I try to avoid processed sugar mainly because the addictive, empty calories make me feel yucky and cause I know about all the health risks associated with sudden spikes of insulin levels. Not even mentioning the unnecessary weight gain in the form of body fat. Processed sugar doesn’t just exist in the obvious places like candy, pastries, snacks, cereals, frozen treats, etc. You can also find it in weird places like sandwich bread, condiments, pasta, frozen meals, and meal replacements bars, just to name a few. And we all know how bad sugary drinks and sodas are for you. Not only have numerous studies proven that processed sugar makes us gain unhealthy weight, but the evidence is right before our eyes when we connect this country’s obsession with and consumption of processed foods with the obesity epidemic.
So all that bad news, you’ve probably already heard of, but there’s yet even another reason to avoid processed sugar, that many people don’t know about. Sugar is terrible for the appearance and health of your skin. A friend of mine who’s an Aesthetician told me sometimes she calls it “sugar-face” and can spot one a mile away. I have to admit, I didn’t know it was a thing, and to be honest it’s not my kind of thing to call people names, however I find it interesting how aestheticians are now finally noticing the effect a diet high in sugar has on our skin. Let’s just hope a “sugar-face” won’t become another common mean name like “meathead” for example.
I did notice a significant improvement in my own skin after I broke up with sugar. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I’m getting any younger, I’m still getting some wrinkles on my face, but the cellulite on the back of my legs has disappeared once I turned to low-carb lifestyle.
I looked around for some interesting write-up on this topic until I found a great
article from Fitness Rx for Women written by Jennifer Haley, MD, FAAD, who’s a board-certified dermatologist with a degree in Nutrition Science from Cornell University. That sounds like a girl who knows her stuff.
In the article Dr. Haley explains that when you eat excess processed sugars, the sugar attaches to protein in your bloodstream causing the protein fibers to become “stiff and malformed”. The byproducts of this attachment process are called advanced glycation end products, or (aptly named) AGEs.
Dr. Haley goes on say, “AGEs accumulate in the collagen and elastin of your skin, causing it to become thin, discolored and rigid, resulting in sallowness, wrinkles and sagging. Furthermore, AGEs deactivate your body’s natural antioxidants, leaving you more vulnerable to sun damage and environmental toxins.” To sum it up, sugar makes you look old!
Dr. Haley also talks about how sugar causes inflammation in the body. That kind of “total body inflammation” can cause “rashes, rosacea and acne breakouts”. Dr. Haley goes on to cite a couple of studies that prove reducing sugar drastically in your diet can significantly reduce acne flare-ups. So if you’re acne-prone and eat a fair amount of processed sugar, try eliminating it from your diet and see if it helps.
What about you? Have you ever eliminated processed sugar from your diet? Did you notice a difference in your skin or any other area of your health? If so, I’d love to hear your story. LMK in the comments!
Private Member |
johannesburg, south africa
I wouldn’t say to have great skin you would need to be born with one, I don’t think it is so cut and dry.
There are so many factors that contribute to wrinkles and acne, but I do think sugar is one of the biggest culprits.
I have good skin but it is even better when I cut out sugar. I am teaching myself moderation but everytime I eat something with sugar I feel the effects: inflammation, lack of energy and it never makes me feel full so I end up eating more therefore gaining body fat. Sometimes you will only know how something affects you when you cut it out. Who knows you might be one of the lucky ones that feel no effects for now, but I do believe that if you look after your body and what you put into it, it will hold you in good stead when you are older. I strive to eat food that is good for my body, it is the only body that I have till I die and I don’t want to struggle too much when I am older.
Private Member |
wy, usa
I noticed, my workouts got better, my Rheumatoid arthritis is better, due to decrease in inflammation, more energy!
Plus sugar loves cancer and I am a survivor from that as well:)!
Private Member |
czech republic
Well. talking about carbs generally, I had an imflammation in my mouth. Nothing helped. Sometimes it came better, sometimes it went larger… Some 7 weeks ago I cut out carbs from my diet. The inflammation got better after two days and the “place” became flat and disappeared since then. I did not use any medicine, only cut out carbs. It’s a miracle, but I believe now that carbs are manure for bacteria.
Private Member |
toronto, canada
Great post!! 🙂
Out of curiosity, is anyone else hesitant to use the natural sugar replacements? Stevia I know is just a plant and the info on erythritol looks pretty good. But still, when we eat things that taste overly sweet like stevia or far worse aspartame, we tend to crave more sweet things including real sugars. I’ve been trying to just cut back, while still using honey and regular sugar sparingly. I know I’ll never completely cut it out, and I doubt I’ll ever get as low as Z’s diet using the low carb sweeteners. The skin benefits though … might tip the scale (and my budget habits) and get me picking up some stevia or erythritol next trip to the grocery.
Private Member |
Hi Claire. I chimed in on this a few posts above, and a bit long-winded too. I’ve had some success with erythritol & stevia. But I’ve also had some clear problems, and they are what you are asking about. I feel that the sugar-free (erythritol, stevia) have, in fact, at times increased sugar crave, yes. The erythritol also, even a couple of tablespoons, causes digestive rumblings, bloating, and some major gas. The good thing is, this is about the extent of it, it doesn’t seem to cause weight gain, and it doesn’t make me sweat like sugar can. So, overall, it is an improvement in some ways…but others, no. You’d just have to do what you’re thinking already, give it a shot and see how you like it. And, while I have made some very tasty treats with erythritol & stevia based sweetener, there is a difference in the flavors and textures. Also, anything that has maltodextrin had a dreadful result for me…like Splenda baking blend, Pyure baking blend or Stevia in the Raw baking blends. Maltodextrin has a much higher GI than sugar, and yep…it affected me BADLY.
Private Member |
toronto, canada
Thanks!! I’ll definitely be on alert for bloating/gas with erythritol when I give it a try!
Private Member |
I can T stand the taste of sugar… I prefer fruits and honey and i stopped eating sugar for years now. When i have to eat some dessert to please people for birthday or other i feel really bad inside eight after : heavy, tired and unhealthy. So i try to convince people to replace processed sugar by natural and low carb sweetener but It s hard to make them realize how bad It is for their health !
Private Member |
I agree! People look at me like I’m crazy when I say I don’t eat sugar. I used to have the same reaction myself. But it is definitely true that once you stop eating it, you really stop WANTING to eat it. I used to love baked goods like cookies or brownies. Now I just feel gross and tired after I eat them, and they really don’t taste very good to me any more either. Of course that might not be true for everyone. But it’s definitely worth cutting out of your diet for a few weeks, at least as an experiment. You might find you don’t even miss it.
Private Member |
*right
Private Member |
usa
I don’t eat sugar very often and haven’t in 25+ years. But i do use a little stevia and raw local honey sometimes. For instance, if I go to a party or occasion where they’re serving cake I won’t have any. People will try to hand it to me or ask me to get a peice and I tell them I don’t like cake and they think I’m crazy. If I don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings I’ll take it , eat a bite then sneak it in the trash. Too much sugar makes me feel ill. As far as acne, I had it most my life until I turned 40ish and I think that was from hormones and genetics.
Private Member |
hendersonville, nc, united states
My sister was going to need knee replacement surgery last year but instead she cut out sugar, dairy and gluten,etc from her diet. I asked her this past weekend which diet change makes the biggest difference for her joints (guess what her answer was…sugar). The surgery was cancelled a long time ago.
Private Member |
How about meat zuska. Doesn’t that give you acne and wrinkle or do you think it’s an optimum fuel for your body ?
Private Member |
toronto, canada
I found that when I cut out sugar, yes, my skin stayed beautiful all time. But when I had a small amount of sugar i would break out a lot and it was a shock to my system.
Now I have sugar in moderate amounts once every couple of days. This seems to keep me in balance. I think the key sentence here was “when you eat excess processed sugars…”.
idk about you guys but moderation works for me 🙂
Private Member |
Great Post… I am still shocked to see how many food items include the hidden sugar!.. I have been reading labels for sometime, and zusca, you are right, it’s in everything! Overall I feel much better when it’s eliminated from my diet, and it definately has a positive effect on my skin! Thanks for discussing this topic 🙂