Glycation – the BEST reason to cut out sugar

Long story short: Not only does sugar give you acne, sugar ALSO causes your skin to age prematurely – like 10 times as fast as normal.  Yeeps.

What is glycation?

Glycation is a natural process in which the glucose in your bloodstream attaches to proteins, forming harmful new molecules called advanced glycation end products (ironically, AGEs for short). The more sugar you eat, the more glucose. The more glucose, the more AGEs.

AND as AGEs accumulate, they damage adjacent proteins in a domino-like fashion. Unfortunately, the proteins most vulnerable to damage are collagen and elastin, the fibers that keep skin firm and elastic. In fact, collagen is the most prevalent protein in the body. Once damaged, springy and resilient collagen and elastin become dry, discolored and brittle, leading to wrinkles, sagging and loss of radiance.

Sugar is a Quadruple Threat to Skin

Besides damaging collagen and elastin, a high-sugar diet also affects what type of collagen you have—another factor in how resistant skin is to wrinkling. 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 and causes skin to look and feel less youthful and bright. Type 1 collagen makes your skin more prone to wrinkling and sagging.

As if that weren’t enough, AGEs deactivate your body’s natural antioxidant enzymes, leaving you more vulnerable to sun damage—still the main cause of skin aging. The glycation process also creates free radicals, creating even more damage and signs of age on the skin.

The final sugar threat is of course – acne and inflamed skin.

 

To an extent, glycation is unavoidable. It’s happening right now, to all of us. The external signs of glycation show up around the age of 30 or 35, when a perfect storm of built-up sun damage, environmental oxidative stress, hormonal changes, and the development of AGEs is too much for the skin to hide anymore.  While refined sugar isn’t the only culprit, it increases the rate of glycation by TEN – this means that if you’re eating a high sugar diet, you are effectively aging your skin TEN TIMES as fast as normal.

Healthy foods such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables turn to glucose when digested too—but in less damaging fashion. So DON’T completely eliminate all carbs from your diet. Heck no! They are an essential fuel for cells and energy metabolism, AND to hormonal balance which is ALSO key for healthy skin. For most people with normal levels of glucose, the glycation process is something that happens gradually over the course of a lifetime, and it’s really not that big of a deal. But cutting out refined carbs, sugar and dairy – the major glycation offenders? Kind of a no-brainer, and just ONE MORE reason to do the Candida Cleanse! If you’re not convinced, you should be now. When else are you going to get this much information, support, and expert help quitting sugar? For free? Basically, never again, so join up! (Sign up in the orange box below)

What else can you do besides quit sugar?

Carnosine, an amino acid supplement has been shown to protect against AGE buildup, so check that out – I personally have not tried it.

Skincare makes a difference as well. Green tea (present in multiple moss products) has been proven to significantly interfere with the glycation process while stimulating collagen synthesis—so if you’re using a product containing green tea (or drinking it regularly – lol, I’m brewing a cup RIGHT NOW!!!), you’re already protecting your skin. Also, any ingredient or product that stimulates new collagen formation will help old glycated collagen be replaced by un-glycated collagen faster.

But basically, just quit sugar already – that’s BY FAR the best thing you can do. And if you want a lot of support and strategy about how to quit sugar successfully, the Candida Cleanse is kind of a perfect way to do it. So join below, already!

And OF COURSE, join our exclusive group on FB – adds a whole ‘nother dimension to the experience! 😉

xx

C

In the comments or in the group – tell me if you’ve ever heard of glycation before or not!