Effects Of Sugar On Skin
We all know that eating sugar is bad for our health. However, that doesn’t stop us from indulging in sugary foods, especially during celebrations.
According to Ebony Magazine, Americans consume 20 teaspoons of extra sugar per day during the Christmas and New Year periods.
The recommended amounts of sugar are nine teaspoons for men and six teaspoons for women per day.
Besides making you gain weight and putting you at risk of developing heart diseases, eating too much sugar affects your skin. Sugar will make your skin age faster.
How Eating Too Much Sugar Affects Your Skin
High Sugar Levels Breaks down Collagen
Eating too much sugar increases the sugar levels in your blood, which makes the extra sugar bind to collagen protein through a process known as glycation.
The product of the glycation process is a substance known as AGEs (Advanced Glycation End Products). AGEs destroy your skin by breaking down collagen, which causes the skin to develop wrinkles and lose firmness.
Insulin Causes Inflammation
When we eat foods with high sugar levels, like a piece of cake or white bread, our body immediately responds by increasing insulin production to tame the sugar levels.
High levels of insulin increase the likelihood of developing inflammation. People with skin conditions like acne, eczema, rosacea, and psoriasis should avoid eating too much sugar to avoid inflammation.
Inflammation Causes Skin Breakouts
A diet rich in sugar creates the perfect conditions for developing acne. Too much sugar causes inflammation in all parts of the body, and this makes blemishes look red and feel painful.
Diets rich in sugar weaken the immune system, making your skin vulnerable to acne-causing bacteria that live on it.
Inflammation can also trigger the body to produce stress hormones such as cortisol which increases the amount of oil on your skin. Extra oil gives bacteria the greasy environment they need to breed.
Dehydrates the Skin
Sugar dehydrates your skin by drawing water from cells. This causes dry, puffy skin and scary under-eye circles.
Drinking lots of water and refraining from sugary foods is a sure way to improve the appearance of your skin.
Causes Dull-Looking Skin
High sugar intake causes rapid changes in blood sugar levels. Every time you eat sugar, your blood sugar level goes up. Insulin then secretes, as this is the hormone that controls blood sugar.
This leads to a fall in sugar levels. The sudden fall in sugar levels makes your body experience internal stress that creates dull-looking skin.
Sugar Increases the Production of Free Radicals
Free radicals are known to cause diseases and inflammation of the skin.
Research indicates that foods rich in sugar make the body produce more free radicals.
Foods with high antioxidants and natural sugar levels like fruit and vegetable are an excellent antidote.
Is Sugar Good For Your Skin?
Eating too much sugar is harmful to your skin. To lower the chances of skin damage caused by high sugar levels, try to eat complex carbs like brown rice.