Top 5 Ways That Sugar Is Causing Problems With Your Skin

You know it could be upsetting your stomach if you have sugar intolerance and take a hit of the sweet stuff. And you have heard that sugar causes weight gain and heart disease. But did you also know that sugar is responsible for bad skin? Eating too much sugar has been linked to everything from acne to wrinkles. The American Heart Association recommends that women ingest only 100 calories from sugar per day, but most women eat several times the daily allowance. If your skin has not cleared up since high school or you are noticing signs of premature aging, a high-sugar diet could be responsible. Check out the ways that sugar negatively affects your skin.

1. Causes breakouts

Many people think that a high-fat diet is responsible for oily, acne prone skin, but the real truth may be that it is not the oil in French fries, it is the potato themselves. Potatoes are high-glycemic foods, which cause a spike in insulin in the body leading to inflammation. Fried foods elevate the glycemic-level of foods, which means that French fries are bad for your skin. Eating healthy fats, such as avocados and nuts, are actually anti-inflammatory and can protect your skin from damage.

2. Causes wrinkles

Glycation occurs when sugar attaches to proteins forming damaging molecules that attack collagen, the protein responsible for keeping your skin firm. There are multiple types of collagen in your skin, and glycation can affect them all. The more sugar you eat, the more prone to damage your skin becomes. It also becomes more prone to sun damage, which is the leading cause of the appearance of aging.

3. Causes sagging

The other protein susceptible to glycation is elastin. Elastin is responsible for your skin’s ability to bounce back. When elastin gets damaged, it becomes loose and leads to the appearance of sagging.

4. Causes redness, rashes and other skin issues

The inflammation produced from eating too much sugar causes breakouts, redness and rashes that look like rosacea. By reducing the amount of sugar that you ingest, you can also reduce the appearance of redness and rashes in your skin. People who are prone to eczema and other skin conditions may also notice an improvement in symptoms if they give up sugar.

In addition to redness and rashes, sugar may also cause skin conditions associated with insulin sensitivity and diabetes. Uncontrolled blood sugar levels have been found to cause dark patches that occur on various body parts. High-sugar intake has also been linked to interfering with hormones causing unwanted facial hair growth in women as a result of elevated testosterone levels.

5. Causes a dehydrated appearance

Have you ever noticed how thirsty you are after dessert? It is because sugar sucks the water out of your skin. Dehydrated skin can cause dryness, puffiness and dark circles under the eyes.


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