True Health Project

Do you know sugar could harm your skin?

Sugar is a dangerous substance.  In fact, it may be one of the most dangerous substances known to man.  Don’t believe me?

Although each causes their own differing side effects to the user, the debilitating nature of each cannot be argued.  You’ve likely seen pictures of meth addicts before with their terrible teeth, emaciated bodies and overall worn down appearance.  The results are frightening.  Unfortunately, many aren’t aware that sugar can produce a similar affect when abused, but it is completely legal.

When excess sugar is introduced into your diet, it overloads your system.  In a process called glycosylation, glucose begins to attach itself to proteins.  Too much of this renders proteins ineffective.  Collagen makes up 25-35% of your entire body’s protein count.  When those proteins suffer damage, naturally your skin does as well.  The excess sugar breaks down the collagen causing your skin to become loose (read: flabby) and be more susceptible to sun damage.

Perhaps the most damaging effect of sugar is its connection to acne.  For most people, acne becomes less of an issue as you age.  Those were the stifling middle school and high school years, where a few pimples made you the butt of a joke, even though every teenager deals with it in some form or fashion.  Acne cannot be traced to one single source, but it is the result of raised hormone levels and overactive oil glands.  However, studies have shown that skin inflammation is directly connected to a rapid rise in blood sugar.  If you read the chart above you know that is one of the negative side effects of sugar.

Furthermore, sugar also impairs your immune system.  This causes an increase in insulin production.  As a result of, oil production is stimulated and inflammation occurs.  Because sugar weakened your body’s immune system (thus its ability to fight this inflammation), you become more susceptible to acne.  It’s important to understand that while sugar itself may not be the cause of acne, the reaction it produces within your body and the chemicals produced from that reaction are major contributors to increased skin problems.

Having a diet with high sugar content produces many negative side effects on your body both internally and externally.  Maintaining good skin health is an essential element to keeping an overall good appearance.  However, beyond merely appearances, sugar also feeds cancer cells and weakens your immune system, therefore inhibiting your body’s natural ability to ward off minor illnesses and protect you from potential sun damage.  Additionally, sugar’s links to obesity produce negative effects on your skin as well as excess weight gain often leads to stretching and excess flab.  Ultimately, to best serve your skin and overall health, keep the sugar content of your diet to a minimum.

Photo by Victor Bezrukov