Cut down salt and sugar intake to look younger
I just learnt that excessive salt and sugar consumption is bad news for our skin and we need to cut back our intake of these if we want to look younger.
Why salt is bad for our skin
Too much salt in the form of sodium chloride is not only bad for our health but will result in water retention and result in those puffy regions around the eyes. In addition, consuming too much salt can cause high blood pressure which increases the risk of those unsightly spider veins. I even read that it can contribute to acne and something else, wrinkles and skin pigmentation!
I actually read something similar in a Chinese newspaper but because I didn’t keep a copy of it, I’ve lost the specifics but the content of it is similar from what I read from Dosha Balance.
In excess, salt causes contraction and can lead to general debility: wrinkles, hyperacidity, high blood pressure, impurities in the blood, itching and burning sensations, inflammation of the lymph glands, gout, heart conditions, impotency, loose teeth, baldness, and darkening of the skin pigmentation.
This is the table salt or refined salt we’re talking about and the recommended intake for a person should be no more than 4 g according to information from wiki. Frankly I haven’t figured out specifically how much that translates into but I think I have to seriously cut back on my salt intake. I’ve been eating pineapples with lots of salt for a couple of months already and it’s no wonder I’m having eyebags daily! And it’s not just table salt we need to consider. Preserved and processed food also contain high amount of salt.
Why sugar is bad for our skin
Too much sugar do not only cause tooth decay but can cause wrinkles and leathery looking skin too because sugar hastens the breakdown of collagen and elastin. According to the book 10 Minutes/10 Years: Your Definitive Guide To A Beautiful And Youthful Appearance by dermatologist Dr Fredric Brandt, reducing sugar in our diet can turn the clock back by 10 years and improve the texture, tone and radiance of our skin.
The sugar triggers a process in the body called glycation. This is where the sugar molecules bind to your protein fibres – those wonderfully springy and resilient collagen and elastin fibres – which are the building blocks of skin.
Imagine that your collagen is your skin’s mattress and the elastin fibres are the coils holding it together. The sugar attacks these fibres, making them less elastic and more brittle so they break.
The result is that your once-youthful skin starts to sag and look old.
Worst still, Dr Brandt explained that the glycation process causes these proteins to mutate, creating harmful new molecules called Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs), which accumulate and cause further inflammation and damage to our collagen and elastin. That’s when fine lines and wrinkles appear and they don’t go away.
I haven’t found out how much sugar we should be taking daily but I’m very sure I need to cut back on mine. I take chocolates everyday and worst, I’ve been drinking root beer to go along! That’s definitely skin suicide going by what I’ve just learnt!
Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Excess of Sugar contributes a lot in body fat , chances to get diabetic and wrinkle production . Making you look older and ugly. Switch to sugar free products and cut down the intake of natural sugar as much as you can.
Jenny Williams last post is: Review of awful affects on skin, when exposed to sun