Fact Or Fiction: Sugar Can Break Down Collagen — What Research Says

When it comes to diet and your skin, there's a lot of confusing (and sometimes conflicting!) information out there. Just scroll through social media, and you'll find dozens of differing opinions on the subject, ranging from food having no impact on the skin whatsoever to diet being the only thing that matters when it comes to skin health. 

In general, pro-inflammatory diets can be bad news for collagen. 

Inflammatory diets—which often include eating plans that are high in sugar, simple carbohydrates, and processed meats—activate the immune system and promote inflammation throughout the body. Inflammation hurts collagen twofold: Over time, it can inhibit collagen production,1 and it can break down existing collagen2. 

Not only can sugar spur inflammation in the body, but it hurts collagen in a very specific way. Research shows that refined sugar leads to glycation of the collagen in the skin3. Sugar links the amino acids present in collagen and elastin, rendering both of them incapable of easy repair.

There's no "universal" eating protocol that'll work for everybody, and that's especially true for your skin health. But eating a diverse range of foods can help ensure you're getting the spectrum of nutrients your skin needs to function properly. 

Food can have a profound impact on the skin (positive and negative), but it's also not the only thing that influences how our skin appears, especially over time. 

Be sure to wear sunscreen, as UV exposure is one of the leading causes of collagen decline. (In fact, it can account for up to 80-90% of visible signs of aging8 for some skin tones.) You'll want to round out that skin care routine with a gentle face wash and soothing moisturizer to protect the skin barrier. And for an added collagen-boosting step, add a vitamin C serum or retinol to help encourage collagen production in the skin. 

Be sure to get high-quality sleep at night, as that's the body's primary recovery time. Research shows that's when the body repairs and rebuilds collagen9, so it's important to get that sleep if you want to protect your collagen long term. 

How you move can also help boost your skin firmness. Research shows that resistance training improves skin elasticity10, upper dermal structure, and dermal thickness. And the researchers specifically found molecules called biglycans in these participants' blood samples, which are linked to skin firmness11. On the flip side, they found a decrease in molecules that inhibit biglycans, like cytokines.