Skincare is typically hailed as the skin protector, with the dominant belief prevailing that creams and serums repair and heal the skin. While they do their bit of work, it’s only one side of the story. What you eat is also equally responsible, which means true skincare has to work from the inside out.
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Diet usually takes two paths: one that helps improve the skin, and the other worsens it. The latter is a major red flag, as the damage can sometimes be irreversible. So even if you don’t actively don’t eat skin-friendly foods, make sure you at least avoid the skin-damaging foods.
Addressing the worst foods for skin health, Hyderabad-based dermatologist Dr Pooja Reddy highlighted the big dietary red flags that can damage skin from within. Here are the ones she urged people to avoid:
1. Fructose corn syrup
The first one on the list is an ingredient. It is fructose corn syrup, and it is mostly found in sodas, packaged juices, biscuits, and processed junk food.
How is this different from regular sugar? The doctor explained, “It is not real sugar, it is synthetic, and it is 10 times more likely to damage your skin proteins than regular glucose.”
This sugar replacement further causes a form of damage that accelerates ageing and affects the liver too. The dermatologist added, “It creates AGE, advanced glycation end products that destroy your collagen, your skin becomes stiff, wrinkles form faster, and it destroys your liver too. Number two, repeatedly heated refined oils.”
So it means you are at risk of premature ageing if you consume processed junk that contains fructose syrup as an ingredient. Reducing packaged and sugar-processed food consumption becomes critical to avert early ageing.
2. Repeatedly heated refined oil
The second dietary hazard is refined oil that is repeatedly heated. This type of oil is commonly used for street food and deep-fried snacks. Dr Reddy reminded of snacks like samosa, which are deep-fried. But the health concern here is that the shops generally reuse the same oil multiple times. Continuous heating alters the oil’s composition, producing compounds that lead to inflammation in the body.
“Every time oil is heated again and again, it breaks down the protective vitamin E, which gets destroyed. What’s left is oxidised fat that keeps your skin inflamed from inside.”
3. Crispy foods
The last item on the list is crispy food. The golden-brown crunch, from fried foods, french fries, pakros to chips, makes them some of the most irresistible and tempting snacks. But the dermatologist warned that the crunch is where acrylamide forms, particularly when the food is golden-brown or overly crispy. She explained that the darker and crispier the food, the higher the formation of AGEs. These compounds directly damage the skin’s structure and accelerate collagen breakdown.
In the end, Dr Reddy warned that creams can’t fix what your diet is destroying. This means that you can’t compensate with skincare products if you indulge in poor dietary choices.
Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice.
