12 Ways Sugar Consumption Accelerates Aging

It's sad but true: sugar consumption accelerates aging. Find out why.

The largest source of calories for individuals living in industrialized nations comes from sugar. Sugar increases insulin levels which promote fat accumulation and inflammation throughout the body. Sugar consumption and elevated insulin accelerate the aging process and create an environment conducive to degenerative disease.

The chemistry of sugar is based on the number of carbohydrates and includes monosaccharides, disaccharides and oligosaccharides. The most important monosaccharides are glucose, dextrose, and fructose. The primary difference in these deals with the way they are digested and metabolized. Glucose and dextrose are basically the same form of sugar. Many sugars can be identified by their characteristic "ose" ending.

Many of these sugars also combine to form complex sugars such as sucrose. Sucrose, typical table sugar, is a disaccharide (2 sugar forms) that is half glucose and half fructose. Meanwhile, high fructose corn syrup is 55% fructose and 45% glucose. Read more

Antidepressant Drugs Linked to Accelerated Aging and More Wrinkles

Here's a study with some depressing findings: antidepressant drugs are linked to accelerated aging and more wrinkles.

The use of antidepressant drugs can contribute to faster aging, including the development of wrinkles, according to a study on identical twins conducted by researchers from University Hospitals Case Medical Center and published online in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

"A person's heritage may initially dictate how they age, but if you introduce certain factors into your life, you will certainly age faster. Likewise, if you avoid those factors you can slow down the hands of time," said researcher and plastic surgeon Bahaman Guyuron. Read more