Cutting Down Sugar Can Make You Look Younger

Wendy Powell, 40, is the best example of what happens when you reduce your sugar and carbohydrate intake. Ms. Powell, a mother of two, always surprises people when asked her age. No one believes she is 20 years older than what they commonly guess. Always, she is asked about what surgery she took or what cream she uses but the answer stays the same: cut down on sugar and carbs intake – it’s the best way to turn back the clock on aging.

Scientists from Leiden University in the Netherlands and Unilever in the UK have somewhat proven Ms. Powell’s claims. Their experiments have shown that there is a clear link between sugar intake and how old a person looks. People with higher blood sugar tend to look older. For every 1MM/L increase in blood sugar, the perceived age of a person increased by 5 months.

This is your body’s response to GLYCATION – the result of taking in too much sugars and carbs. A sugar rich diet somehow leads to excessive amounts of stored sugars which then react to the protein molecules of your body forming sugar proteins named AGE molecules. Anti-bodies called microphages are created by the body causing skin inflammation. These anti-bodies react with AGE molecules to create receptors for advanced glycation-end-products or RAGE molecules. RAGE molecules then attack the skin’s collagen and fibers resulting in premature skin aging. Bottom line is, the more sugar you consume, the older you will look.

Dr Aamer Khan, a cosmetic dermatologist who is also medical director of the Harley Street Skin Clinic said that “Yes, you can protect and moisturize your skin from the outside with creams, but you need to feed and stimulate the growth of good strong skin cells from inside too and sugar will sabotage that.”

Ms Powell said she was cutting down sugar not to look younger but because she was studying to be a personal trainer and she realized that her diet consists of mostly sugary foods. Also, she wanted to feel fitter and more energetic. After cutting down sugar from her daily diet, she noticed that her skin cleared and she looked younger!

So, how easy is cutting down sugar from your diet?

Well,  not easy at all: sugar is highly addictive. Kicking the sugar habit, especially if you are used to taking large quantities, is going to be really difficult. Explained scientifically, anything with a high glycemic index will cause a rise in blood sugar – your sugar “high”. Your goal is to decrease sugar to 10% (or less) of your total diet.

Now, sugar has many forms. Glucose, or sugar we get from fruits and healthy food, is an energy source and is absorbed and metabolized by the body’s cells. Therefore, it is processed faster. On the other hand, Fructose, commonly found in HFCS (High Fructose corn Syrup) and processed food, is only processed by the liver. The byproduct of this metabolism is Uric Acid, which is the cause of arthritis, gout and skin ageing. Too much consumption of fructose can also cause Type II diabetes.

Fortunately, a lifestyle and diet change can get you good results even in just a few months. Cleansing your body of all the toxins you have taken all these years is the first step.  Cutting down sugar and carbohydrates, drinking a lot of water and getting enough exercise should be habits to keep. See the difference in a few months.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2125217/How-giving-sugar-20-years-looks.html

http://www.youngbodysecret.co.uk/straight-facts-on-glycation-and-how-its-making-you-look-older/