This Food Ages Your Skin Faster Than Any Other
We all know about the usual suspects when it comes to skin ageing: spending too much time in the sun; smoking; drinking too much alcohol. But many agree that the number one skin ager when it comes to food is sugar.
The reason that sugar is so harmful can be summed up in one word – glycation.
Glycation is a process that occurs when sugars in the bloodstream resulting from consumption of sugary foods and drinks and refined carbohydrates, bind with protein molecules such as collagen. Our skin is composed of collagen which keeps it supple and youthful. When sugars combine with collagen it forms an abnormal bond, and the end results are products called AGEs (advanced glycation end-products), which attach to large proteins such as collagen, elastin, and other large molecules. AGEs induce cross-links in the upper and lower layers of the skin, which result in poor tone and wrinkled, leathery skin.
This all sounds a bit scientific but it’s very important that you know what cross-linking is when it comes to ageing.
Some facts about cross-linking:
Cross-linked molecules can no longer function properly, and when enough cross-linked molecules accumulate in a tissue, it stiffens, and causes problems
When tissues become stiffer they don't function as efficiently.
Cross-linking of skin protein collagen contributes to wrinkles and fine lines
Cross-linking of other proteins in the body can cause more serious problems, for example the cross-linking of collagen in arterial walls account for atherosclerosis, and can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
High insulin levels from eating a diet high in sugar are particularly damaging to our cells and cause increased free radicals, AGEs, and inflammation, and the higher a person’s blood-glucose level, the greater and faster the damage done by glycation and cross-linking.
Too many sugars and refined carbohydrates in the diet also affects our ability to fight off infection. These processed foods do not come naturally packaged with the nutrients needed for them to be used as energy by the body. This means that they call on the body's reserves, depleting nutrients which could be used for more crucial purposes, and negatively affecting the immune system.
Sugar also interferes with the way the body uses vitamin C, necessary for healthy, supple skin as it’s needed for the formation of collagen and elastin, as well as for a strong immune system. Sugar and refined foods also create ideal conditions in the digestive tract for feeding yeasts and other unwanted organisms, which could lead to thrush or candida. It may also make your digestion sluggish, ultimately affecting all parts of the body, as well as your skin.
So the message is simple, avoid sugar wherever possible. And that doesn’t mean a life without sweet. You can get your sweet fix from fruit, whether on its own or used to sweeten cereal, porridge or biscuits, and you can use natural alternatives to sugar such as xylitol, if you love cake. In fact if you try my No-Sugar Chocolate Fudge Cake recipe, you really can have your cake and eat it too, without ageing your skin.