Sugar Wrinkles Your Skin!
It is well established that high sugar consumption damages our arteries and promotes diabetes as well as many other chronic disease conditions. Now scientists are finding that excess sugar can significantly contribute to accelerated aging of our skin and the underlying tissues.
How it Happens
First of all, the sugar molecules in your bloodstream attach to proteins, forming harmful molecules called Advanced Glycation End Products (AGE’s). As they accumulate, adjacent proteins are denatured in domino-like reactions. Most vulnerable are the collagen and elastin fibers that keep our skin firm and elastic. Once damaged, these become dry and brittle, eventually resulting in sagging and wrinkles.
In addition to breaking down collagen and elastin, glycation deactivates the body’s natural antioxidant enzymes. These protect us against a lot of the detrimental effects of sun exposure, which is responsible for the majority of the age-related damage to our skin.
Protection in Fruits and Vegetables
Lycopene and lutein, members of the family of carotenoids (vitamin A precursors), have been shown to reduce sun damage in individuals who consume a diet rich in these antioxidants. They are found in tomatoes, watermelon, and yellow/orange fruits and vegetables.
Lycopene is rendered more usable by the body through cooking. Therefore, cooked tomato products are a better source of this highly protective antioxidant than watermelon which happens to contain larger quantities per equivalent volume.
Tips for Protecting Your Skin
1. Read labels and avoid foods high in sugar content. To determine how many teaspoons of sugar are in a food, divide the number of grams by 4. For example, a drink label that lists 36 grams of sugar per serving has 9 teaspoons (3 tablespoons) of sugar in whatever they call a serving, which may be only 8 oz of a 12 or 16 oz bottle.
High fructose corn syrup is ubiquitous in almost every sweetened food and drink on the market. It is created via the conversion of cornstarch to fructose and it’s believed to produce more glycation in our skin than any other type of sugar.
2. Wear sunscreen every day. Significantly more glycation occurs in skin that is exposed to UV radiation. A growing number of products contain compounds like aminoguanidine and alistin, which have been shown to significantly block the formation of AGE’s. Lotions containing ingredients such as green tea and vitamin C can also contribute to the preservation of collagen and elastin.
3. Antioxidants in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains help to prevent glycation from occurring within our tissues. Therefore, whole foods are essential to the health of our entire body and this is reflected in smoother, suppler skin.
4. Strenuous exercise boosts Human Growth Hormone and that increases production of collagen and elastin as well as facilitates the growth of muscle tissue. This is, of course, not for those who are unaccustomed to this level of physical activity. But it’s something that nearly everyone can achieve over time.
Slow Down the Hands of Time
Though we cannot stop aging, there’s a lot we can do to retard its progression and minimize the negative effects. It primarily adds up to wise dietary and lifestyle choices. Keeping the level of stress in your life at a manageable level is crucial as chronic stress has all kinds of degenerative effects on the body as a whole.
