See Food That Make You Look Older

 

Spicy Foods

Some like it hot … and some can’t take the heat. Spicy food can make your blood vessels swell and even break, causing  purple marks on your face. If you have rosacea -- common in women after menopause -- the heat from spice might trigger a flare-up.also raises your body temperature, so you sweat to cool back down. When sweat mixes with the bacteria on your skin, it can lead to breakouts and blotches.

Margarine

Your skin is the largest organ in your body, and anything you eat can affect it. Most margarines, especially the solid kind, are high in trans fats. They raise your “bad” cholesterol, lower your “good” kind, and create inflammation throughout your body. Inflammation can  cause heart disease and stroke, two conditions that can give you an aged appearance.

Sodas and Energy Drinks

The higher intake of  sodas and energy drinks  speeds up the cells in your tissues age. In addition to the fizz, they have more calories and added sugar -- 7 to 10 teaspoons in 12 ounces -- than any other beverage. Associated with the bacteria in your mouth, that sugar also forms acid that wears down your tooth enamel and causes decay. Other effects include weight gain and a higher risk of stroke and dementia.

Frozen Dinners

One frozen dinner can load in half the sodium of a healthy daily diet. When you have too much salt, it can  cause you to drink more than normal and flood your kidneys. Any extra water will move to places in your body that have less salt,  such as your face and hands. That’s what makes you look puffy.

Alcohol

Those margaritas may not look as good on your skin as they did in the glass. If you’ve ever had cotton mouth in the morning after a night of drinks, you know how alcohol dehydrates you. This makes a big impact on your skin, which is 63% water. Even if you drink a big glass of water, it might hydrate all your other organs before your skin. When you don’t get enough, your skin looks and appears dry, and can’t fight against wrinkles.

Processed Meats

Put down the pepperoni: Processed meats, such as bacon, sausage, ham, and deli cuts, are smoked, cured, or salted so they’ll last longer without going bad. It’s what makes them both delicious and dangerous. The sodium and chemical preservatives can cause inflammation that can lead to your body wear down inside and out. A little inflammation useful: It helps your cells heal. But too much can cause heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

Fried Foods

What makes the difference between dough and a doughnut is a nice long bath in boiling oil. That bath allows free radicals, or unstable molecules that damage other molecules in your cells and add years to your skin. You can also find free radicals in other fried foods including french fries, hush puppies, and mozzarella sticks.

Baked Goods

Just because they’re not fried doesn’t mean they are good on you. Baked goods such as cookies and cakes are high in artery-clogging fat that put on the pounds. They also don’t skimp on sugar, which can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, and tooth decay (among other things). Inflammation is another reason to skip that sundae. The more inflammation you have, the higher your risks of arthritis, depression, Alzheimer’s, and some cancers.

Charred Meats

 Frying or grilling meat at high temperature creates advanced glycation end products, or AGEs. Low levels of AGEs are fine (your own body produces them), but high amounts from charred meats can cause inflammation that “inflammages” your body and triggers heart disease and diabetes.

High-Fructose Corn Syrup

Table sugar’s chemical cousin, high-fructose corn syrup, are  used to sweeten sodas and fruit drinks. Among many other health drawbacks, it interferes with your body’s ability to use copper, which allows you form the collagen and elastin that maintains your skin healthy. It’s also full of calories and exposes you at risk for diabetes and heart disease.

Caffeine

Caffeine is a diuretic: It stimulates your brain and your desire to urinate. This can cause dehydration. When you don’t have enough water, your skin stops releasing toxins. The backup makes you more oxpose to dry skin, psoriasis, and wrinkles.

Agave

Though it’s better for your body than artificial sweeteners, agave is 90% fructose, a type of sugar which can be broken down only in your liver. When your liver is overworked, it turns fructose to fat and forms more free radicals, the compounds that cause damage to your cells.