kibble—are manufactured through intense industrial processing. This includes:
- Repeated high-heat cooking
- Extrusion (high-pressure processing)
- Dehydration
- Rendering
- Irradiation in some cases
Each of these steps creates more AGEs.
Even high-quality, “premium,” or “natural” kibble undergoes this same extrusion process. And because most dogs eat the same food every day for years, their total AGE exposure becomes extremely high.
According to the Anti-AGEs Foundation, the brown, crunchy texture and roasted aroma in kibble are often signs of elevated AGEs.
How AGEs Affect Your Dog’s Health
When your dog consumes AGEs, they accumulate in tissues and organs. Over time, this leads to:
-
Chronic inflammation
AGEs activate a receptor called RAGE, triggering inflammation throughout the body. -
Increased oxidative stress
AGEs generate free radicals that damage cells and accelerate aging. -
Organ strain
AGEs accumulate in the kidneys, liver, blood vessels, skin, joints, and pancreas—reducing long-term function. -
Metabolic disruption
They interfere with insulin signaling and fat metabolism, impacting weight, energy balance, and overall wellness.
Because dogs eat the same food daily, the impact becomes cumulative.
How to Reduce AGEs in Your Dog’s Diet
The good news: AGE exposure can be dramatically reduced with simple changes.
-
Minimize ultra-processed foods
Kibble, dehydrated diets, and certain commercial treats contain the highest AGE levels. -
Choose fresh, lightly cooked, or raw meals
Fresh diets avoid extreme temperatures and multiple heating cycles.
If you cook at home:- Use gentle heat
- Avoid over-browning meats
- Cook in ceramic or non-metal cookware when possible
- Add oils after cooking
-
Support a healthy metabolic lifestyle
Excess body fat increases internal AGE formation.
Daily activity and appropriate portions reduce metabolic stress. -
Monitor your dog’s long-term health
Inflammation often begins silently. Regular veterinary exams and bloodwork help detect issues early.
Why Fresh Food Makes a Difference
Fresh diets—whether gently cooked or raw—naturally contain significantly fewer AGEs because they undergo:
- Lower-temperature cooking
- Fewer processing steps
- No extrusion
- No rendering
- Minimal oxidation of fats
Fresh food also provides natural antioxidants and phytonutrients that help counteract oxidative stress.
In short:
Less processing = fewer AGEs = lower inflammatory burden on your dog’s body.
Final Thoughts: Feeding Fresh Is an Investment in Lifelong Health
As pet nutrition professionals and caring pet parents, we often focus on “ingredients lists”, “grain-free vs grain-inclusive”, “premium vs budget”. But the picture is deeper: the processing of pet foods — the unseen, high‐heat, high‐pressure steps — can create compounds like AGEs that quietly degrade health over time.
By choosing diets that minimise AGE formation — and supporting your dog with appropriate exercise and metabolic health — you’re investing in fewer inflammatory burdens, stronger organ health, and potentially a longer, better-quality life for your companion.
Want help selecting a low-AGE diet, reviewing commercial diet options, or designing a fresh-food meal plan that aligns with your brand’s evidence-based standards? I’d be happy to help you take the next step.