Aging is a natural process, but certain lifestyle choices—especially diet—can speed it up, leading to premature wrinkles and a higher risk of chronic diseases that may prevent you from reaching 100. Some foods can accelerate aging by increasing inflammation, breaking down collagen, and promoting oxidative stress, all of which contribute to fine lines, sagging skin, and overall poor health.
Jessie Inchauspé, a French biochemist, New York Times bestselling author, and nicknamed The Glucose Goddess, recently shared in a podcast episode the worst foods that accelerate aging and explained how they impact the body. According to her, the worst foods to avoid are refined bread, pasta, fruit juice, donuts, and processed snacks like chocolate cake. Read on to get all her insights.
Foods With Glucose
"The more glucose spikes you have, the faster you age, and this shows on your skin," which eventually makes "your organs slowly age" as well, she reveals. Your body doesn't care whether sugar came from an orange juice or if it came from a beetroot and is now in a can of Coca-Cola; "those sugar molecules will both lead to a glucose spike."
Inchauspé explains that foods like bread, pasta, rice, oats, and chocolate cake should be avoided because they lack nutritional value and can be addictive. Refined versions of these foods are stripped of essential nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals, leaving behind empty calories that contribute to blood sugar spikes and crashes. Opting for whole, unprocessed versions, such as whole grain bread, brown rice, and sweet potatoes, is a healthier choice.
Besides "faster aging," too much glucose in the body can also lead to things such as brain fog, inflammation, hormonal issues, various diseases, and type 2 diabetes.
Then there’s glycation. Glycation is a process where sugar molecules attach to proteins or lipids in the body, creating harmful compounds called advanced glycation end products (AGEs). This process can contribute to aging by damaging the structure and function of proteins, which affects skin elasticity, collagen, and other tissues, thus giving "you more wrinkles."
"We can't stop aging," she reveals, but "there are billionaires trying to reverse aging [that] so far haven't been able to, but we can slow it down or speed it up" through everyday choices. "Glucose spikes have something to do with glycation, which kind of sounds similar; it's because it is the glucose that is doing the glycating, the aging."
Some other "top offenders" are orange juice, fruit smoothies, and breakfast cereal; "even if they say no sugar or low in sugar, that doesn't mean they don't contain glucose; it just means they don't contain any table sugar."
Healthier alternatives
So what should you eat instead? She recommends savory, protein-rich options such as dairy, tofu, protein powder, leftover fish from the night before, and eggs, and then add some healthy fats like avocados.
“A plate of vegetables at the beginning of your meal," such as baby carrots, steamed cauliflower with tahini, and tomatoes, "counts as well, and you'll see how different you feel after the meal—no crash, no cravings, and you know you're also helping your body become healthier.”
