Besides a head full of grey hair, the appearance of your skin is the key factor in determining your age. While expensive cosmetic procedures can certainly help to reverse signs of skin aging, the foods you eat can be just as impactful when it comes to anti-aging regimens.

Nourish your skin by cutting back on or eliminating these foods from your diet — you’ll notice a more youthful, glowing complexion in a matter of weeks!

1. Sugar

While there have been countless studies that go back and forth on whether or not sugar can cause breakouts, the case remains that sugar is simply harmful to your body as a whole. Sugar causes inflammation, which is a major inhibitor to having clear, beautiful skin. To make matters worse, sugar also damages collagen and elastin, which keeps the skin looking soft and supple.

2. High Glycemic Index Carbs

Foods such as bagels, oatmeal, pretzels, pasta, and cereal, have been proven to accelerate the skin’s aging process and wreak havoc on the skin, causing acne and rosacea. I, myself, used to suffer from cystic breakouts, so sticking to a gluten-free diet has been key to keeping my skin clear. Even cereals with whole grains, which are lower in glycemic index, can be stocked full of wrinkle-inducing glucose.

3. Agave

Agave is often mistaken as a healthier alternative to sugar. People put it in their tea, mix it in their oatmeal and even drizzle it over pancakes. However this sweet syrup is packed with fructose. Once the liver meets fructose, it not only turns it into fat, but also breaks down collagen, making fine lines more noticeable.

4. Margarine

Not all fats are created equal, and margarine more often than not seems to be giving healthy fats a bad rep. The culprit here is trans fat, which destroys hydration. The less your skin is hydrated, the faster the wrinkles appear. Avoid margarine not only for the health of your skin, but for your overall well-being, too. Trans fats raise cholesterol and increase your risk for heart disease.

5. Alcohol

The occasional glass (or two) of wine is no harm to you or your complexion, but drinking excess amounts of alcohol, especially sugary cocktails, causes free radicals that destroy skin cells. Alcohol also robs the body of vitamin A, an antioxidant that’s essential for cell renewal and turnover.

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Note: PLEASE consult with  your doctor before making any changes to your diet or medications. The material on this site is provided for educational purposes only, and is not to be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.