Skip to content
How Sugar Leads to Faster Aging
Here are 5 ways sugar can leads to faster aging of your skin and immune system by expediting collagen breakdown, increasing inflammation, and more. Once you read these, you will be convinced it’s time to cut out the sugar!1. Sugar breaks down collagen which leads to skin aging and wrinkles:
There is a direct connection between sugar consumption and the breakdown of skin collagen. When we eat a lot of sugar over an extended period of time, excess glucose in the blood causes attachment of glucose to protein molecules and forms AGEs, advanced glycosylation endproducts. This causes loss of collagen strength and flexibility, leading to wrinkly, saggy skin. Thankfully there are TWO way to reverse this! Start cutting out sugar with the Further Food 10-Day Sugar Detox Plan. Learn more here. And you can also start eating more collagen in your diet - an easy way to do this with daily collagen peptide protein like this one here.2. Sugar causes inflammation throughout the body:
Inflammation is our body’s defense mechanism that repairs damaged tissues and fights off bacteria, viruses, and other foreign invaders. Short-term inflammation is a good thing, but prolonged inflammation has damaging effects on the body and can lead to arthritis, heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, and autoimmune diseases. Many studies have shown that eating large quantities of easily digestible, high-glucose carbs (sugar) leads to oxidative stress through formation of free radicals, thereby prompting an inflammatory response throughout the body. This chronic inflammation caused by sugar can have many long-term negative health effects.
3. Sugar can cause cancer:
Sugar aging skin consequences can even lead to cancer! Studies have shown that people who eat high amounts of sugar have a much higher risk of developing many different types of cancer, including breast and colon cancer. High sugar intake leads to elevated levels of insulin and unregulated cell multiplication in cancerous tissues. Additionally, science has linked chronic inflammation, often caused by excessive sugar intake, with a higher risk of cancer.4. Sugar leads to a fatty liver:
Upon ingestion, sugar is broken down into its molecular components, glucose and fructose, in the small intestine. Glucose is the energy currency readily used by all of the cells in our body, but fructose is sent to the liver to be processed. Excessive fructose is converted into fat in the liver, and the buildup of fat in the liver leads to problems throughout the entire body including weight gain, elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels, also known as fatty liver.5. Sugar weakens the immune system:
Sugar has been found to weaken white blood cell activity which is the basis of our immune system. One study by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that the ability of white blood cells to engulf bacteria was decreased by 40% upon intake of large quantities of sugar. As we age, our immune system naturally weakens, but sugar consumption can prematurely diminish or exacerbate the weakening of our body’s defense mechanism. A weakened immune system may be the reason we see increased infection and cancer rates in older people.How to Reduce Sugar From Your Diet
Sugar can be addicting; that's why it's such a common problem for people to crave sugar all the time! However, there are ways that you can start reducing your sugar intake to better your overall health. The best thing to do is start with a solid sugar detox. Cutting sugar out completely will help give your body the sugar-free jump start it needs. We also have a list of foods that help you reduce your sugar intake as well, including collagen! Sugar can be hard to avoid, but it's not impossible! Your body will definitely thank you.FAQs
What are some of the effects of sugar on the body?
Consuming a lot of sugar doesn't do your body much good. Eating too much sugary, processed foods can not only lead to weight gain, but can also age your skin and immune system! Sugar can negatively affect many of your body functions beyond the initial weight gain.
How does sugar lead to faster aging?
There are many ways in which eating too much sugar leads to accelerated aging. Firstly, sugar breaks down your body's collagen, which results in wrinkly, saggy skin. Sugar additionally causes inflammation throughout the body, and prolonged inflammation can lead to further complications, including autoimmune diseases and arthritis. Studies have also shown that sugar can cause cancer, a fatty liver, and a prematurely weakened immune system that can increase you chances of infection. Too much sugar can lead to too many problems!
What steps can I take to ditch sugar?
Thankfully, it is not impossible to reduce the amount of sugar you eat — though it can be difficult. We recommend starting this process with a sugar detox, like the 10-Day Sugar Detox Plan. At the same time, try to add foods into your diet that replace your sweet sugar. There are also many foods out there that can actually help you reduce your sugar intake too, which you can find here. They key to reducing your sugar intake is to make sure you're body is even getting all of the nutrients it actually needs.
Want to learn more?
Just Diagnosed with Fatty Liver? Dr. Hyman Says Sugar, Not Fat, is Your Enemy!
Cutting Out Sugar? 10 Surprising Foods Full of Hidden Sweeteners
Success Story: I Went on a Sugar Detox and Lost 50 lbs and Got Off Painkillers!
12 Astounding Benefits of Collagen! Backed by Science
