Does sugar cause cellulite?

Sugar and cellulite

We are excited to share our experience in cellulite and skin tightening, from our clinic in London with everyone in the world. Check all our articles here. And if you do live in London,3 book an assessment, consultation or treatment with us here.

• Sugar, cellulite and loose skin: all you need to know

• Foods that cause cellulite: sugar is number one

• Sugar addiction

• Sucrose, glucose, fructose, triglycerides and insulin

• Once in the lips forever in the… inflamed-swollen-hypodermal-adipose-tissue-people-tend-to-call-cellulite

• Sugar, inflammation, glycation, skin ageing, skin laxity and cellulite

• How about artificial sweeteners?

• Agave syrup and honey are fine though, right?

• Moral of the story: for health and for beauty, lose the sugar in all its guises

• Check our professional consultancy for a masterclass in radiofrequency, ultrasound cavitation, cellulite and skin tightening

Sugar, cellulite and loose skin: all you need to know

The most common question we are asked at the clinic is “What is the number one cause of cellulite”. And our unhesitating, one-word answer to tis questions is: sugar.

Sugar causes cellulite in a multitude of ways, which we will present on this article below, and it is the most important of the six main causes of cellulite.

The other five main causes of cellulite are:

• Hormonal contraception

• Inactivity (irrespective of calorie balance)

• Smoking/vaping

• Drinking

• Overall calorie imbalance

Foods that cause cellulite: sugar is number one

What foods cause cellulite? Does sugar give you cellulite?

These are two of the most common questions we hear at the clinic and the answer couldn’t be clearer.

Consumption of sugar, found in sweet foods such as pastry, desserts, cakes, chocolate, muffins, cocktails, juice drinks, jam, honey, fizzy drinks etc, is one of the worst things you can do to your eyes, teeth, blood vessels, pancreas, skin health, skin appearance and, for the purposes of this article, cellulite on your thighs and bum.

Indeed, sugar is the number one cause of cellulite today and the increase of the appearance of cellulite in women in the mid-twentieth century has coincided with the increase in the consumption of various types of sugars, including sucrose (plain sugar), fructose, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) etc.

It is said that "sugar is the new smoking" - and for good reason.

Sugar addiction

Sugar is highly addictive, as it quickly raises your glucose levels making you feel "hyper".

This sudden increase in blood glucose levels inadvertently eventually leads to an insulin spike and then to low blood glucose levels, leaving you feeling "low".

These highs and lows leave you drained, needy and addicted and perpetuates your consumption of sugar. In fact some scientists have compared the addictive nature of sugar to that of hard drugs or nicotine.

Sucrose, glucose, fructose, triglycerides, insulin and your cellulite

So, via the insulin spikes, sugar doesn't just provide the body with excessive calories but also with the means of depositing itself (plus all the fat contained in the cake / chocolate / croissant that comes with the sugar) straight into your fat cells, where sugar is also converted into fat.

Sugar is one part glucose (causing the glucose spikes and insulin spikes) and one part fructose, which is converted directly into fat (triglycerides) by the liver, before even hitting your circulation.

So sugar floods your bloodstream with both fat and glucose and facilitates its own absorption by your fat cells to create “flab” and cellulite. What’s not to like, right?

Furthermore, fructose causes insulin resistance, meaning that your body needs higher ever amounts of glucose in order to make use of glucose in fat, muscles and other tissues. This leads to even more consumption of sugar and more damage to overall metabolism.

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS), being mainly fructose, is converted straight into fat. So you think you consume sugar, but you practically fill your body with pure fat.

Not cool.

Once in the lips forever in the inflamed, swollen-hypodermal adipose tissue people tend to call cellulite

Once fat accumulates in your subcutaneous thigh, hip or buttock fat cells (what people call ‘fat’) and your hypodermal fat cells in these areas (what people call ‘cellulite’), it is very difficult to release it back into the general circulation and "burn" it with exercise.

The adage "once in the lips, forever in the hips" rings very true for sugar.

This is due to the genetic nature of fat cells in most women’s hips and thighs, that are happy to accumulate fat but less than happy to release fat, acting like an one way trap for fat.

So the best thing to do is not to put fat there in the first place.

And this is especially true if you consume sweet foods while sitting down at home or in the office, as this maximises fat and sugar absorption by fat cells.

Sugar, inflammation, glycation, skin ageing, skin laxity and cellulite

Furthermore, sugar causes skin ageing and blood vessel damage throughout the body, by boosting inflammation and glycation.

Glycation is a little known process which damages collagen and elastin and makes skin aged, fragile, loose, dull and grey. It also directly causes inflammation and oxidative damage, according to multiple research papers.

In the same way glycation undermines skin, it also damages blood vessels (whose walls are made of collagen and other proteins), leading to poor microcirculation and water retention.

Fat accumulation, water retention, glycation, inflammation and oxidative damage are all hallmarks of cellulite and loose skin.

Simply put, there is no bigger enemy to thighs than sugar.

How about artificial sweeteners?

Artificial sweeteners are not much better either, as they only temporarily trick the brain to believe that you consumed sugar. According to studies, by the end of the day your brain compensates with appetite increase which leads to the consumption of more calories.

Multiple studies have shown that artificial sweeteners are no better than sugar for different aspects of health and disease.

Agave syrup and honey are fine though, right?

Wrong.

The sugars in agave syrup are made of 80% fructose, which, as we mentioned above, is actually worse that sucrose (plain sugar) itself.

Honey comprises one part sucrose (sugar) and one part fructose, on average, and the sugars in honey are made of 50% fructose and 42% glucose, on average.

“Coconut nectar", high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), maple syrup, sucrose, fructose, dextrose (glucose), maltose, "concentrated apple juice" (basically fructose with some glucose), corn syrup, dates (67% sugars, 30% of which evil fructose), raw cane sugar (basically 95% white sugar with some trace nutrients), pomegranate molasses, rice syrup, as well as the honey and agave syrup that we mentioned, are roughly as bad as sugar.

Some a bit worse, some a bit better, but none is “healthy”.

Moral of the story: for health and for beauty, lose the sugar in all its guises

If you want to have hot thighs (AND a nice, tooth decay-free smile AND youthful skin AND a healthy heart AND a slim body), you must get rid of sugar.

Getting rid of sugar is not as difficult as it seems and the best way to this is to go cold turkey. Just replace sugar with more-but-healthier food for the first week and don't worry about calories, until you break free of the addiction.

A week or two later you will feel free of your addiction, sugar will taste too sweet and you will be on the road to a healthier you, with less skin ageing and cellulite, as an added bonus.

Check our professional consultancy for a masterclass in radiofrequency, ultrasound cavitation, cellulite and skin tightening

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 training and confidently offer your clients the safest, strongest and most effective treatment possible. Service available via Zoom or at our central London practice.