Glycation and the way sugar destroys your skin

I know that sugar is not my best friend. Yet somehow I managed to convince myself that cheesecake definitely is one. It gives me comfort, pleasure and puts a smile on my face with every single bite (just no raisins, please). Can it be that I’ve gotten myself into a very toxic friendship? 

Sugar is bad for you. Period.

Putting my personal taste aside I have to face the fact: sugar causes more bad than good. And by bad I mean really, really bad. Consuming too much added sugar can lead to high blood pressure and chronic inflammation, weight gain, diabetes, fatty liver disease¹, heart disease and is linked with triggering imbalances in certain brain chemicals, causing mental health disorders². Unfortunately cutting off sugar is much easier said than done because it’s considered the strongest stimulant for our taste buds³.  Looking for sweet treats seems like the most obvious culinary mission, especially when we want to boost our moods on one of those bad days.  But humans were not designed to have such strong sugar cravings naturally. We got addicted to it because we eat sugar in almost every meal, often without even realizing. It’s added to desserts, juices, bread, yoghurts, dips and sauces, ready-to-eat meals including soups and a full range of so called healthy foods: granolas, protein bars or dairy alternatives⁴. The list in long, tricky and unfortunately delicious. Since we eat added sugar almost non stop, it comes as no surprise that we over consume it. According to the American Heart Association, adult Americans consume an average of 77 grams of sugar daily (and kids even up to 3 grams more!), more than three times the amount recommended for women⁵. Extra amount of sugar means extra risk of all the negative health effects I’ve mentioned before.

Glycation 101

I’d love to have at least one „on the other hand” for you but unfortunately, apart from the obvious that sweet treats can give a momentarily flavorful pleasure I’m not bringing any other excuse to eat sugar. But I am bringing you some good news – the kind of news that can slow down your aging process, so please stay with me. The key to understanding how sugar affects skin damage on cellular level is called glycation. This natural process occurs every time you eat something sweet. The glucose that gets into your bloodstream „sticks” to lipids, DNA or proteins (such as Holy Grails of anti-aging – collagen and elastin) and produces advanced glycation end products (AGEs)⁶.  The set of chemical reactions leading to the formation of these harmful free radicals is called the Maillard reaction⁷.  It is responsible for the “browning” of tissue seen with aging, compared by the scientists to the “browning” of heat-treated foods⁸.  What does it mean in practice? The more AGEs you accumulate the more they damage the proteins in your body: skin gets more and more wrinkled, saggy, dryer, brittle, prone to acne flareups and inflammation and  its cell structures become still and harden⁹. Of course, loss of elasticity and hydration comes naturally as we get older but glycation can acellerate this process, making us look and feel much older than we really are.

Is sugar from fruits bad as well? 

Every time you eat something sweet, you ignite a process leading to extra wrinkles, dehydration and loss of health ( AGEs are also related to pathophysiology of diabetes and other chronic disease¹⁰.) Glycation is as simple as that. Keeping in mind that sugar from candies and sugar from blueberries are two different things I want to make sure, that this difference counts when it comes to anti-wrinkle diet. According to Dr. Richard Johnson, scientist and author of „The sugar fix”, fructose, sugar naturally occurring in fruits and in other plant foods such as honey or sugar beets can also lead to skin damage, if over consumed¹¹. Just like all other sugars, it can attach to proteins through the Maillard reaction and produce AGEs¹².  What’s more, it can increase food intake while reducing the metabolic rate. Both of these factors might accelerate aging and skin damage¹³.

If not sugar, then what?

I’m a fan of healthy balance. Instead of saying „goodbye forever” to my beloved cheesecake I’m trying to figure out what I should eat on a daily basis to build a strong foundation for my skin, so that the occasional sugar indulgence wouldn’t ruin it. Here is what I found: 

• Go for antioxidants: research shows that diets high in vitamin C are associated with fewer wrinkles, less skin thinning and reduced age-related dehydration¹⁴. This antioxidant plays an essential role in connective tissue healing. Its elastic fibers, made of elastin, keep the skin less prone to sagging. Its reticular fibers, made of thin collagen fibers, keep it firm and toned. The best sources of vitamin C are: bell peppers, parsley, citrus, strawberries, tomatoes or cruciferous vegetables¹⁵. To prevent glycation, we also recommend including antioxidants in your daily beauty routine. Since day 1 of formulating LAST Skin Repair Serum, it was meant to be packed with these potent, anti-aging ingredients. Acerola and Boswellia Serrata extracts, Carnosine, Coenzyme q10 and Frankincense hydrosol, among others, will keep your skin healthier, glowing, hydrated, with visibly improved firmness and elasticity.
• Aim for low GI: Improving glycemic control is a key strategy in limiting AGEs production¹⁶. That doesn’t mean you have to quit eating fruits entirely. To prevent blood sugar or insulin spikes and inflammation, simply stick to the ones with low glycemic index: blueberries, strawberries, avocados, raspberries, cherries or green apples.
• Don’t be afraid of carbs: carbs are essential for long-term health and brain function. According to Dr. Mark Hyman, luckily almost all plant foods fall into the carbs category¹⁷. The key is to chose the naturally-occurring, slow burning and filled with fibers and phytochemicals ones. That means yes for non-starchy vegetables and whole grains and no for white flour and packed cookies.
• Take care of the gut microbiome: according to the latest research, the gut microbiome is considered an important factor in inflammation and skin barrier malfunction¹⁸. To keep the gut flora healthy and support the growth of good gut microbes, include fiber-rich, fermented and cultured foods in you diet. 
• Focus on how you cook: it turns out that not only what you eat but also how you prepare your food affects glycation. Research shows that dry heat methods such as grilling and frying can increase AGEs levels by 10 to 100 times¹⁹. Instead of overheating, focus on steaming, boiling, cooking in lower temperatures and for shorter times or simply eat your food raw. 
• Eat your protein: I know that sugar detox can be hard but there is a way for doing it the delicious and satisfying way. How? Including protein in every meal is the key to balancing blood sugar and insulin and cutting sugar cravings²⁰. Start you day with a savory, protein- packed bowl or a protein shake with low IG fruits and in case of the between-meals hunger snack on small amounts of nuts.  
• Read the labels: As I’ve mentioned before, sugar in all its forms can be often found in so called healthy foods. The added one is not always easy to spot because it comes under many different names: crystalline fructose, evaporated cane juice, cane crystals, molasses, sucrose, malt or maple syrup, dextrose, corn sweetener…²¹ To avoid being fooled by marketing specialists, read the labels! Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight so if sugar is one of the first ones, it’s better to leave the product on the shelf²². 

Is limiting daily pleasures for the sake of a few wrinkles less a sign of vanity? Keeping in mind that glycation is also correlated with chronic disease and inflammation, it clearly isn’t. But even if it was vain, would it really be that bad? I have always believed that we should nourish body and soul equally, and taking care of the outside, by let’s say selfcare routines, is as important as reading a good book. Don’t get me wrong – I might have the knowledge but I also have a chocolate bar waiting for me in the fridge. And I think it’s ok, because my fridge is also filled up to 99% with fresh, organic, real plant-based food. And if one of these days I’ll eat my bar you can be sure it will be guilt- free. Because I know my base.

Marzena Jarczak

An international model based in Paris. A researcher, copy writer and a journalist exploring for us the areas of neuroscience, brain, biohacking, living healthy life. Author of Out & About series discovering cultural life in Paris in all its aspects. A strong, wise personality with a growth mindset.

Read more

• The sweet danger of sugar
• Sugar intake from sweet food and beverages, common mental disorder and depression: prospective findings from the Whitehall II study; Anika Knüppel, Martin J. Shipley, […], and Eric J. Brunner; Scientific Reports Nature Research; 2017
• Everything sugar (and how to eliminate it form your diet) with Dr. Mark Hyman; Cleveland Clinic, July 3, 2018
• Finding the Hidden Sugar in the Foods You Eat; Erin Gager, R.D., L.D.N.; Johns Hopkins Hospital
• How much sugar is too much?; American Heart Association
• Glycation; Science Direct; Endocrinology (Sixth Edition), 2010
• Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and other adducts in aging-related diseases and alcohol-mediated tissue injury; Wiramon Rungratanawanich, Ying Qu, Xin Wang, Musthafa Mohamed Essa, Byoung-Joon Song; Experimental & Molecular Medicine, 53, pages 168–188 (2021)
• Sugar Sag: Glycation and the role of diet in aging skin; H.P. Nguyen, R. Katta; National Library of Medicine, National Center for Biotechnology Information
• Why sugar and fructose are so deadly with Dr. Richard Johnson; Podcast by dr Mark Hyman
• Long-Term Fructose Consumption Accelerates Glycation and Several Age-Related Variables in Male Rats; Boaz Levi, Moshe J. Werman; The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 128, Issue 9, September 1998, Pages 1442–1449
• Dietary nutrient intakes and skin-aging appearance among middle-aged American women; Maeve C. Cosgrove, Oscar H. Franco, Stewart P. Granger; National Library of Medicine, National Center for Biotechnology Information; 2007 Oct;86(4):1225-31. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/86.4.1225
• The Nutrition Source; Harvard T.H. Chan, School of Public Health
• An Anti-Wrinkle Diet: Nutritional Strategies to Combat Oxidation, Inflammation and Glycation; Rajani Katta, Ariadna Perez Sanchez, Evelyne Tantry; Skin Therapy Letter
• Slow Carbs, Not Low Carbs: The Truth About Low-Carb Diets; Dr. Mark Hyman Podcast
• Advanced Glycation End Products in Foods and a Practical Guide to Their Reduction in the Diet; Jaime Uribarri, Sandra Woodruff, Helen Vlassara; Journal of the American Dietetic Association; June 2010
• Top 10 Big Ideas: How To Detox From Sugar; Dr. Mark Hyman Podcast
• The Nutrition Source. Added Sugar; Harvard T.H. Chan, School of Public Health

Marzena Jarczak

An international model based in Paris. A researcher, copy writer and a journalist exploring for us the areas of neuroscience, brain, biohacking, living healthy life. Author of Out & About series discovering cultural life in Paris in all its aspects. A strong, wise personality with a growth mindset.