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Perhaps more than any other factor outside of genetics, your diet plays a major role in how you skin looks, feels, and ages. A healthy diet filled with veggies, fruits, and protein can keep your skin glowing and even help maintain its firmness. But there are other foods that can actually speed up the aging process — not exactly something anyone wants.
This is the one food you should stop eating right now because it causes sagging skin over 30.
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Doughnuts
To be fair, the problem food for skin isn’t just doughnuts, but any super sugary food that is high in simple carbohydrates and lacks vitamins and minerals. Doughnuts just happen to be a perfect example of a carb that spikes blood sugar levels and can contribute to a faster breakdown in collagen and elastin, both of which are needed to maintain a firm complexion (and both of which decline after age 30).
The culprit is sugar. According to one study: “The effect of sugars on aging skin is governed by the simple act of covalently cross-linking two collagen fibers, which renders both of them incapable of easy repair.” In other words: consuming a lot of sugar makes it more difficult for your body to produce collagen — which is needed to give skin that firm glow you want.
Sugar is so bad for skin that The Cut actually introduced the world to the term “sugar face,” because your skin can take on a different appearance after years of a sugar-laden diet.
For many decades, people were sold a false bill of goods when it comes to sugar, fat, and nutrition. Led to believe that fat was the cause of major health issues, many turned to so-called healthier diet alternatives like fat-free brownies, cookies, etc. The problem with these foods is many still contain an abundance of sugar — and sugar is more dangerous to your health, and pretty terrible for your skin.
It may sound boring, but the best foods and snacks for your skin are those that come from nature. If you want smoother, firmer skin, skip doughnuts and sugary snacks and opt for fruit, veggies with hummus, Greek yogurt, and quality carbs like brown rice and quinoa.