We all know the old saying, ‘you are what you eat”. If you eat healthy, you will be healthy. But if you eat too much junk food, you will not be. Interestingly, some foods help to preserve youthfulness while some foods do the opposite.
Did you know that two people in the same year can appear to be of different ages? This is because we have two ages: chronological age and biological age. The chronological age relies on the year we are born, while our biological age is affected by our genetics, diet, lifestyle, etc.
Though we cannot alter our genes, we can control what we eat. Consuming a nutrition-packed diet helps us to be healthier and stay young. Foods with anti-aging characteristics including olive oil (rich in omega-3 and antioxidants that can protect your skin against wrinkles), dark chocolate, and salmon (a big source of Vitamin D for stronger teeth and bones) can help one to preserve their youthful appearance regarding their age.
Sugar leads to skin aging
We all have a sweet tooth for cakes and cookies but consuming too much sugar works the opposite for our skin biologically. Dr. Tager explains, “Excess sugar in the diet binds to proteins, a process known as glycation. When this happens to the heme protein in red blood cells, then we see an elevation in HBA1C (hemoglobin A1C), which is a marker for diabetes.”
Skin products like sunscreen and retinol might help build collagen in our skin but adding more sugar reduces the effect of these skin products. Dr. Tager said, “A similar but not-so-beneficial process occurs in the skin where the sugar binds to collagen, making it brittle. This can contribute to fine lines and creepiness of the skin.”
Sugar affects us negatively
Eating our favorite desserts does not do any favors for our skin as it promotes inflammation. Dr. Tager said, “Sugar creates inflammatory molecules known as AGEs, which stands for Advanced Glycation End Products. Inflammation is one of the ways the skin prematurely ages.” He explains, “AGEs create inflammation that contributes to vascular problems, gut inflammation, acne, gut issues, and a host of other conditions. There are receptors in the body that set up this inflammation. They are appropriately named RAGE, with the R standing for receptors.”
A Cell Metabolism study in 2018 shows how AGE products affect aging and health causing an increase in consumption of AGE products to promote the development of neurological diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s affecting neurodegeneration. It results in diabetes and kidney-related illness.
Therefore, eating too much sugar makes us look older than we are, and also leads to many diseases. It would be better if you picked a fruit rather than a donut when you crave for something sweet.
