Image source: Germes-Online.com
Besides, of course, the fact that carbs are yummy. 
According to a 2005 study by Beisswenger, the collagen of patients who were put on the Atkins diet aged faster than the collagen of patients who were not on the diet. Specifically, it was found that the rate of advanced glycation endproduct (AGE) formation, responsible in part for the hardened aged state of collagen, was actually doubled in patients who were following the Atkins diet from those who were not. (It was verified the patients in the diet group were following the Atkins diet by the presence of ketones in their urine.) It seems that ketosis doubles the presence of methylglyoxal in the body, which reacts with Amadori products, forming twice the collagen-aging AGE products that would normally be present. It is further notable that methylglyoxal is 40000 times more reactive than blood sugar itself, so it seems that avoiding sugar in hopes of decreasing AGE formation is incredibly counterproductive!
So what is a body-conscious, skin-savvy patient to do? According to über nutritionist Joy Bauer, MS, RD, CDN and author of Food Cures, the best bet is to consume high-quality carbohydrates, such as vegetables, fruits, beans, peas, lentils, brown and wild rice, barley, oatmeal, whole grain cereals, whole grain breads, whole grain crackers, quinoa, amaranth, wheat berries, and millet, rather than eliminating carbohydrates. These carbohydrates allow blood sugars to rise gently, stay even over a longer period of time than their simple carb counterparts, and then fall off slowly.
So don’t age your skin to make your body leaner – simply cut out only the simple carbs, switch to all complex carbs, and get healthier, leaner, and still have younger skin as a result.
Get my book!
Ahh! This is so surprising and important! And here I was thinking I might try Atkin’s for the first time in my life since the bikini season is fast approaching
Sometimes due to the cut-down of fruit intake, Atkin’s dieters also do not get enough vitamin C through their diet. This might also have an adverse effect on collagen production in the body since vitamin C is an essential player in its post-translational modification. This might be easily ameliorated though, with multivitamins. In general, I think it goes without saying that with any diet, it’s important to make sure that the body is still getting all the nutrients it needs to function properly.
Thanks for the informative post!
I don’t believe in dieting. Just eat well and exercise!
Oh, I’m glad you reminded me!
Recently I’ve caught myself thinking about products I need several times – which is perfectly okay, except I was thinking about products to help me with things that less partying, more sleep and better nourishment would deal with easily. Ultimately, for all my wise product choices, my lifestyle is going to be a bigger influence, so it doesn’t do to forget about that…
Thanks for this post! I know many people who swear by the Atkins diet but will certainly appreciate learning this!
I don’t know if you can answer this question to me, but… when the top nutrionist you mentioned brought up the names of “carbs” that would be good and not make the sugar level to raise abruptly, was he thinking only in terms of carbs that would not hinder weight loss *or* is it implied that simpler carbs and the sudden sugar level raise that comes with them also damages our collagen in some way? Were his recommendations addressed to people wanting to lose weight when speaking of those carbs? A person who does not need to diet or actually has a tendency to lose weight would have his/her skin damaged from a diet that would include simpler carbs and more sugar? Thanks in advance for your answers or comments.
As a vegetarian, I’ve always been envious of friends who could easily go on the Atkins diet because they always lost about 10 pounds quickly. Thanks for making me feel better!
Sorry to hijack the thread… Sarah, I want to become vegetarian, but so far I haven’t succeeded out of lack of recipes and ideas of varied meals. If you give me tips/ideas, that would be fantastic. Futurederm has my email. Hugs
This is hilarious! I just came from a party and met 3 mid-20ish girls who just started Atkins. All they ate were beef patties and hot dogs. I believe that even if they had this information, they would still go on with their diet. They are looking for a quick, short-term solution to their weight, and the threat of aging skin would not end their beef-eating journey to major water-weight loss.
I believe that outer beauty is a reflection of how you take care of yourself inside out– a healthy diet definitely shows on your skin. What do you think of collagen supplements? These are really popular in japan– .
This is absolutely fascinating. I know two people who have had weight loss surgery and who have both aged at LEAST 10 years in the last 2 years. Yes, they’re both thinner than they were, but their skin is sagging, they’re both looking at major plastic surgery to get rid of all the extra skin, and even their faces look old. They look like they haven’t had anywhere near enough water (probably true as they can’t drink more than about 2 ounces an hour so they’re always dehydrated!) They do have to stay on what’s essentially Atkins, as their new digestive systems cannot handle almost any carbs. Very, very sad.
For Elena, above, my blog has a huge section on recipes that are mostly vegetarian, with a few chicken and fish ones thrown in for good measure. I was a vegetarian for a lot of years, and still don’t do much meat. Feel free to visit.
That’s such useful info~ Thanks! Good thing I eat lots of fruits and soy, since I reject rice and that sort of carbs. =D
Is it just the issue of putting your body through ketosis….
Or also that most Atkins dieters I know live off of processed fatty meats and mayonnaise?!
I’m also curious about collagen supplements (re: naom’s comment). Or supplements in general. I had such beautiful skin when I was taking broccoli supplements (I was temporarily living in a student dorm and had poor access to vegetables) .
Thank you Amy for the tip on the blogs with healthy food recipes!!
this is brilliant and makes so much sense. I always thought Atkins couldn’t be the best choice. I always believe all in moderation works but extra fruits and veggies is a good idea. There are some great supplements out there, too.
sorry, but you’re quite mistaken and you’re misleading the hopefully a very small group of readers. the study you cite did not measure collagen of patients, it measured methlglyoxal. also, and this is something you’d better correct, the reserachers did NOT find AGEs had increased in the Atkins group. the researchers were clearly looking for something to hang on the Atkins diet, but found only that methlglyoxal increased. and as you should know, methoglyoxal is damaging to patience with hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), which is ameliorated on a low-carb diet.
here’s the abstract from the study:
In the popular and widely used Atkins diet, the body burns fat as its main fuel. This process produces ketosis and hence increased levels of ß-hydroxybutyrate (BOB) acetoacetate (AcAc) and its by-products acetone and acetol. These products are potential precursors of the glycotoxin methylglyoxal. Since methylglyoxal and its byproducts are recognized as a significant cause of blood vessel and tissue damage, we measured methylglyoxal, acetone, and acetol in subjects on the Atkins diet. We found that by 14-28 days, methylghyoxal levels rose 1.67-fold (P = 0.039) and acetol and acetone levels increased 2.7- and 6.12-fold, respectively (P = 0.012 and 0.028). Samples from subjects with ketosis showed even greater increases in methylglyoxal (2.12-fold), as well as acetol and acetone, which increased 4.19- and 7.9-fold, respectively; while no changes were seen in samples from noncompliant, nonketotic subjects. The increase in methylglyoxal implies that potential tissue and vascular damage can occur on the Atkins diet and should be considered when choosing a weight-loss program.
i hope you’re a long way from becoming a doctor. do your homework!
and in case anyone thought a vegetarian diet might help ageing, think again:
Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) may play an important adverse role in process of atherosclerosis, diabetes, aging and chronic renal failure. Levels of Nε-carboxymethyllysine and fluorescent AGE values were estimated in two nutritional population groups alternative group (vegetarians – plant food, milk products, eggs) and traditional group (omnivorous subjects). Vegetarians have a significantly higher arboxymethyllysine content in plasma and fluorescent AGE values. Intake of proteins, lysine and monosaccharides as well as culinary treatment, consumption of food AGEs (mainly from technologically processed products) and the routes of Maillard reaction in organism are the substantial sources of plasma AGEs. Vegetarians consume less proteins and saccharides. Lysine intake is significantly reduced (low content in plant proteins). Subjects on alternative nutrition do not use high temperature for culinary treatment and consume low amount of technologically processed food. Fructation induced AGE fluorescence is greater as compared with that induced by glucose. It is due to higher participation of a more reactive acyclic form of fructose. Intake of vegetables and fruit with predominance of fructose is significantly higher in vegetarians. Comparison of nutrition and plasma AGEs in vegetarian and omnivorous groups shows that the higher intake of fructose in alternative nutrition of healthy subjects may cause an increase of AGE levels.
http://www.biomed.cas.cz/physiolres/2002/issue3/pdf/krajcovic.pdf
I am afraid this is fundamentally dishonest. Beisswenger’s study did not measure collagen. His paper was highly adversarial misrepresenting the Atkins diet and the key scientific issues. The most important AGE is hemoglobin A1C which is reliably reduced on the Atkins diet. We try to get our medical students to read papers carefully. Along which lines, 3 of our students participated in a review of the literature, a study which included 21 other authors including directors of major endocrinology centers. The paper is directed towards diabetes but may be of interest to general readers. It is available (without subscription):
http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/pdf/1743-7075-5-9.pdf
The bottom line is that we don’t know everything about nutrition but whatever Ms. Zevola knows about biochemistry she learned from somebody like me, so it would be good for readers to look a little further.
The problem with the low-fat party line is that, if it really had something to offer, it would not feel the need to constantly be attacking other diets but, in fact, they have been saying the same thing for thirty years as the epidemic of diabetes and obesity has increased.
Richard Feinman
Professor of Biochemistry
SUNY Downstate Medical Center.
So what type of Atkins were these people tested on? Atkins as I know it is 6 servings of fresh vegggies and fruit a day as well a healthy meats…. sounds distressing to me.
I better include more processed man made foods in my diet then to live longer.
This diet is so dangerous! It leaches calcium from the bones, clogs arteries and destroys the kidneys. So bad, and now the skin!
This, frankly, does not surprise me. A “full and balanced diet” is key. Otherwise, we are cheating our bodies (and skin) of valuable nutrients and needs. The way to keep eight down is portion control, no calorie laden drinks, less sugar, and, yes, exercise. It’s not sexy or new, but it’s true.
And, if there is a “fountain of youth” or “ultimate anti-aging secret,” it’s that last one. Exercise. Raise your heartrate and get a sweat on. Weight-bearing exercise. Great for body, mind, and skin.
Just. Do. It.
I don’t really like the Atkins Diet. Or any other diet for that matter. They seem to focus on short-term gratification when health should be a way of life.
Eating more fruits, vegetables and whole grains works better than consuming a lot of red meat and processed food. If you need more protein, fish, chicken, legumes and soy are good alternatives. Of course, a multivitamin is always helpful. Strength training can help tone muscles and aerobic exercise can trim the fat in time for the summer season and beyond.