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Too Much Sugar Causes Wrinkles And Sagging Skin.

I can remember a time when my oldest daughter was about 4 years old and she turned to me and asked “Mom, which tooth is my sweet tooth?”  I laughed and said “I think all of them are sweet!”  Unfortunately, having a sweet tooth isn’t such a good thing as sugar wreaks havoc on your health as well as your skin.

A process called glycation occurs when you eat too much sugar.  Glycation is the method in which the sugar in your bloodstream attaches to proteins and forms harmful new molecules called advanced glycation end products (AGEs).  The more sugar you eat the more AGEs you develop.

According to Dr. Fredric Brandt, MD “As AGEs accumulate they damage adjacent proteins in a domino like fashion.”  Collagen and elastin, the most prevalent and vulnerable proteins in the body, are easily damaged by AGEs.

Once these proteins become damaged they become dry and brittle and lose their resilience causing wrinkles and sagging skin.

The good news is that even sugar damaged skin can be repaired.  You can build new collagen by using a red light therapy device and/or including skincare products that contain collagen stimulating ingredients such as retinol.  Then take steps to keep your new collagen strong and supple by preventing AGEs from forming.

1.Cut back on sugar.  It’s practically impossible to eliminate sugar from your diet, even fruits and vegetables turn into glucose when digested (the type of sugar that prompts glycation.)  But you can cut back on added sugar.  Avoid high fructose corn syrup as this type of sweetener is believed to produce more AGEs than any other types.

2.Supplement your diet with 1mg. of vitamins B1 and B6 a day.  These vitamins have been proven to be potent AGE inhibitors.

3.Wear sunscreen every day.  Studies have shown that more AGEs occur in sun exposed skin than in protected skin.

4.Include antioxidants inside and outside.  Antioxidants are incredible free radical fighters that help keep sugar from attaching to proteins.  Eat plenty of antioxidant rich fruits, nuts, and vegetables such as blueberries, spinach, and walnuts to help prevent the formation of AGEs from the inside.  Apply topical skin care products that contain antioxidants, such as green tea or vitamin C, on your skin to help protect it from the outside.

5.Use skin care ingredients that protect your skin from the damage of sugar.  Aminoguanidine and alistin are two ingredients that have been shown to block the formation of AGEs.  Aminoguanidine attaches to molecules that begin the glycation process and keeps them from binding to and damaging your collagen and elastin fibers.  Alistin is used as an ingredient that is used as a decoy and takes the damage instead of your collagen and elastin.  Arcona makes two serums that contain aminoguanidine; Booster Defense Serum (a vitamin C based serum) and a Vitamin A Complex.