Skin ageing is the loss of the suppleness of your skin, giving it a porous and wrinkled look. It has nothing to do with your actual age or fitness level. But it is carelessness towards the skin's health leading to its ageing. The skin is said to be "ageing" when it loses its elasticity and sheen and appears dull with a rough textured appearance.
Common reasons for the damage caused to the skin are;
1, Age and genetic factors
2, External sources, such as Ultra Violet radiation and pollution
3, Smoking can also make your skin dull and dry
4, Collagen damage in the skin is sometimes due to your dietary choices, like sugar and sugary food products.
How is sugar bad for the skin?
Foods high in added sugars or refined carbohydrates can lead to high blood sugar, which results in wrinkles and skin ageing.
A diet heavy in refined carbohydrates and added sugars can damage the collagen cells of your skin, ultimately causing sagging and deep wrinkles.
The problem is that by the time you see sagging skin, you've already experienced significant damage to the collagen and elastic fibres in the skin.
Effects of sugar on the skin
Patients with diabetes experience poor wound healing. The effects of high blood sugar levels in diabetics are evident on the skin and faces.
Excess sugar in your bloodstream can cause glycation. It is a natural chemical reaction when sugar levels in the bloodstream spike beyond what our insulin can handle.
Glycation affects —collagen and elastin, the building blocks of our skin that give it elasticity.
These two proteins, collagen and elastin, when combined with sugars, become weaker. When these vital skin building blocks are compromised, the signs of ageing become obvious.
Moreover, skin becomes drier and less elastic, causing wrinkles, sagging, and a dull appearance.
Ways to stop damage
Eat anti-ageing fruits and vegetable
In fact, our bodies are oxidizing all the time and antioxidants help us overcome that. In different colours of fruit and vegetables, you'll find different antioxidants.
For example, beta-carotene in carrots, and lycopene in tomatoes. Red bell peppers, papaya, avocado, blueberries, broccoli, spinach and sweet potato are a storehouse of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Together they help to increase skin elasticity and delay fine lines and wrinkles.
Reduce sugar consumption
While it is not recommended to eliminate sugar entirely from your diet. It is good to control your sugar intake in the diet and limit it to not more than the recommended amount (25g). Your body can handle lower intake without much effects on skin and body functions. Added sugars should make up not more than 10% of your daily calorie intake.
Develop an instinct to resist temptation as the temptation leads us to unconsciously crave sweets and eat them without control.
Check label
Honey, fruit juices and alcohol all contain high amounts of sugar. Read the Nutrition Facts carefully on the food label to understand how much "added sugar" is, in a portion of food. Total sugars include both added sugars and natural sugars.
Added sugars are the ones you need to limit. Naturally occurring sugars are found in milk (lactose) and fruit (fructose).
Sugar-free foods can be part of your diabetes diet, but remember that a sugar-free label means one serving has less than 0.5 grams of sugar.
Drink Water
Have 8 to 10 glasses of water daily for your skin health. Water keeps your body hydrated and refreshed and helps maintain your skin's elasticity.
People who drink large amounts of water are less likely to suffer from scars, wrinkles, and soft lines and won't show as many signs of ageing as those who drink little water.
Replace all the fizzy drinks, packed juices and energy drinks with water. It is important to know that all flavoured waters often include hidden additional ingredients. Drink soups, broth and water containing fruits and veggies to keep your skin moisturized all day.
Have enough sleep
It has been found that the sleep hormone melatonin can reduce glycation damage by up to 50%.
Sleep initiates the repair process, the skin makes new collagen when you sleep, which prevents the sagging of the skin. More collagen makes your skin plumper and it is less likely to wrinkle.
The journal Clinical and Experimental Dermatology found that people who slept seven to nine hours a night had skin that was more moisturized, protected and healed better after exposure to ultraviolet light than those who slept five hours or less.
Stay stress free
The best way to keep your skin soft and supple and delay the visible signs of ageing is to stay stress-free. In fact, stress causes spikes in the hormone cortisol, increasing the effects of glycation by up to 20%.
Don't go for a sugary treat when going through a tough time and feeling stressed. It is best to resist sugar when you are stressed and you can always find new ideas to ease yourself. You can go for a walk, listen to music or meditate.
Skin care is also part of your health care. In fact, the skin is the barrier that faces outside challenges and protects the internal organs of your body. Everyone ages differently and at a different pace. But it is important to find and curb anything which is not suitable for your health. Skin health and skin care are an essential part of your health too. Keep it healthy always.
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