First, it's important to point out that glycation isn't only caused by refined sugar -- fruits, vegetables, and whole grains also turn into glucose when digested. However, they don't all act the same in the body. "Foods that rapidly convert to sugar when eaten cause sudden spikes in blood sugar levels ... and cause a burst of inflammation throughout the body," explains Perricone. Therefore, these sugars are more likely to form AGEs -- and wrinkles. Sugar and flour fall into this category.
Perricone recommends following a low-sugar, anti-inflammatory diet. He suggests eating high-quality protein like fish, poultry, and tofu; low-glycemic carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables, beans, and lentils; healthy fats like wild salmon, nuts, and seeds; and drinking antioxidant-rich beverages like green tea.
When cooking, use less heat and cook foods slowly. "Don't barbeque or sear your foods," says Brandt. It creates a chemical byproduct called Acrylamide that has a high potential for glycation.
Finally, Brandt suggests taking carnosine supplements, which help build proteins and prevent glycation.
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Serums to Combat the Damage
Unless you've got superhuman powers, you're not going to give up sugar entirely. Which is why you may want to consider adding a glycation-fighting skin care product to your regimen. There are a number of serums available that use various ingredients to ward off sugar molecules -- and they can be applied underneath your regular moisturizer both in the morning and at night.
Dr. Brandt Skin Care Collagen Booster, $75, contains carnosine (the same protein builder Brandt recommends as a dietary supplement), as well as Alistin, a molecule that keeps collagen fibers from getting brittle when exposed to free radicals. And L'Occitane Immortelle Precious Serum, $70, fights glycation with the Immortelle flower. This natural ingredient focuses on protecting, repairing, and building collagen.
My last meal -- if I were in some unfortunate situation where I had to choose one -- would be a tray of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, extra doughy. You can keep your lobster and filet mignon; all I really want is dessert.
And I know I'm not alone. Almost all of my female friends would opt for decadent baked goods over a steak dinner. (For whatever reason, men seem to be more impervious to the allure of sugar.) Admit it: Can you resist having a red velvet cupcake for your coworker's birthday? I certainly can't.
However, we all know that something so good can't be good for us, and it turns out the perils of sugar are even worse than we thought. With the release of the book, "The Sugar Detox: Lose Weight, Feel Great, and Look Years Younger," co-author Brooke Alpert explains how eating too much sugar can lead to wrinkles and sagging.
"It starts attacking your skin," Alpert said. "All that sugar attaches to those protein molecules, collagen and elastin. And it turns those beautiful, supple skin cells into these firm, rigid things causing sagging, wrinkling, everything we don't want on our face." Source
New York City dermatologist Nicholas Perricone, MD also warns, "Sugar and starchy (high glycemic) foods are extremely damaging to the skin and, in fact, all organs." Through a process known as glycation, sugar molecules bind to proteins in the skin to create advanced glycosylation end products -- appropriately called AGEs for short. These AGEs are free-radicals (similar to the free-radicals caused by sun exposure), and they lead to inflammation that breaks down collagen and elastin. The result? Wrinkles.
"The glycation process causes skin to lose elasticity and wrinkle more easily, decreasing overall resilience," explains New York City and Miami dermatologist Fredric Brandt, MD. So if your diet is high in sugar, every other bad habit -- smoking, tanning, etc. -- becomes even worse.
The good news is there are changes you can make -- to both your skin care and your diet -- that will help. Scientists have discovered skin care ingredients that help stop glycation by preventing the glucose-collagen bonds from forming. And they've found other ingredients that can help eliminate the AGE free radicals that are already present in the skin.
And of course, there's diet. A few strategic changes in what you eat -- the most obvious being cutting back on sugar -- and how you prepare your food can make a significant difference.
Knowing about the changes is one thing, having the willpower to make them is another. If you could use some help in that department, read on. Odds are good that when you hear this info, you'll be motivated to turn down that wrinkle-causing cupcake after all.
