Think your diet doesn’t affect your skin? Think again. (Especially if you have a sweet tooth.)

You’re all too aware that if you indulge too often in those cakes, pies, and other sweets, you can expect some extra pounds to show up on the scale.

Turns out you may also expect a few more wrinkles to show up on your skin.

Seriously?

It’s true! Researchers have found over the years that excess sugar in the bloodstream can encourage a process called “glycation,” which in turn, ages the skin.

We have the scoop on glycation, and what you can do to keep your skin looking young without always having to deprive yourself.

what is glycation?

Usually, when you eat food, the body breaks down carbohydrates into sugars like glucose and fructose. It then uses these sugars to fuel everything you do. Sometimes, however—particularly as we age, and when we consume too many sugary or high-glycemic foods—these sugars react with proteins and fats in an abnormal way, producing harmful molecules called “advanced glycation endproducts (conveniently acronymned: AGEs).” This process is called “glycation.”

The more AGEs we have in our bodies, the more we age. Scientists have discovered this through study of diabetics. The key here is blood sugar—the higher the level of glucose in the blood, the more AGEs. Diabetics have the most difficult time of anyone controlling their blood sugar. Scientists have found that as a result, they tend to age faster than those without high blood sugar.

A 2001 study, for example, noted that AGEs cause “the complications of diabetes and aging,” with the AGEs particularly affecting things like collagen (which gives skin its firmness) and elastin (which helps skin bounce back after being stretched).

A 2003 study also noted that AGEs formed “crosslinks” between proteins, changing their structure and function so much that they caused things like retinopathy, nerve pain, atherosclerosis, and more.