Brandt Beal | How Sugar Ages Our Skin

1. Brandt Beal | How Sugar Ages Our Skin It’s no surprise that sugar ages our skin. All forms of sugar are guilty — cane sugar, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, etc. If it raises our blood sugar, it’s an offender. Although there are many factors that can wreck our skin, sugar is probably one of the worst culprits for the outright aging of our face and body. • Visit: http://brandtbeal.com/

2. Brandt Beal | How Sugar Ages Our Skin Sugar Is Collagen’s Enemy Diets high in sugar can damage collagen and elastin leading to wrinkles and sagging skin. Research shows that advanced glycation end products (AGEs), a class of compounds that result from combinations of sugars and proteins, accelerate the effects of aging. AGEs form when blood sugar is high, such as from the over consumption of quick-digesting carbs, sweeteners, and refined starches (i.e., flour). According to the American Heart Association, most Americans consume way too much sugar — an average of over 20 teaspoons per day, primarily from sodas, baked goods, candy, ready-to-eat cereals, and other processed food. The result? Our skin loses its elasticity and becomes more vulnerable to sun damage. • Visit: http://brandtbeal.com/

3. Brandt Beal | How Sugar Ages Our Skin More Than Just Skin Deep While wrinkled skin is external, the formation of AGEs lies at the very heart of the aging process. Most degenerative diseases are in one way or another affected by glycation reactions — from the skin to our waistline to our brain. These reactions can result in heart disease, memory impairment, diabetes…the list goes on. There’s even evidence that sugar plays a role in suppressing the activity of our white blood cells, making us more susceptible to infections — like the cold and flu — as well as acne. It isn’t definitive that sugar alone directly dampens the function of the white blood cells. The cause may be lumped into the negative inflammatory effects sugar has on our body. • Visit: http://brandtbeal.com/

4. Brandt Beal | How Sugar Ages Our Skin Do All Sweeteners Age Our Skin Here’s the deal, no matter what the sugar source, whether it’s sugar or an artificial sweetener, such as NutraSweet (aspartame), Sweet’N Low (saccharin), Splenda (sucralose), Sweet One (acesulfame potassium), etc., they all contribute to the health of our skin. When our blood sugar and insulin levels rise — whether it’s caused by a poor diet filled with sugary and starchy foods or by stress — we experience an increase in inflammatory chemicals at a cellular level. What it all boils down to is this, if you’re concerned about your health and not accelerating the aging process, avoid all forms of refined sugar or artificial sweeteners. Instead, reach for whole fruits and vegetables that contain phytochemicals, especially antioxidants, that can help stave off the glycation process. • Visit: http://brandtbeal.com/

5. Brandt Beal | How Sugar Ages Our Skin Protect Our Skin From Aging Consuming sugar certainly has a major role in the development of wrinkles and sagging skin, but its influence may be slight in comparison to the effects of other environmental factors and of aging itself. To keep our skin looking good with minimal wrinkles requires an overall strategy of sun protection, avoiding smoking, and limiting sugary and processed foods that lead to the formation of AGEs. • Visit: http://brandtbeal.com/

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