Both external and internal factors are thought to drive the aging process of the skin. External factors include environmental influences such as the UV rays and internal factors include the body’s natural aging process. Various theories are being proposed about the internal causes of aging. Besides the famous notion of oxidation and its effects on aging, glycosylation is also recently been proposed to speed the aging process.

 

HELIOSⅡ/LOTUSⅡ/HYPERION – Manufacturer: LASEROPTEK(www.laseroptek.com)

 

Glycosylation

 

Glycosylation (Maillard reaction) refers to the phenomenon in which carbohydrates and protein turn brown when being cooked. Protein is a major chemical component of the skin and can bind to a sugar to trigger glycosylation and subsequent color change. High heat is used to induce the Maillard reaction in food. As the human body temperature is maintained at 37.5℃, glycosylation of the skin may take a lot longer than in food. As seen in food, heat-induced color change cannot be reversed and glycosylation in the human body is also irreversible. Skin color changes and aging signs are main outcomes of glycosylation.

Glycosylation refers to the chemical bonding of protein molecules to sugar molecules. AGE (advanced glycation endproducts) proteins, which are formed by nonenzymatic cross-links, have been proposed to play a crucial role in the aging process. Unlike the elastic and flexible collagen or elastin, AGE proteins have a stiff form. Therefore, in the skin rich in collagen and elastin, the dermal-epidermal junction is corrugated. On the other hand, when AGE proteins flattens the dermal-epidermal junction, it reduces the area for absorbing water and nutrients. Skin with progressed glycosylation eventually becomes inelastic, wrinkly and show a dull, darkened skin tone.

 

Aging and AGE proteins

 

Once released, AGE proteins are not disintegrated and eliminated. Therefore, it is important to prevent glycosylation in advance. Orally ingested carbohydrates are metabolized into sugars which are then absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract and delivered to all parts of the body, including the dermis. The sugars that bind to collagen in the skin come from our food intake. There is a close correlation between sugars that are ingested as food and the sugar levels of the blood and skin. In other words, the amount of sugar intake is directly proportionate to the sugar levels in the skin.

In a study comparing diabetics to healthy individuals, AGE proteins were found to increase in older individuals compared to younger counterparts. This shows that AGE proteins are closely related to the aging process. Elderly patients with diabetes were also shown to have higher AGE proteins compared to healthy controls of the same age group. As mentioned earlier, prevention is important as AGE proteins are not disintegrated once they are formed.

High sugar intake increases the likelihood of glycosylation. It has been reported that annual accumulation of glycated collagen is 3.7%. AGE proteins accumulated this way stiffens the skin, induces wrinkles and dulls the skin tone.

 

-To be continued-