Breakfast meals with added sugar can cause early aging and other health issues.
As you become older, your body goes
through a lot of changes. For example, as your blood vessels and arteries
stiffen, your bones become weaker, and your muscles lose their natural
flexibility, your heart health will decline. With each passing year, you may
notice significant changes in your digestion and metabolism.
Although these changes are natural
and unavoidable, you can make some dietary changes to help slow down the aging
process and maintain a healthy, active lifestyle as you become older. But how can
we know which meals are beneficial and which are harmful?
Sugary cereal is one of the worst
morning items you can eat, according to Courtney D'Angelo, MS, RD, author at
GoWellness.
How sugary cereal ages you faster
Let's face it: cereal is one of the
quickest, cheapest, and most straightforward breakfast dishes. And if you're
often busy or on the go, with little time in the morning to make food for
yourself, a bowl of cereal is a tempting option.
Unfortunately, D'Angelo advises
that this meal typically contains ingredients that accelerate aging, such as
added sugars and refined flour. There is significant evidence that excess added
sugar in the diet leads the body to develop advanced glycation end products
(AGEs), which have been linked to skin aging, according to a 2015 review
published in the journal Skin Therapy Letters.
"[Added sugars and refined
carbs] are all very inflammatory, and the more you consume, the greater your
risk of weight gain, chronic low-level inflammation, and poor gut health—all of
which can age you much faster than you'd like," D'Angelo says.
What to eat instead
Instead of grabbing sugary cereal
in the morning, D'Angelo suggests adding some anti-inflammatory foods to your
diet.
"My go-to tip is oatmeal, and
the best part about oatmeal is that you can add whatever nutritious foods you
choose to obtain the nutrients you need. Whey protein, for example, can help
you stay fuller for longer, fruits can provide antioxidants, and flaxseeds can
provide omega-3, which is crucial for heart and brain health. Selecting the
ideal ingredients for the diet you wish to follow is really all there is to
it."