Has anyone ever told you that ingesting sugars and starches can cause wrinkles?  Well it can, by a process called GLYCATION.  Glycation is the process by which sugar molecules attach onto proteins and fats forming Advanced Glycation End Products commonly referred to as AGE’s.  When glycation takes place it causes protein fibers in the skin to become stiff and malformed. The proteins in the skin most affected are collagen and elastin. These are the proteins responsible for giving us a youthful complexion.

Dr. Nicholas Perricone states “Eating sugary and starchy foods shows up on the skin as a loss of radiance, dark circles under the eyes, the loss of tone, puffiness, and increase in fine lines and wrinkles, the loss of facial contours and increased pore size.  These foods can also exacerbate acne, which is a systemic inflammatory disease.  I am not exaggerating when I say that sugar can rob you of your youth, health, and beauty.”

Signs of glycation usually start to appear in our 30’s. At age 30 we aren’t producing the collagen we were when we were young.  So what can be done to help slow down the aging process?  The best thing to do is the change up your diet. Try to stay away from sugary foods and refined carbohydrates. Examples of food to avoid are processed foods, cereals, soda and anything with high fructose corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup increases the rate of glycation by 10X compared to glucose.

The second thing you can do to is to invest in skincare products that contain ingredients proven to help fight glycation or stimulate the production of collagen. Green tea is just one potent ingredient proven to significantly interfere with the glycation process. Drinking green tea can also be beneficial.

Pellé Medical Skincare does offer a wide variety of products aimed at fighting glycation and producing collagen. The Intense Firm by Société contains 7 protein peptides aimed at producing collagen and increasing elasticity and firmness. It also contains the powerful antioxidant green tea. From the iS Clinical line, Youth Complex has been clinically proven to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin. It contains a copper tripeptide growth factor that mimics the way skin naturally produces collagen.

Sources:
Glycation: how sugar causes wrinkles.  www.simplyantiaging.com/2479/glycation
Sugar and Aging: How to fight glycation.  www.elle.com.makeup-skin-care/sugar-aging-how-to-fight-glycation-614621