6 Foods That Can Make You Look Older Than Your Age

Ageing is a natural process, though some lifestyle and dietary choices can speed up the process. While an excellent balanced diet rich in nutrient-dense foods keeps you with young, elastic skin and overall health, there are foods to avoid consuming regularly if you do not want to look older than you are. Here are 6 common foods that could make you look older than your years.
Ageing is a natural process, though some lifestyle and dietary choices can speed up the process. While an excellent balanced diet rich in nutrient-dense foods keeps you with young, elastic skin and overall health, there are foods to avoid consuming regularly if you do not want to look older than you are. Here are 6 common foods that could make you look older than your years.

Coffee is the biggest source of caffeine, a substance that occurs naturally in coffee beans, and added sugar is often in on-the-go or homemade coffees.23 However, the two coffee ingredients can have a negative aging impact on your skin in relation to dehydration.

Dry skin is one indicator of aging skin, and dehydration can contribute to dry skin. To reduce further dehydration, one recommendation is to avoid caffeine and sugar.14 Researchers also found that caffeine can decrease the creation of collagen, a protein that keeps skin firm and healthy, in human skin cells.5 However, more research is needed in relation to this link.

Drinking plain coffee can help you and your skin stay hydrated.6 Also, research has shown that drinking coffee can have several health benefits. One benefit includes a possible link between coffee or caffeine and a reduced risk of non-melanoma skin cancers.7

2. Sweets and Sugary Drinks

Other than being dehydrating, sugar plays another role in aging skin. Sugar overload from high-sugar foods and drinks—like desserts, energy drinks, or soda—may kick-start a process called glycation.8

When you consume more sugar than your cells can process, the excess sugar molecules combine with proteins. This combination produces advanced glycation end products (AGEs). AGEs may damage your skin's collagen.8

You don't have to eliminate sugars from your diet. You can reduce your sugar intake by:9

• Drinking more water instead of energy drinks, sodas, or other high-sugar drinks
• Limiting candy and desserts
  
  

3. Alcohol

Drinking alcohol may result in aging, especially of the face. One study found that higher alcohol consumption was associated with more severe facial aging signs like wrinkles.10

Alcohol limit recommendations are two drinks daily for males and one drink for females.11 An option to help limit your alcohol intake is to try non-alcoholic drinks. Zero-alcohol beer and wine options are available, and you can use water-based substitutes in mixed drinks.1

4. Salty or Spicy Foods

Diets with high salt content and spicy foods can negatively affect your skin health regarding aging.13

To lower your spicy food intake, order your food mild when possible. Also, the recommended daily limit for sodium intake is 2,300mg. To stay under that limit, you can:14

Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Eat less sodium: quick tips.

• Choose unsalted nuts instead of chips
• Opt for fresh, frozen, or canned veggies without sauces and with lower sodium
• Use fresh or frozen lean meats or seafood
  

5. Fried Foods

Oh CC, Jin A, Yuan JM, Koh WP. Coffee, tea, caffeine, and risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer in a Chinese population: The Singapore Chinese Health Study. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2019;81(2):395-402. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2019.01.084