Did you know that you can add years to your life just by making smarter food choices? It’s true.
When slowing the aging process is your goal, proper nutrition is of paramount importance.

While there are many factors that contribute to how we look and how gracefully we age, the foods that we eat can have the most noticeable effects – especially on our skin.

To keep you closer to the fountain of youth, here’s a list of ten things you should absolutely avoid if you want healthy skin and better health.

FOODS (AND NON-FOODS) TO AVOID FOR HEALTHY SKIN

Sugar:

Sugar damage (called glycation) accelerates skin aging. Sugar is fine in small quantities, but consuming too much of it causes the skin to age rapidly. Ever wondered why Asian women appear to age more slowly? Well, you might be interested to learn that they consume a lot less sugar than women of other nationalities.

Unhealthy fats:

There are different types of fats. Not all of them are bad but avoid saturated and trans fats. Saturated fats wreak havoc on the cardiovascular system. Studies also show that they cause premature skin wrinkles and aging. Trans-fatty acids are even worse and have similar effects – eat this stuff if you like acne.

Processed foods:

Processed foods (especially processed snack foods) are jam-packed with sugar, sodium, and additives. These things not only damage your health over time but also have a detrimental effect on the appearance of your skin. When you need to snack on something, reach for whole grains and fresh veggies and fruit.

Caffeine:

Eliminating coffee and caffeinated foods is a good idea if you want healthier skin. Caffeine is a diuretic that dries out your skin. It is also linked to acne. Though it hasn’t been proven that caffeine is a direct cause of acne, it does affect numerous pimple-causing lifestyle factors, and healthy skin, such as stress, sleep, and digestion.

Chocolate:

Though there has been much debate on the subject, it has never been proven that chocolate consumption leads to acne breakouts. Nevertheless, the ingredients in chocolate are loaded with calories and fats, so it may be best to remove them from your diet. If you must have some, dark chocolate is the better option.

White flour:

Foods that contain white flour, such as white bread, white pasta, and white rice, provide less nutrition (if any) than the whole grain varieties and are said to cause skin inflammation. If you plan on slowing down the aging process and diminishing the appearance of fine lines, consider ditching white flour.

Dairy:

All that cheese and yogurt you eat isn’t as healthy as you think. Cow’s milk is pro-inflammatory that causes acne. It clogs up pores and messes with your skin’s complexion (the result of excess sebum production). Most of us have intolerances to dairy-based foods and don’t even know it. The body and skin suffers.

Tobacco:

Apart from causing cancer, lung disease, heart disease, and other problems, cigarette smoking speeds up the skin’s normal aging process and gives you unsightly wrinkles. Nicotine narrows blood vessels and impedes the flow of blood, oxygen, and nutrients. The 4,000+ chemicals damage elastin and collagen.

Alcohol:

Drinking alcohol in moderation is ok, but it is well known that drinking too much puts you at risk for a variety of health problems, including heart and liver problems. Health risks aside, excess alcohol consumption can cause acne breakouts and spots, as it alters hormone levels.

YOUR TURN: Know of any other things that cause premature aging and contribute to unhealthy skin? What did we miss? Let us know in the comments below.