How glycation causes cellulite (and skin aging)

Glycation, skin ageing and cellulite

• What is glycation and how does it lead to skin aging and cellulite?

• What causes glycation in the skin?

• Examples of glycation causing, and thereby cellulite-causing, foods

• Why glycation is so important for cellulite?

• How can I reduce glycation?

• Anti-glycation foods and nutrients

• Have a skin tightening/cellulite treatment in London with the experts

• Discover our professional training and consultancy in cellulite, skin tightening, radiofrequency and ultrasound cavitation

What is glycation and how does it lead to skin ageing and cellulite?

Glycation is the attachment of sugars to proteins and lipids, leading to what are called ‘Advanced Glycation End-products’ (AGE in short).

The consequent damage of proteins/lipids, especially collagen and elastin, leads to:

• Inflammation

• Free radical formation / Oxidative damage

• Fibrosis

…all of which accelerate aging, independently or in combination.

In particular, glycation of collagen and elastin in skin, blood vessels and other tissues, leads to skin ageing and microcirculation impairment.

Most people are totally unaware of glycation and its significant role in overall body ageing - and skin ageing in particular.

And even less people are aware that glycation is a major aspect of cellulite, caused by its involvement in skin and blood vessel degradation and fibrosis (skin laxity, fibrosis and poor circulation are important aspects of cellulite).

What causes glycation in the skin??

Advanced Glycation End-products / AGEs are:

• Either caused by certain types of cooking

• Or are created in the body due to an abundance of sugars/carbohydrates in the diet

Diabetics who have high blood sugar levels suffer disproportionately from the effects of glycation. People with insulin resistance (most people in the western world these days, after a certain age) and pre-diabetics also have high glycation levels, measured by glycated haemoglobin tests (glycosylated hemoglobin, HbA1c or A1c).

The type of cooking that leads to the appearance of Advanced Glycation End-products / AGE is high temperature cooking:

• Frying

• Charring

• Broiling

• Toasting until black

• Roasting until black

• Smoking of food

• Smoking of alcohol (e.g. whiskey)

In general, consuming a lot of sugar or starches can lead to high glycation levels in the body.

Cigarette smoking is another major cause of glycation, but luckily is on the decrease in most countries today.

Examples of glycation causing, and thereby cellulite-causing, foods

The following are typical examples of a high-carb and a high-protein food that can raise AGEs in the body:

• Donuts, a mix of starch, sugar, protein and fat, all deep fried at high temperature and subsequently oxidised/glycated/denatured, is a good example of the type of foods to avoid, to prevent glycation.

• Chicken or meat, basted with a sweet marinade and grilled until mostly black on the outside, is another extreme example. Smoking that food in a closed BBQ grill or purposefully smoking it for hours, will further add to the glycation burden.

Find out more How unhealthy foods cause skin ageing via glycation.

Why glycation is so important for cellulite?

As mentioned above, glycation causes oxidative damage, inflammation and fibrosis, all important aspects of cellulite.

Glycation undermines collagen and elastin integrity in skin and blood vessels, causing fibrosis in some areas and skin looseness in others, as well as poor circulation and water retention.

As sugar consumption is on the increase in the last few decades, it is no wonder that cellulite is also on the increase.

How can I reduce glycation?

As always, prevention is better than cure, so start by:

• Reducing the consumption of sugars (sugar, HFCS, honey, jam, agave syrup, maple syrup, brown sugar etc) and simple carbs (white rice, “foamy” brown or white bread, granola, corn flakes etc)

• Not destroying food by charring / frying / smoking / burning it

There is an additional reason not to cook by burning food. Charring, frying and smoking of food also leads to the creation of:

• Carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)

• Carcinogenic heterocyclic amines (HCAs)

• And equally detrimental to health ALEs (advanced lipoxidation end-products)

As all the above practices are widely used in restaurants (frying, charring, burning, broiling, toasting and smoking, in addition to using cheap oils, lots of butter/margarine, lots of sugar and lots of salt), eating out often increases your glycation / skin aging / cellulite / cancer / cardiovascular disease burden.

Trying to replicate restaurant-like food at home by copying famous chefs frying and burning and frying and charring and smoking and frying again food in different ways, will have the same effect.

Most restaurant food is a liability for health. Do yourself a favour and at least cook cleanly at home.

Anti-glycation foods and nutrients

In terms of both prevention and reduction, start consuming foods and supplements known to prevent / reduce glycation:

• The dipeptide carnosine is the most well-known anti-glycation agent. Acetyl-L-carnosine is even more effective, but also more expensive and difficult to source. Carnosine is contained in meat, but probably not in large enough amounts to negate the effect of high-temperature cooking.

• Benfotiamine (a type of vitamin B1) and pyridoxal-5-phosphate (a type of vitamin B6) are also known to help fight glycation

• Polyphenols, found in vegetables, herbs, berry and other fruits, green coffee, cocoa, green tea and gotu kola, among others, also help fight glycation. Examples include EGCG, luteolin, hesperidin, quercetin and resveratrol, among dozens of food anti-glycation polyphenols.

Several of these nutrients can are be included in a tiny number of high quality anti-ageing / anti-cellulite creams.

Cranberry juice, for example, is a polyphenol-rich drink which has been shown to reverse glycation (we are talking of the unsweetened version, of course, not the sugary junk drink, which would probably increase glycation - or not work).

Have a skin tightening/cellulite treatment in London with the experts

At LipoTherapeia we have specialised 100% in skin tightening and cellulite reduction for more than two decades and 20,000+ sessions.

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We will be pleased to see you, assess your cellulite, skin laxity or fibrosis, listen to your story, discuss your case and offer you the best possible treatment.

Learn more or check prices and book an expert treatment at our London clinic (49 Marylebone High Street, W1)

Discover our professional training and consultancy in cellulite, skin tightening, radiofrequency and ultrasound cavitation

Do you want to deeply understand radiofrequency, ultrasound cavitation, cellulite and skin tightening? Attend a half-day, 1-day or 2-day or 3-day professional consultancy / one-to-one masterclass and confidently offer your clients the safest, strongest and most effective treatment possible. Service available via Zoom or at our central London practice.