It"s Sweet But Deadly To The Skin - Sugar A No-No If You Want Young-Looking Skin
Though it's a nice treat, experts are saying that sugar is a detriment to our skin, making us look wrinkled and older long before we're ready for it.
So how does sugar cause wrinkles? Well, let's find out right now.
The aging effects of sugar begin in our mid 30s and progress rapidly after that, according to a study published by the British Journal of Dermatology.
At issue is a process called glycation, which occurs when the sugar in your bloodstream attaches to proteins.
These form damaging new molecules called advanced glycation end products.
These molecules (called AGEs for short) develop in greater fashion the more sugar you eat.
According to Fredric Brandt, MD, the author of 10 Minutes 10 Years, and a dermatologist in private practice in Miami and New York City, the AGEs have a domino-like effect on surrounding proteins, causing them to break down as well.
Most susceptible are collagen and elastin, which are protein fibers responsible for keeping the skin firm.
Collagen, in fact, is the most predominant protein in the body and once damaged, both elastin and collagen once springy and elastic become dry and brittle.
This leads to sagging and wrinkles.
A high-sugar diet doesn't simply damage collagen, it also affects what kind of collagen you have in your body.
Not all collagen is the same and not all of it is equally strong and resilient.
There are three types of collagen in the body: Types I, II and III.
Type III is the most resilient and longest lasting of the three, but glycation transforms type III collagen into type I, which is significantly more fragile.
When you have more type I collagen in your body, your skin looks and feels less elastic.
Finally, and just as distressing, AGEs can deactivate your body's natural ability to fight off sun damage, which remains the main cause of skin aging.
Those who have diabetes are particularly susceptible to the effect of sugar on the skin.
Because they often suffer from years of undetected high blood sugar, they can show signs of aging at an early age, and even those who have controlled their diabetes will likely age faster, since they can have 50 times more AGEs in their skin than people without diabetes.
But here's the good news.
You can turn back the clock on your skin's damage from AGEs and the effects of sugar.
There are many lifestyle changes you can make, but most important cut back on sugar.
Some sugar is unavoidable it's in fruits, vegetables and even whole grains but you can cut down on the added sugar in your diet.
Here are some ideas: 1 Watch for hidden sugars.
Many foods contain a lot more sugar than you might think, since it's hidden under a variety of other names like turbinado, corn syrup, dextrose, barley malt and maltose.
2 Avoid high fructose corn syrup.
This type of sugar is believed to produce more AGEs than other types of sweeteners.
Look for it on nutrition labels it's in juices, sodas, and even crackers and breads.
3 Keep added sugar to no more than 10% of your total daily calories.
For the average woman (about 160 pounds on a 5-foot, 4-inch frame) that's 160 calories (or about 10 teaspoons).
That's about the amount of sugar in just one 12-ounce can of soda.
So there you have it.
You now know exactly what happens when you have excessive sugar in your diet and how this causes your skin to age faster.
So look carefully at your diet and make some healthy choices to benefit your skin right away.
So how does sugar cause wrinkles? Well, let's find out right now.
The aging effects of sugar begin in our mid 30s and progress rapidly after that, according to a study published by the British Journal of Dermatology.
At issue is a process called glycation, which occurs when the sugar in your bloodstream attaches to proteins.
These form damaging new molecules called advanced glycation end products.
These molecules (called AGEs for short) develop in greater fashion the more sugar you eat.
According to Fredric Brandt, MD, the author of 10 Minutes 10 Years, and a dermatologist in private practice in Miami and New York City, the AGEs have a domino-like effect on surrounding proteins, causing them to break down as well.
Most susceptible are collagen and elastin, which are protein fibers responsible for keeping the skin firm.
Collagen, in fact, is the most predominant protein in the body and once damaged, both elastin and collagen once springy and elastic become dry and brittle.
This leads to sagging and wrinkles.
A high-sugar diet doesn't simply damage collagen, it also affects what kind of collagen you have in your body.
Not all collagen is the same and not all of it is equally strong and resilient.
There are three types of collagen in the body: Types I, II and III.
Type III is the most resilient and longest lasting of the three, but glycation transforms type III collagen into type I, which is significantly more fragile.
When you have more type I collagen in your body, your skin looks and feels less elastic.
Finally, and just as distressing, AGEs can deactivate your body's natural ability to fight off sun damage, which remains the main cause of skin aging.
Those who have diabetes are particularly susceptible to the effect of sugar on the skin.
Because they often suffer from years of undetected high blood sugar, they can show signs of aging at an early age, and even those who have controlled their diabetes will likely age faster, since they can have 50 times more AGEs in their skin than people without diabetes.
But here's the good news.
You can turn back the clock on your skin's damage from AGEs and the effects of sugar.
There are many lifestyle changes you can make, but most important cut back on sugar.
Some sugar is unavoidable it's in fruits, vegetables and even whole grains but you can cut down on the added sugar in your diet.
Here are some ideas: 1 Watch for hidden sugars.
Many foods contain a lot more sugar than you might think, since it's hidden under a variety of other names like turbinado, corn syrup, dextrose, barley malt and maltose.
2 Avoid high fructose corn syrup.
This type of sugar is believed to produce more AGEs than other types of sweeteners.
Look for it on nutrition labels it's in juices, sodas, and even crackers and breads.
3 Keep added sugar to no more than 10% of your total daily calories.
For the average woman (about 160 pounds on a 5-foot, 4-inch frame) that's 160 calories (or about 10 teaspoons).
That's about the amount of sugar in just one 12-ounce can of soda.
So there you have it.
You now know exactly what happens when you have excessive sugar in your diet and how this causes your skin to age faster.
So look carefully at your diet and make some healthy choices to benefit your skin right away.
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