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Soups

Foods that age you

You can’t stop time. But you can avoid common skin problems by eating right.

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Multicolored Fruit Cereal isolated on white with a clipping mask.

Sugar

“Sugar definitely is the biggest culprit in speeding up the process of premature aging,” says Dr. Whitney Bowe, a dermatologist at Advanced Dermatology in New York City. “It makes us look more haggard and wrinkled.”

When people eat too much sugar, or carbs that quickly break down to sugar, the excess floods the body. Some of it hangs out in the blood, spiking a person’s glucose levels, but it also binds to proteins in a process known as glycation. Sugar loves linking to collagen and elastin, two proteins that give skin its firm, supple look.

“[Collagen and elastin] become stiff and rigid and you cannot repair them,” says Farris, co-author of “The Sugar Detox: Lose the Sugar, Lose the Weight—Look and Feel Great.”

Foods such as snack cakes, muffins, breakfast cereal and even spaghetti sauce can contain loads of sugar. Check the labels.

Danny Smythe
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Alcohol

“With alcohol it is a quantity and quality thing,” says Bowe. “Red wine is better than beer or hard liquor because red wine has resveratrol.”

Resveratrol promotes healthy aging and traps free radicals that damage skin, protecting it. But, it’s only found in red wine (and cocoa).

The downside?

“A lot of alcoholic beverages are high in sugar,” says Bowe.

Also, it can temporarily make skin look sallow and cause wrinkles to appear more prominent. Because alcohol works at a diuretic, meaning it causes excessive urination, people end up dehydrated and looking their worst.

People who overindulge might notice yellow skin, broken blood vessels, flushing, and spider anginomas.

Igor Dutina
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Salt

“Salt doesn’t exacerbate aging,” says Farris.

But, it does make faces look puffier and darkens under eye bags.

A high salt diet—including foods such as condensed soup, chips, frozen potatoes, and pasta sauces—means people carry extra water weight, adding a layer of fluid over muscles. This makes it tough to show off cut biceps and six-packs, says Bowe.

More importantly, sodium raise blood pressure and can leech calcium from bones, says Leslie Bonci, director of sports nutrition at UPMC Center for Sports Medicine in Pittsburgh.

“People don’t have to go sodium free,” she says. “Make sure you are getting enough potassium to balance it out.”

Bananas, yogurt, white potatoes, and dried fruit are packed with potassium with can counteract the negative effects of sodium by lowering blood pressure.

Cup of chocolate pudding; Shutterstock ID 29763739; PO: TODAY.com

Artificial sweeteners

While studies of artificial sweeteners are ongoing, Bowe says a recent study found that they change gut flora, the microbes in the stomach that help digestion. These changes make people more likely to have insulin resistance and pre-diabetes.

“If I think of a disease that accelerates premature aging, it’s diabetes,” Bowe says.

Artificial sweeteners, include aspartame, sucralose and saccharine. They can be found in pudding, baked goods, candy, chewing gum, fruit juice, ice cream and yogurt.

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Hamburger

Saturated fats

Eating too many saturated fats, found in fatty meats, dairy, and coconut oil (gasp!) accelerates aging by hardening arteries, says Bonci.

“Saturated fats have other negative implications, not just heart health,” she says.

They also contribute to age-related macular degeneration.

Bowe says that the hormones found in meat and dairy also might play a role in premature aging.

“There is a growing field that the right hormones and hormonal balance are critical to staying young,” she says. “It’s a little controversial.”

Toh Kheng Guan
The action of pouring cola from a can to a glass.

Soda

When it comes to soda, the sugar or artificial sweeteners are bad enough. But some evidence exists that phosphoric acid, found in anything with cola in it, can contribute to aging.

“Phosphoric acid might ... might be detrimental to bone health,” says Bonci.

Some studies have found that when people consume soda with phosphoric acid, they have lower bone density; people with lower bone density are at great risk of developing osteoporosis. And, a recent study found that soda makes it harder for cells to regenerate, aging us by years.

Open face ham sandwich on whole grain bread with lettuce and cherry tomatoes makes a healthy lunch

Nitrates

Nitrates used to cure meats like bacon or ham or in hotdogs or lunchmeats are known carcinogens.

But naturally occurring nitrates, found in leafy greens, for example, will help fight premature aging.

“[They] may have a very positive effect. They may lower blood pressure and help with the functioning of the blood vessels,” says Bonci.

Generally, eating more fruits, vegetables, and omega-3 fats will make people look younger.

“Certain essential fats are needed for [healthy] skin,” says Bowe.

Bonci agrees that healthy aging is as much about including good foods as it is avoiding bad ones.

“If someone is truly eating a diet that is lacking in basic recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables, [they] are not getting enough antioxidants,” she says. “If you are really going to be mindful about taking things away … what are you going to add more of?”

lasagna

Gluten

While there is little research on the effects of gluten on aging, there is some evidence that the protein found in wheat, barely or rye can trigger inflammation, says Bowe.

“I used to be very skeptical,” she says, noting the recent research that links gluten to chronic levels of inflammation.

Inflammation causes skin aliments, such as acne, rosacea, and eczema. And, research shows that inflammation contributes to many of the major aging processes, including frail bones and cognitive decline.

While gluten, found in bread, pasta, and cereal, might contribute to inflammation Bowe says she doesn’t recommend people eliminate it entirely. Just eat it in moderate amounts.

Marie Piraino
A t- bone steak flame broiled on a barbecue, shallow depth of field.

Charred meats

While grilled foods make delightful summertime treats, charred meats contain a hidden danger. Cooking meats at a high heat and on an open flame can lead to the development of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic amines. Both are carcinogens.

But, Bonci says there’s no need to give up on grilling.
“The advice is to not char the meats, or to scrape off the charred parts,” she says.

Photographer:s Mcsweeny
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