Photo: Dr. Archana Batra, Dietitian, Physiotherapist and Certified Diabetes Educator
People tend to be scared of growing old. The fear of ageing is one that sticks with us, and we often try to find all sorts of different ways to stop the slow march of time. Did you know that the food might be a reason for making us look older? Here are some foods that age you fast.
1. French Fries – French fries are one of the most loved snacks. You can get a side of those salty sticks of goodness everywhere you go . But it is their salt which brings them down. French fries, and other fried foods have properties in them which result in your skin age faster. These foods are fried in oil at high temperature which release free radicals causing cellular damage to the skin. Exposure to free radicals accelerates the ageing process due to action called cross linking. Cross linking affects the DNA molecules which can weaken elasticity of skin. Also, the salt from the French fries might lessen your skin’s elasticity as well.
2. White Bread – White bread is not only good for you, but it might make you look older as well. The refining process of white bread creates AGE’s. Essentially, when the refined carbs mix with the protein, you get advanced glycation end products. Also, foods with a high glycemic index, like white bread, can cause inflammation in the body, which is directly linked to ageing process. So, it is not great for your health and skin.
3. White Sugar – Everybody loves sugar. Sugar on candy, sugar on pastries, sugar in drinks etc. But not only does sugar give you unwanted, terrible skin blemishes such as acne, but it causes our skin looking older as well. As we said earlier, one of the greatest contributors to creation of AGEs is sugar. When the sugar levels are high, this AGE process is stimulated that sped up even more in presence of sunlight. So, instead of eating ice cream outdoors on a sunny day, opt for refreshing frozen fruit or popsicle.
4. Margarine – There is no denying that margarine has really snuck its way. A cheap alternative to butter, it is almost as good and it is really versatile. Sadly, it can make you look older than you are actually. Margarine is worse than modern amounts of real butter due to the fact that it’s high in partially hydrogenated oils. These trans fatty acids make skin more vulnerable to UV radiation, which can cause damage to skin elasticity and collagen.
5. Soda and Coffee – We know how hard it might be to give up these two, for two different reasons. Water is boring and juice you have to put in a glass, but soda is convenient, sweet and delicious. And as for coffee, these drinks don’t affect your skin directly, but they affect something that does, your sleep. When you consume drinks high in caffeine like soda and coffee, your sleep is affected and that’s bad for your skin. Conclusion- You should avoid these foods to stay young. You can go for foods like sweet potatoes, avocadoes, honey, fruits, nuts, chicken, seeds etc that will make your skin look young and healthy.
Editor recommended anti aging foods
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