These 6 Foods Are Causing "Inflammaging," Or Inflammation-Based Premature Aging — Here's What To Do About It

It’s high time we learn that beauty is not only skin deep: The skin is a mirror that reflects everything going on behind the scenes, inside our bodies. Aging is characterized by chronic, low-grade inflammation. In fact, the connection between inflammation and aging is so strong that the duo has even earned itself a celebrity couple nickname à la Kimye: "inflammaging." Some foods accelerate this process by adding fuel to the inflammation fire. In the body, chronic inflammation translates to aches and pains as well as an increased risk1 for age-related diseases such as atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s, and type 2 diabetes. In the skin, inflammation induces oxidative stress, reducing cells’ ability to defend themselves from free radical damage and promoting collagen breakdown. Wrinkles, loss of elasticity, and skin sagging result.

Although insulin is natural and very necessary, high levels—which we experience after eating a sugary food or carbohydrate-rich meal—are extremely inflammatory. Elevated blood sugar levels also accelerate a natural process called glycation, in which glucose attaches to proteins in the body and makes them rigid. This includes collagen and elastin, proteins that keep the skin smooth, elastic, and tight. These rigid proteins are called advanced glycation end products, or AGEs for short. This acronym couldn’t be more appropriate: Not only do AGEs trigger an inflammatory reaction, but they also cause collagen and elastin to become brittle and break, promoting skin aging. Even more concerning: AGEs are behind a number of age-related degenerative diseases2, such as atherosclerosis, macular degeneration, and Alzheimer’s.

Not only are these oils some of the most unnatural, processed foods on the market, but they’re also loaded with polyunsaturated omega-6 essential fatty acids, which kick-start the inflammatory process. And while omega-3 essential fatty acids signal the chemical messengers that turn off the inflammatory process, the average person consumes 10 to 15 times more omega-6s than omega-3s. Since we ought to be consuming the two in about equal quantities, our bodies are perfectly able to inflame without being able to properly anti-inflame. It’s the perfect recipe for chronic inflammation and inflammaging of both the skin and body.

It’s estimated that 75 percent of the adult population can’t properly digest dairy. Since improper digestion and food intolerances are a major source of chronic inflammation, for a large majority of the population, dairy wreaks havoc on the body from the digestive system to the skin and is best removed. If you're going for dairy, make sure it's hormone-free, or opt for one of the many plant-based milks currently available on the market.