Janet Ogundepo
Apart from the risk of coming down with non-communicable diseases, high consumption of sugary foods and drinks has been linked to skin tags and premature wrinkles, formation by endocrinologists.
The specialists in diagnosing and treatment of hormone and endocrine gland disorders said apart from skin-related issues, excess sugar intake contributes to the onset of non-communicable diseases like diabetes, metabolic disorders, obesity, and certain cancers.
Excess sugar can degrade essential proteins like collagen and elastin, which are vital for maintaining skin structure and elasticity, they maintained.
According to a health blog, Cleveland Clinic, skin tags are small, noncancerous growths that often appear on body parts like eyelids, neck, and arms.
Another, Medical News Today, explains that skin tags are caused when there are clusters of collagen and blood vessels trapped in some parts of the skin.
Factors like diabetes, insulin resistance, and obesity, compounded by excessive sugar consumption, can exacerbate their formation, it noted.
The World Health Organisation warns that excess sugar consumption is linked to non-communicable diseases like obesity, diabetes, and heart diseases.
WHO
The WHO recommends reducing daily sugar intake to prevent health risks.
Speaking on the issue, a Professor of Medicine at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, Adamu Bakari, asserted that consuming excessive sugar results in surplus calorie accumulation and storage in the body, leading to obesity.
Prof Bakari
This, he explained, puts stress on the joints, causing wear and tear over time.
He pointed out that weight gain stretches the skin and compromises its integrity, which eventually manifests in the form of wrinkles.
Bakari said while wrinkles may take time to develop, skin tags tend to appear earlier.
The Chief Medical Director of the Modibo Adamu University, Yola, Adamawa State, said, “Excess sugar is stored in the form of fat and when fat is deposited beyond normal, one starts gaining weight. This is what we call obesity. Obesity leads to many other things, and one basic thing it causes is insulin resistance, which means the body requires higher amounts of insulin to respond to the absence of insulin.
“Insulin is a hormone that is active in virtually all tissues and organs in the body and so by the time there is excess of it, skin tags that are blackish may start to appear, mainly because of insulin resistance.
“These will also lead to early ageing because virtually all the systems have been stretched by taking more than what one requires.
“But if you’re taking it (sugar) in excess and using exercise to burn it off, the effects will be less. But in our setting, those that take so much sugar also take in something else as sugar that is added as sweeteners. Most people who take them hardly exercise and these are people who are usually sedentary, so the effect will be obvious over time.
“The shrinking will be there, almost all the complications of insulin resistance will also come and they will start having joint pains because they will now have a higher weight to carry on their joints, so the wear and tear of the joints occurs faster.”
The endocrinologist added that high sugar intake could also cause hardened deposits of digestive fluids to form in the gallbladder, a condition known as gallstones.
The Fellow of the Endocrine and Metabolism Society of Nigeria, commended the plans to introduce a sugar tax, stating that it would help discourage sugary drinks and foods.
He further decried the widespread misconceptions and societal perception that sugary foods signify social status, calling for the adoption of healthier lifestyles to reduce the strain on healthcare systems.
Weighing in on the matter, a Professor of Medicine and Endocrinology at Bayero University Kano State, Andrew Uloko, confirmed that excess sugar consumption impacts skin health, causing premature ageing and an increase in skin tag formation.
Prof Uloko
He noted that excessive sugar consumption also leads to a high prevalence of diseases such as diabetes, metabolic disorders, obesity and some cancers.
Uloko, who is the National First Vice President, the Endocrine and Metabolism Society of Nigeria, noted that essential proteins like collagen and elastin, crucial for preserving skin structure and elasticity, become susceptible to degradation due to excessive sugar consumption, resulting in several skin issues that include darkening, wrinkling, skin tags, and sagginess.
The don said, “Studies have shown that with excess intake of sugar, the basic structure of the skin is altered. The skin serves so many important functions; as an object of beauty, an object that prevents the inside of the body from external aggression of adverse weather conditions, irritants, pollutants and obnoxious agents.
“It is also a source of barrier that prevents excess loss of body fluid and prevents infections that can ordinarily enter the skin to cause problems. The skin also serves a very important role in preventing the body from breaking down rapidly. If you need to maintain skin health and prevent ageing, then sugar consumption must be seriously cut down.
“The basic structure that holds the skin together, gives it glamour, attraction, beauty and capacity to serve the listed function can be broken down by excess intake of sugar. Collagen and elastin are the basic structure.
“There is the onset of chemical products that are formed as a result of sugar consumption, which increases the level of stress that the skin handles. In medical terms, we say it increases oxidative stress. We say that if you take excess sugar, those sugar molecules can attach to vital proteins that form the elements of the skin and these proteins are necessary to serve all the functions earlier listed.”
He noted that the skin structures are compromised when sugar molecules induce the breakdown of essential proteins, leading to increased pigmentation, wrinkles, and occasionally, the formation of skin tags.
The Endocrinologist also said that excessive sugar consumption contributes to obesity, consequently leading to sagging of the skin during weight loss or lifestyle changes.
“That is why you see someone that is 40 years old looking like a 60-year-old because of unhealthy eating habits. When we talk about healthy eating, excess sugar consumption is a very good example of unhealthy eating and an unhealthy lifestyle,” he declared.
Uloko, who is also a Consultant Physician and Endocrinologist with the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano State, advised parents to limit sugar intake in children, as excessive consumption leads to long-term health consequences.
The former National First Vice President of the Diabetes Association of Nigeria urged individuals to adopt healthy eating habits and active lifestyles.
While still warning against the consumption of sugary beverages and fatty foods, he called for periodic medical check-ups to ensure early detection and prevention of disease conditions.
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