How Free Radicals are Impacting your Beauty

How to Maintain Collagen with Antioxidants

Free radicals are the main culprit of cellular damage, which is no Bueno, because aging is accelerated due to the accumulation of cellular damage. 

You want to avoid free radicals. Imagine the accumulation of free radicals as forming theTasmanian devil, they become rampant, spiraling out of control, damaging cells and depleting collagen. By depleting collagen, free radicals negatively impact your beauty because collagen is the protein in our body responsible for maintaining youthful, tight and smooth skin. By damaging your cells, free radicals accelerate the appearance of aging by increasing the risk of wrinkled and sagging skin.

High amounts of both free radicals and reactive oxygen species in the cells overwhelm the body’s ability to regulate them causing oxidative stress. Free radical causing oxidative stress is detrimental to cellular health and beauty because it shortens our telomeres (biomarkers to predict how long we will live based on lifestyle factors) and it can accelerate the process of aging. 

These beauty-threatening reactive oxygen species stimulate collagen degradation. In order to protect yourself from the consequences of reactive oxygen species, you must begin using preventative and protective measures to eliminate free radicals.  

If you want to preserve the elasticity and the youthful appearance of your skin and promote cellular health and longevity, then your goal is to reduce free radical causing foods and prioritize antioxidant rich foods.

REDUCE DAMAGING FREE RADICAL CAUSING FOOD

Free Radical Promoting Foods:

• High Glycemic Index Foods
• Foods High in Sugar
• Alcohol
• Deep-Fried Foods
• Processed Meats 

High Glycemic Index Foods

Foods that are high in free radicals include high glycemic foods, also characterized as foods high in refined carbohydrates and sugar. These foods are broken down quickly causing a rapid increase in blood glucose. 

High glycemic index foods include sugar filled foods, white bread, bagels, croissants, doughnuts, cakes, crackers, rice cakes and the majority of packaged breakfast cereals. 

Foods High In Sugar

Excessive sugar consumption, especially from easy digesting high-glucose carbohydrates increases free radicals and oxidative stress. Diets high in sugar may cause premature skin aging by increasing the breakdown of collagen through the process of glycation.

When you consume sugar, sugar covalently binds an electron from a donor molecule, which forms advanced glycation end products (AGEs). When the sugar binds with collagen and forms AGEs, this binding makes collagen brittle, causing the collagen to break down. When collagen breaks down, it increases wrinkles by decreasing the elasticity of skin. Over time, the more sugar is consumed the increased accumulation of AGEs in human tissues continues to accelerate skin aging.

It can be challenging to cut out sugar completely from your diet, yet moderate sugar that is naturally found in food won’t negatively influence the appearance of your skin drastically. For example, fruits are high in natural sugars, yet, certain fruits do provide additional nutrients in your diet. Certain fruits including citrus and tropical fruits are high in vitamin C which is beneficial for your skin because it boosts the production of collagen. Additionally, fruits such as apples and pears are very high in antioxidants which reduces the impact free radicals have on your cells.

This is why foods that naturally contain sugar won’t be overly harmful to your skin. What will accelerate the appearance of aging skin is excessive sugar consumption. The bottom line is to avoid high glycemic foods, simple carbohydrates and foods with added sugar.

Alcohol

Alcohol does produce free radicals even though red wine has a high content of polyphenols, which are potent antioxidants. Many studies have confirmed that when our body metabolizes alcohol, reactive oxygen species are generated.

Deep-Fried Foods

When fats and oils are subjected to high temperatures, including cooking olive oil at high temperatures, toxins are produced. The fats and oils can become oxidized which produces free radicals. During the processing of convenient or snack foods, including the storage, cooking and frying, poly-unsaturated fatty acids are susceptible to oxidation by free radicals. 

Processed Meats

Processed meats are typically suspected of being high in free radicals because of the preservatives used, and because meat contains fats which can become oxidized if cooked at high temperatures. Processed meats range from deli meats, salami, sausages, bacon, hotdogs, ham and pepperoni.

PRIORITIZE PROTECTIVE ANTIOXIDANT RICH FOOD

Antioxidants reduce the damaging effects of free radicals. By removing, delaying or inhibiting free radicals damage to your cells, you can slow down aging.

Antioxidants provide protection from free radicals and oxidative stress by neutralizing free radicals which diminishes their ability to damage your cells. Strategies to combat free radicals include consistent resistance exercise, reducing stress and taking care of your body through a nutrient and antioxidant-rich diet.

Antioxidant Rich Food:

• Green Tea 
• Dark Chocolate 
• Berries (Blueberries, Strawberries, Raspberries, Goji Berries) 
• Leafy Greens (Spinach, Kale)
• Red Cabbage
• Beets
• Turmeric
• Fruits (Pears, Apples)

Consuming a diet high in antioxidants will inhibit or delay the damaging effects of free radicals, and ingesting antioxidants from dietary sources can slow aging and prevent disease. Such dietary sources include green tea and fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins A, C and E. Turmeric, a traditional Indian spice is a potent antioxidant. The main component of turmeric, curcumin, combats oxidative stress and researchers have regarded it as effective to slow down aging. Additionally, carotenoids, tocopherols and flavonoids are strong antioxidants which applied topically or ingested as oral supplements promote anti-aging effects for the skin. 

In addition to slowing down aging, the potent antioxidants flavonoids can reduce age-related cognitive impairment. 

One study at Tufts University, conducted by scientists of the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging found a significant difference among middle-aged individuals who consumed higher antioxidant rich foods and the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease. These scientists measured the effect of consuming flavonoid-rich foods (flavonoids are powerful antioxidants) over the long-term, including green tea, berries and apples and found that individuals who consumed more of these foods reduced their risk by two to four times of developing Alzheimer’s. 

Consuming these foods can significantly benefit your health, and it hardly takes much. They found that individuals who consumed a high intake of these flavonoid rich foods only had about 7.5 cups of berries (blueberries or strawberries) per month, 8 apples and pears per month, and 19 cups of green tea per month. Aiming to drink 1 cup of green tea per day can significantly protect your cognitive function and maintain your youthful skin.

Not only do antioxidant rich foods make you look your best, they will help you to cognitively perform your best and remain youthful overall.