The
latest data of CDC has a warning signal that adults and children are both
consuming roughly the same number of calories from soda, sports drinks and
other sugar beverages now as they did in 2009-2010. The American Heart
Association recommends that children drink soda once a week or less; two-thirds
of them are drinking it on a daily basis at present. It recommends that children get no more than
100 calories a day from sugary beverages. But according to the CDC data,
roughly 20 percent of kids drink two sodas a day, and roughly 10 percent drink
three or more.
The
CDC numbers counter the perception that Americans are continuing to shirk
sugary drinks and embracing a healthier lifestyle out of a desire to avoid the
risks of obesity and diabetes. Sugary beverages have been linked directly to
obesity, diabetes and heart disease, which is why public health agencies have
gone to great lengths to discourage their consumption.
As skin experts, we at Herbally Radiant advise our customers to
reduce sugar intake. A diet high in sugar is a disaster for the face. ‘There is
no point in spending lots of money on expensive skin creams if you are eating a
diet high in sugar,’ says Dr Aamer Khan, a cosmetic dermatologist who is also
medical director of the Harley Street Skin Clinic. 'Yes, you can protect and moisturise
your skin from the outside with creams, but you need to feed and stimulate the
growth of good strong skin cells from inside too and sugar will sabotage that.’
According to Dr. Ross Perry, a cosmetic physician at Cosmedics
Clinic, London, the problem with sugar is that it makes the skin lose the
plump, elastic qualities that underlie a youthful appearance. ‘This is due to a
process called glycation. Essentially what happens is that sugar attaches
itself to any protein in the body and produces harmful molecules called
‘advanced glycation end products’. These
reduce the effectiveness of elastin and collagen, proteins in the skin that
help maintain its youthful appearance. ‘Normally collagen bulks out the skin
and gives it a younger plump look,’ says Dr Perry. ‘Elastin gives the skin
recoil so that when you smile or frown your skin goes back to how it was. If you persistently eat a high-sugar
diet, then as a result, the collagen and elastin will become more rigid, so it
will become easier for wrinkles to form and the skin will lose that youthful
plumpness. It also makes it harder for the cells in the skin to repair normal
damage.’
A high-sugar diet reduces the quality of the collagen in the skin
too. ‘There are different types of collagen, known as I, II and III, and for
healthy looking-skin you need the correct blend of all of these,’ says
dermatologist Dr Perry. ‘Sugar encourages type III collagen to become type I
which is more brittle. Consequently, the skin breaks down and looks thinner and
more wrinkly. It also becomes more prone to the damaging effects of the
environment and UV rays.’
Aging
signs and breakouts: Those suffering from frequent break outs, sugar causes
increased inflammation. “Most people don’t realize that skin directly
correlates to our digestive system,” says Joanna Vargas, celebrity facialist of
Joanna Vargas Salon and Skincare Collection. “If we eat something we can’t
digest or have trouble digesting, there are consequences.” However, not
everyone is affected the same way. “Some people claim their acne gets worse
when they have chocolate or sugar and others notice no change,” says Dr.
Elizabeth Tanzi, Co-director of the Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery, Washington,
D.C.
Long-term
effects of consuming sugar include premature aging and scarring. Sugar
attaches to proteins in the bloodstream, forming new molecules, called advanced
glycation end products (or AGEs), that damage both collagen and elastin,
contributing to sagging and wrinkles. AGEs also deactivate natural antioxidant
enzymes, leaving the skin more susceptible to sun damage
The
artificial sugars are even worse. They are pure chemicals and can cause a lot
of problems. Any type of impurities in the system will cause more breakouts.
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