Sugary Foods and Wrinkly Skin
According to Dr. Leslie Baumann, sugary foods can make your skin more wrinkly. “When sugar breaks down and enters the bloodstream, it bonds with protein molecules, including those found in collagen and elastin [the fibers that support skin], through a process called glycation. This degrades the collagen and elastin, which in turn leads to sagging and wrinkles.”
How to prevent this is first to curb your consumption of simple carbs, which include the obvious treats such as soft drinks and candy, but also foods such as honey, white rice, and white bread.
These foods are quickly converted into sugar in your body and put your skin on the fast track to glycation. If you need something sweet (and really, who doesn’t?), Baumann suggests a small square of dark chocolate. The antioxidants in it can protect you from free radicals, those unstable atoms in the atmosphere that latch onto skin and lead to fine lines. Also, incase your intake of vitamin C. “It helps generate collagen,” says Dr. Ellen Marmur, a dermatologist in NYC and the author of Simple Skin Beauty.
Source: “What’s Aging Your Skin” by Stacey Colino, Time Magazine 2013
