DANGER: Wrinkles. Top 5 things you may not know you are doing that are causing you to look old

by Dr. Adrienne Denese

Top 5 things you may not know you are doing that are causing you to look old


The number one reason our skin ages is, of course the sun. However, the number two reason why skin ages is diet related. It has to do with sugar, fructose, honey, carbohydrates and high glycolic index foods, in general.

Prehistoric man’s diet was almost completely devoid of glucose. This is very significant because genetically we are simply not prepared to process glucose in our diet. One of the single most important reasons for diseases of civilization such as heart disease, obesity, vascular diseases, diabetes and yes, the aging of the skin, stem from the fact that we are genetically ill prepared to handle sugar intake.

What does sugar have to do with skin aging? Excess glucose in the blood, that comes from consumption of sugars and other high glycemic index foods initiate the process called Glycation. Glycation is when glucose binds to protein making the protein dysfunctional in the skin and in every other organ as well.

Glycation is known to advance slowly and bring about aging in every organ of the body, including the skin. High levels of circulating glucose in the blood (from dietary intake) initiates the formation of AGE (Advanced Glycation End product) which leads to cross linked, stiff and non functioning collagen and elastin in the skin. This translates into the stiff and yellow colored aging skin that we all are familiar with, skin that is also wrinkled. So the more sweets you eat, the more high glycemic index foods you consume, the more you induce the advent of a stiff, yellow colored, wrinkled aging skin.

Additional foods that are also high in AGE index, and liable to induce skin aging are: High fats (butter), meats, chicken especially if cooked at high temperatures (fried) and prepared foods. However, sugar is leading the way in aging the skin.