It contributes to weight gain and numerous health concerns and diseases, but what about your skin? Could your breakout be attributed to your sugar intake? Does sugar cause wrinkles?
To understand sugars harmful side effects, we need to know what is happening when you consume sugar. When you ingest sugar or any high-glycemic food that rapidly convert to sugar (regardless of whether it is an apple or a piece of cake), your body will break these carbohydrates down into glucose, which raise your insulin levels. High insulin levels rush through your bloodstream and can cause a whole host of issues, including skin problems, weight gain and even heart diseases.
So what does that do to my skin?
This increase in insulin levels has been shown to trigger hormonal disturbances and can lead to issues with your skin. The increase in insulin and hormonal disturbances has also been shown to increase the activity of oil glands in your skin and can start the inflammatory process and result in acne or other skin disorders such as rosacea.
Rosacea, unlike acne, is not caused by bacteria, it is primarily caused by inflammatory mediators, an increased inflammatory diet and an overactive immune system. So, therefore, an inflammatory diet that has a high sugar intake, can cause rosacea.
As well as this there has been a researched and highlighted link between sugar consumption, gut health, inflammation and your skin. In you are experiencing inflammation in your gut, then you will have a higher incidence of skin issues. Sugar can cause stress, and aggravates the gut lining and is known to worsen inflammation.
A diet high in sugar has also been found to make your skin age much faster than a low sugar intake diet. It can cause the skin to lose the plump, elastic qualities that underlie a youthful appearance. This is due to a process called glycation, where sugar attaches itself to any protein in the body and produces harmful molecules called ‘advanced glycation end products’. These reduce the effectiveness of elastin and collagen which are proteins in the skin that help to maintain its youthful appearance.
Because of glycation, it can also make it harder for the cells in the skin to repair normal damage, so light sun damage, for example, can become something that could destroy your youthful looks.
If you were to continue to eat a high sugar diet for a prolonged period of time, then as a result the collagen and elastin become more rigid, and it is easier for wrinkles to form as well.
What can I do to make sure my skin stays healthy?
The best thing you can do straight away is to stop consuming excess processed sugars. Limit yourself to natural sugar from fruits to a couple of times a week so that you are not over-consuming. You can also try our Fresh Face Complexion Tea which has medicinal properties to help keep your skin looking as sweet as possible!
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