Is Sugar Bad For Your Skin?

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Are you addicted to Sugar? Are you sharing the guilty pleasure of eating sweets and refined carbohydrates such as white rice, bread, and pasta?

Sugar is one of the worst things for you-both inside and out! From the inside, sugar can lead to obesity, insulin resistance and inflammation.

What about your skin’s health?
Sugar causes damage to our skin’s appearance specifically through a process called glycation.  Glycation is the biochemical term for the bonding of sugar molecules to proteins, fats, and amino acids. This bonding process is a prominent feature of aging (who the hell wants to get old?!?!). When proteins become glycated (we know, this sounds nasty) they become stiff and substantially less functional and at the same time, allows for a substantial increase in the production of free radicals. Inflammation produces enzymes that break down collagen and elastin, resulting in sagging skin and wrinkles. Furthermore, you become more vulnerable to environmental stressors such as UV light, pollution, and cigarette smoke and excess glucose in the bloodstream can cause a bevy of skin issues, such as wrinkles, brown spots, yellowing skin and sagging, among others.

Other Possible Effects of Sugar on Your Skin
The risk of collagen breakdown isn’t the only cause for concern. Here are three key possible effects sugar on your health of your skin:

• Acanthosis nigrican: a darkened, velvety texture to the skin found on the back of the neck, the armpits, the folds of the elbows and the backs of the fingertips.
• Necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum: a yellowish-brown, waxy plaque usually seen on the anterior shins.
• Scleredema adultorum: a thickening and hardening of the skin that starts on the back of the neck and can extend around to include the upper shoulders, back and chest area.

So – check it out; it’s all about limiting excess sugar intake and reducing both oxidative stress and oxidation.

Try too to stay away from high-fructose corn syrup as studies have shown that when this sweetener significantly increases the rate of glycation – it’s in fizzy drinks and many processed sweets.

The good news is that it that once a protein has been glycated it can be repaired.

Disclaimer: No content on this article, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

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