10/31/2012
Sugar can make our skin age by changing the structure of collagen
Experts now believe that a lifetime of overeating sugar can make skin dull and wrinkled.
Glycation is a process in which the sugar in your bloodstream attaches to proteins to form harmful new molecules called advanced glycation end products (or, appropriately - AGEs). The more sugar you eat, the more AGEs you develop. "As AGEs accumulate, they damage adjacent proteins in a domino-like fashion," explains Fredric Brandt, MD, a dermatologist. Most vulnerable to damage: collagen and elastin, the protein fibers that keep skin firm and elastic.
Collagen is the most prevalent protein in the body. Once damaged, springy and resilient collagen and elastin become dry and brittle, leading to wrinkles and sagging. Besides damaging collagen, a high-sugar diet also affects what type of collagen you have - another factor in how resistant skin is to wrinkling, says Brandt. The most abundant collagens in the skin are types I, II, and III, with type III being the most stable and longest lasting. Glycation transforms type III collagen into type I, which is more fragile. "When that happens, the skin looks and feels less supple," says Brandt.
*Courtesy of NancyAppleton.com
