Can Your Diet Make Your Skin Age Faster? A Dermatologist Explains

Can your diet actually make your skin age faster? Dermatologist Dr. Dray breaks down the connection between nutrition and skin aging, including whether sugar really damages collagen, how glycation and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) may contribute to skin aging, and whether you need to worry about the natural sugar found in fruit. Glycation and AGEs are an active area of research in skin aging, but the relationship is more complicated than simply saying that sugar "destroys collagen." In this video, Dr. Dray explains what she would prioritize in a skin-supportive diet, including vegetables, whole fruit, legumes, whole grains, plant-based starches, protein, nuts, and seeds. She also discusses foods and dietary habits worth limiting, including processed meats, heavily charred foods, highly processed convenience foods, excessive sodium, and frequent snacking. Dr. Dray also explains why she does not recommend fearing carbohydrates or eliminating fruit simply because it contains sugar, and why cooking more meals at home can make it easier to build a nourishing dietary pattern. In this video: • Can sugar cause skin aging and wrinkles? • What is glycation and how does it affect collagen? • Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and skin aging • Why vegetables are important for healthy skin • Why you don't need to fear whole fruit • The benefits of beans, lentils, and other legumes • Whole grains and nourishing carbohydrates • Why potatoes, plantains, and cassava can be pa