Skin Glycation And Aging – More Than Sugar Intake
- Dec 13, 2024
- 8 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Ida is a certified aesthetician (graduate of Marvel School of Beauty), offering home-based services since 1994. Ida provides various holistic services; she graduated from Zanqara’s Holistica Skin Care’s Dermatician course in 1994, which required her to understand homeopathic remedies.
Linear wrinkles with small horizontal lines across them. Deep crevices in laugh lines and saggy jowls. Discoloured blotchy skin. The surface skin feels stiff and looks shiny. I have just described the appearance of glycated skin. Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) contribute to the development of glycated skin. An intricate link exists between our skin's appearance and overall body health. Collagen has many forms that are necessary for supporting different parts of the body. AGEs form when proteins, fats, and DNA react with various sugar types, accumulating complex AGE molecules in our skin and body over the years – these impacts natural cellular functions, making them difficult to break down, and results in wrinkly, saggy, discoloured skin. This article explains the concept of 'glycated skin' and delves into how the body forms and processes AGEs. While high-sugar diets contribute to AGEs, sugar consumption is not the only factor. I will reveal non-dietary influences that affect AGE production and discuss methods and ingredients to help manage the visible signs of skin glycation, supporting healthy-looking, mature skin and overall vitality.
How advanced glycation end products form in the body
The first pathway, the 'polyol pathway,' is a two-step process that converts glucose into fructose, one of the most reactive sugars, contributing to the formation of AGEs.
The second pathway, the 'Maillard Reaction,' binds sugars to proteins, which eventually leads to the formation of AGEs.
The deeper layers of your skin have enzymes that help protect against environmental stress and sun damage. Glycoxidation is a process that happens when free radicals overwhelm the body’s antioxidant defences. In this process, reactive sugar molecules attach to proteins or fats, which speeds up aging. Research shows that this oxidation affects many proteins and fats in the body, highlighting how closely daily nutrition is linked to overall health.
The influence of AGEs on skin aging
Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) are complex compounds of normal metabolism that the body processes slowly. Glycation becomes visible around age 30 and increases naturally with time. Approximately 10–30% of dietary AGEs consumed are absorbed in the small intestine. The body eliminates one-third of ingested AGEs through natural waste pathways. The AGEs that pass through the colon may alter our gut's normal flora balance.
AGEs can interfere with the natural functions of proteins, fats, and nucleic acids, depleting antioxidants and impairing natural enzymes. AGEs compromise collagen structural integrity as glycation progresses, leading to fragmented fibres, wrinkles, loss of elasticity, and dullness because crosslinked collagen cannot renew efficiently. (Scars also contain crosslinked fibres.) AGEs can impact the skin’s natural recovery and repair processes by slowing the transition of flexible Type III collagen into more stable Type I collagen.
Natural fibroblast activity reduces over time, leading to decreased hyaluronic acid (HA) and elastin, which results in a wrinkled, less elastic appearance. However, fibroblasts can naturally help manage this stress by breaking down AGEs, particularly in sun-exposed skin.
Natural strategies to reduce AGEs and improve skin and longevity
Healthy diet
Reduce your intake of sugar, fat, and refined carbohydrates to help maintain stable glucose levels. Include fibre-rich fruits, vegetables, and unprocessed whole grains in your diet. In general, meat, processed meat (especially from land animals), and aged cheese contain significantly higher levels of AGEs than fish, seafood, and plant-based foods. While carnosine, a dipeptide found in meats and vegetables, is known to support the body’s defenses against AGEs, the baseline AGE content in certain cooked meats can be quite high. Tannin-rich teas and yogurt have also shown beneficial properties that support anti-glycation pathways.
Honey is a natural syrup that contains slightly more fructose than glucose. Depending on its source, it may also contain small amounts of maltose, sucrose, and other sugars. There is ongoing debate about the use of raw honey. Some argue that raw honey does not contribute significantly to AGE formation because it contains nutrients and enzymes that may balance its potential impact. Others caution against its high sugar content, which can still contribute to forming AGEs when consumed in excess.
The suggested daily guideline for AGE intake is around 15,000 units, which can be challenging to manage due to time constraints and the widespread presence of AGEs in many foods, especially those that are highly processed.
Here are two articles and a database to check AGE's content in foods
Resources for checking AGE content in foods
Advanced Glycation End Products in Foods and a Practical Guide to Their Reduction in the Diet: Comprehensive analysis of advanced glycation end-products in commonly consumed foods
Nutritional and antioxidant support for healthy aging
Vitamins A and C are strong antioxidants that help protect skin cells from damage caused by the environment. When Vitamin C is used with Vitamin E, they work even better together to defend the skin. Vitamin D helps keep skin healthy and protects against damage from UV rays, while Zinc helps keep skin strong. Vitamin B1 (thiamine) and other B-vitamins help the body process nutrients. Plant-based antioxidants like Asiatic acid, quercetin, resveratrol, ferulic acid, and punicalagin also help neutralize free radicals, supporting the body’s natural repair processes and helping skin look bright and healthy.
Botanical support for longevity and skin health
Adding herbs and spices to your meals is a great way to get natural antioxidants. Rosmarinic acid from rosemary, curcumin from turmeric, and black pepper all help protect your health. Fenugreek seed extract, milk thistle, clove, and hazelnut bark also provide plant compounds that help the body stay balanced and protect against daily stress from oxidation.
Lifestyle recommended changes to avoid AGEs
Mindful Eating and Weight Management: Letting your digestive system rest through balanced eating, managing your weight, or trying intermittent fasting gives your body time to focus on natural repair and clean-up. Eating a steady, balanced diet also helps your body manage blood sugar and energy, which can slow down the signs of skin aging.
Those following a low-carbohydrate or ketogenic approach often experience fewer sugar-related glycation pathways due to lower sugar intake.
Optimal Hydration: Staying appropriately hydrated supports cellular function and assists the body’s natural metabolic processes. To enhance your daily hydration routine, ensuring adequate clean water intake throughout the day helps support natural detoxification systems and aids in breaking down sugars, which can help manage AGE buildup.
Preferred food preparation to manage AGEs
Poaching, steaming, stewing, boiling, or using a slow cooker, instant pot, or microwave helps lower the production of AGEs in meals. Before cooking, including acidic ingredients like lemon juice and vinegar in marinades helps slow the chemical reactions that form AGEs. Cooking food in smaller pieces also shortens exposure to heat.
Cooking Methods Associated with Higher AGEs: Grilling, roasting, air frying, barbecuing, and broiling accelerate the formation of AGEs in both food and the air. Frequently reheating leftovers or relying heavily on highly processed store-bought foods can also elevate AGE levels.
Proper Ventilation: Dry cooking methods with oil produce airborne particles that can continue to react. High-fat foods release more airborne byproducts during high-heat cooking than vegetables. To minimize exposure to cooking fumes, run your range hood on a high setting during cooking and for about 15 minutes afterward. If mechanical ventilation isn’t available, opening windows and doors helps circulate fresh air.
Skin cleansing
Sweating naturally releases water, sodium, proteins, urea, and ammonia. Because residual sweat can sometimes irritate the surface of the skin, regular cleansing is necessary to maintain a clear, comfortable, and healthy-looking complexion.
UVA Exposure and Skin Care: UVA exposure accelerates environmental skin aging and impacts collagen fibers. When combined, UV exposure and AGEs can compound visible skin changes. Glycated elastin responds more slowly to the body's natural renewal cycles, and UV rays can stimulate enzymes that affect the skin's surface architecture, leading to an increased appearance of dark spots. Broad-spectrum sun protection shields your skin from harmful rays, helping to preserve a youthful appearance and even skin tone.
Smoking Cessation: The processing of tobacco products and the high heat involved in smoking release highly reactive compounds. When inhaled, these interact with body proteins and can rapidly accelerate AGE formation.
Moderating Alcohol Consumption: Alcohol consumption can alter blood sugar balance, which may encourage the formation of AGEs. Lowering alcohol intake supports overall metabolic and skin health.
Avoiding Substance Misuse: Stimulants and substances of abuse can cause severe metabolic stress, significantly promoting AGE formation.
Restful Sleep: Consistent, high-quality sleep gives the body dedicated time to support natural tissue renewal, hormone balance, and healthy blood sugar regulation.
Regular Exercise Physical activity helps the body efficiently utilize blood sugar, stimulates healthy circulation, and promotes cellular maintenance, which aids in managing AGE accumulation.
Supporting Circulation: Holistic practices like professional wellness massages and reflexology stimulate surface blood flow and support lymphatic drainage, promoting a sense of relaxation and vitality.
Stress Management: Chronic stress can impact blood sugar levels and insulin responses via cortisol production. Incorporating stress-reduction techniques helps support the body's natural antioxidant defenses.
Professional facials and peels
Professional facials exfoliate dead skin cells and infuse the skin's surface with beneficial nutrients to enhance texture and support a youthful appearance. A professional peel provides a deeper exfoliation, helping to revitalize and refresh the skin's surface while supporting its natural renewal processes. Many treatments incorporate facial massage, which provides excellent relaxation and stress relief.
Skincare Routine using skincare products rich in soothing antioxidants helps defend the skin surface against environmental oxidative stress, a key factor associated with the appearance of skin glycation.
Systemic health considerations
Some compounds linked to glycation can be seen with special non-invasive tools. Scientists are actively studying how these markers relate to overall health and longevity. They are looking at how everyday cell processes affect long-term energy, tissue health, and well-being. Choosing a lifestyle that reduces oxidative stress is an important part of taking care of your health.
Conclusion
Modern, busy lifestyles often lead to a reliance on sugar-laden, high-heat processed convenience foods. These preparation methods, along with lifestyle factors like tobacco use, accelerate the accumulation of Advanced Glycation End-products (AGEs). Imagine adding a disruptive ingredient to a precise recipe, causing the final product to alter its structure; a similar process occurs over time with glycation. Understanding how to manage this process is an excellent way to support both skin vitality and overall well-being. Current scientific research continues to explore ways to support the body’s natural anti-glycation defenses. Consuming natural ingredients such as antioxidant-rich foods and vitamins, prioritizing rest, exercising regularly, using targeted skincare, utilizing wise cooking techniques, and maintaining a balanced lifestyle all support the reduction of AGE accumulation. These holistic approaches serve as excellent, supportive lifestyle strategies to optimize well-being alongside any professional healthcare guidance. Incorporating these habits into your routine can help minimize AGE formation, keeping your skin looking vibrant and your body feeling energized for longer.
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Ida Fanelli, Aesthetician, Reflexologist, IPL Technician
Ida is a certified aesthetician (graduate of Marvel School of Beauty), offering home-based services since 1994. Ida provides various holistic services; she graduated from Zanqara’s Holistica Skin Care’s Dermatician course in 1994, which required her to understand homeopathic remedies. Ida has been a certified reflexologist since 1993 (graduate of D’Arcy Lane Institute). She has also been practicing Healing Energy since 1998 and has added the Ion Cleanse Foot Detox to her therapies. In 2012, Ida became a certified Sharplight Laser (IPL) Technician. She enjoys learning new techniques which can benefit her clients. In 2019, she received certification from the Center for Pain and Stress Research (CPSR.) She can now speed up the healing of scars and help with pain caused by surgical scars to her list of specialties.
She enjoys continuing her education in the complementary health field. Many can testify that Ida is committed to ensuring her clients access adequate and affordable quality service and treatment.
Beyond her many years of experience as a holistic practitioner, Ida draws on her 12 years of experience as a hospital laboratory technologist in Microbiology and Biochemistry.
Important Consumer Notice Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and does not replace professional nutritional advice from a dietician. or nutritionist, medical diagnosis, therapy, or targeted treatment. If you suspect you have a chronic condition or need specialized treatment, please consult a licensed naturopath doctor ND or physician immediately to seek professional medical guidance.
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