The Absolute Best Foods For Getting That Youthful Glow

Hippocrates is famously quoted for saying, "Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food," but I would argue that food can be the fountain of youth, too.

Aging occurs because of two different factors: intrinsic and extrinsic. You don't have much control over intrinsic factors, which are influenced by your genes, ethnicity, and certain medical conditions. But there is a major upside because you can have a huge impact on your extrinsic factors like UV exposure, stress, smoking, nutrition and lifestyle choices, which are major contributors to the aging process.

In your body, oxidation can be caused by molecules called free radicals. Free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules that are missing at least one of their electrons so they try to steal an electron from nearby cells in your body. This causes oxidation of that cell, resulting in cellular and DNA damage or even cell death.

While your body produces free radicals all the time as a normal part of its functioning (think: breathing, digestion, and exercise), trouble can start when you add in those extrinsic factors and your body gets overwhelmed by the quantity of free radicals. The outcome is that your body enters a state of oxidative stress where it can't fight off free radical damage on its own. Free radicals set off a chain of events in your body that begin to cause visible damage, including the breakdown of your collagen and elastin, which makes your skin wrinkle, sag, and appear thinner. Couple this with slowed collagen production as we naturally age, and you've got a perfect setup for accelerated aging.

All the food you eat gets converted into glucose, which is the simplest form of sugar that your body can use for energy. Foods containing more sugar—think packaged cereal, crackers, sauces as well as foods that are more readily converted into sugar like refined carbohydrates—can flood your system with glucose. This can be a problem for two reasons:

Inflammation: Your body is on a roller coaster of high and low blood sugar spikes and labile insulin levels, which can lead to skin sag, inflammation, and chronic disease. Chronic inflammation is at the root of chronic disease systemwide and your skin is no exception. Inflammation can worsen rosacea, psoriasis, and eczema and can also weaken the collagen and elastin in your skin over time, leading to skin laxity, poor wound healing, and uneven tone and texture.

Glycation: When sugar combines with protein or fat in the bloodstream, the result is the formation of harmful compounds called advanced glycation end products1 (also knowns as AGEs). AGEs can be formed spontaneously in the body or they can be formed in foods like fried foods and highly processed products like red meat, margarine, nuts, and butter. Cooking methods using high temperatures—like frying2, grilling, and toasting—can also contribute to AGEs formation.

Foods that limit rapid, sharp spikes in blood sugar can help limit AGE formation. So can utilizing cooking methods using low temperatures and water-based moisture like steaming, poaching, and stewing. 

Apples, asparagus, figs, celery, green peppers, cauliflower, and onions have been shown to combat the process of glycation as they are rich in phytonutrients, beneficial compounds, including rutin, quercetin, and luteolin.

Adding in high fiber vegetables like artichokes and broccoli, as well as herbs and spices including cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, garlic, sage, thyme, and fenugreek can help keep blood sugar levels steady and block collagen-damaging AGEs.