Health and Lifestyle

6 of the Worst Foods for Your Skin

Dr. Veena Madhankumar

Sep 18, 2020 — 3 min read

Does your skin look dull and lusterless even after trying different lotions, scrubs, and masks? Is your cabinet full of medicines, yet pimples do not seem to go? If yes, it is high time to change your diet. Our skin tells us precisely the kind of lifestyle we lead, healthy or unhealthy. Here is a list of worst-ever foods that you might want to avoid to get that clear, bright, and tight skin you long for.

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1) Sugar

Everyone loves eating cupcakes and ice cream, but the high amount of sugar is harmful to your skin. Consuming too much sugar can break down collagen and elastin, making the skin sag, dull, and results in wrinkles. Instead of sugar, you can use honey, since it is high on antioxidants, which is excellent for your skin.

2) Caffeine

What better way to start your day than a cup of nice hot coffee! It might give you the much-needed kick to start your day, but it has a dehydrating effect on your skin. Dehydration results in more wrinkles and skin thinning. Caffeine is also known to stimulate cortisol production, also known as “stress hormone,” and accelerates aging. Avoid caffeine not only by cutting back on the cups of coffee you drink but tea and soft drinks too.

3) Alcohol

Do you feel extremely thirsty a day after drinking alcohol? This is because of the dehydration effect of alcohol. Like caffeine, alcohol dehydrates your skin, which makes the wrinkles and lines on your face more prominent. People who consume excess alcohol usually have large pores.

4) Salt

Salt is the main ingredient in anything we cook, as, without it, food cooked in spices will still feel tasteless. It is absolutely fine to add the required amount of salt to your food, but the excess salt in pickles, cured meat, and packaged soups are terrible for your skin. Salt results in fluid retention in the body, resulting in dimpled skin or puffy eyes.

5) Deep-Fried Foods

Fried and fast foods, such as burgers, pizzas, and fries, are loaded with trans and saturated fats, salt, sugars, and everything else that is bad for your health and skin. Deep-fried foods can lead to excess oil production in the skin and make you prone to acne and pimples. Hydrogenated trans fats in deep-fried food also affect the complexion.

6) High Glycemic Index Foods

The glycemic index (GI) is a system used to rate foods containing carbohydrates based on how quickly such food alters the blood sugar levels when eaten. High GI foods, such as sugary drinks, sweets, white bread, white rice, and potatoes, can make acne worse in people with acne problems. This is because these foods increase blood glucose levels, which increases the sebum or oil production in the skin. Excess oil results in the accumulation of bacteria on the skin too.

Cut back on these foods for at least 20 days and see the difference yourself!

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