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- Certain foods such as sugar, alcohol, burnt meat, and others, can affect skin health
- Sugar is one of the chief inhibitors of healthy skin due to the advanced glycation end products (AGEs) that interfere with collagen and elastin production.
- Alcohol, which causes toxic buildup in your liver, also damages the skin, resulting in wrinkles and acne.
Check out this list of foods that can speed the aging process in your body and make you look older than you really are.
1. Candy
Sugar may be tempting but it interferes with collagen and elastin, two proteins that keeps your skin looking fresh and youthful. When sugar is digested, it leaves behind a debris called advanced glycation end products (AGEs) which builds up over time and attaches themselves to collagen, resulting in wrinkles and sagging, explains Ana Reisdorf, MS, RD, in thelist.com. Avoiding sugar is key to having clear and beautiful skin.
2. Charred meats
Burnt meat contains pro-inflammatory hydrocarbons which could damage the collagen of your skin. Make sure to scrape off the black chars with your fork instead.
3. Alcohol
“When your liver is functioning well, toxins that could potentially affect the skin are expelled naturally through your body. But if toxins build up in your liver, and aren’t broken down properly, your skin can develop a variety of issues, like acne, sallowness, and wrinkles,” Dr. Ariel Ostad told Health. The dehydrating effects of alcohol also impacts your sleep, leading to wrinkles and reduced skin elasticity.
4. Processed carbs
Carbohydrates are digested into pure sugar, promoting AGEs and damaging the skin’s collagen and elastin. Stay away from white bread, pastries and breakfast cereals and opt instead for whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
5. White wine
White wine can age you in a different way. It can damage enamel and stains your teeth. “Alcohol dries out your mouth. It decreases saliva, which is what washes away bad bacteria, leading to cavities and staining,” New York City-based dentist Brian Kantor, D.D.S., told Women’s Health.
You might think red wine would lead to worse staining, but Kantor says it’s the opposite. “The acid in white wine causes your enamel to become more porous so that later, you accumulate more stains.” To save your teeth, swish a mouthful of water inside your mouth after each glass.
6. Margarine
According to a 2001 study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, people who often used this popular butter alternative developed more wrinkles than those who didn’t. This may be due to the specific type of fat contained in margarine that can trigger inflammation.
7. Salty foods
Foods with a high amount of sodium such as cured meats, soups, and potato chips, retain water and cause a “puffy” look. “Excess salt in the body draws more fluid out of the cells to help neutralize the salt and draw it out of the body,” Beth Warren, RD, told Bustle. Because of the lack of fluid, the skin gets drier, resulting in a wrinkled look.
8. Lemonade
This sugary, acidic drink can age your skin by ruining the enamel of your teeth. Avoid tooth plaque by not adding sugar to your lemon and sip a bit of water after drinking lemonade. Plus, wait for at least an hour before brushing your teeth.
9. Coffee
You may rely on your morning brew to wake you up, but it’s important as well to drink water after coffee intake. Besides dehydrating your body due to caffeine which amplifies wrinkles and fine lines, coffee also damages the teeth. And adding cream and sugar could also inhibit collagen formation.
10. Super spicy foods
Tread carefully with spicy foods because it can worsen rosacea as you get older. “Rosacea is the skin condition that’s most sensitive to food, and spicy foods trigger inflammation and flushing.” UCLA assistant clinical professor of dermatology Ava Shamban, told Allure. Though you don’t have to cut off spices completely, it is advisable not to eat them if you don’t want to suffer from puffiness and redness.
Source: Reader’s Digest