Consuming foods high in sugar and salt can trigger skin problems
Jakarta (ANTARA) - A dermatologist warns that consuming foods with high sugar or salt content during iftar or sahur can cause the skin to lose hydration, becoming drier.
“Consuming a diet high in salt and sugar will cause cells to lose water, making them drier, and the skin barrier is also disrupted,” said dermatologist Dr. Dr. Fitria Agustina, Sp.DVE, at a health discussion in Jakarta on Thursday.
“This will actually worsen the condition, described as multi-layer hydration loss,” the Universitas Indonesia graduate in dermatology and venereology added.
She said that skin issues such as acne can occur in the early weeks of fasting, as the body adjusts to changes in eating and drinking patterns, impacting hydration.
When the body does not receive enough fluids, she said, the condition of the skin’s protective layer can be disrupted.
“Acne complaints are very common during the fasting phase in the first week, or perhaps in the middle of the second week, due to insufficient hydration,” Dr Fitria said.
“Insufficient hydration will affect the skin barrier, causing the skin to become drier,” she said.
According to her, disruption to the skin’s protective layer also affects the balance of the skin microbiome. If the natural microorganisms on the skin are out of balance or dysbiotic, acne and other skin problems may arise.
“Not only acne; other conditions with inflammatory bases can occur, for example atopic dermatitis, which can flare up on the face, or rosacea, a condition resembling acne, or psoriasis, which can flare up if we do not maintain skin hydration well because the skin barrier is disrupted,” she explained.
She said that flour used to make fried foods is a source of carbohydrates with a high glycaemic index that risks triggering insulin surges.
“Processed carbohydrates like flour will cause insulin peaks to be high at the time we break the fast, affecting IGF-1 levels, affecting the function of sebocytes, the sebaceous glands, producing more oil,” she explained.
Additionally, she said, the fat content in fried foods can influence hormone production such as androgens, which affect the activity of oil glands in the skin.
“Androgen is also one of the hormones that play a role in affecting the work of sebocytes or oil glands,” she said.
Therefore, she said, it is advisable not to consume too many fried foods during iftar.
“It’s not that you can’t have fried foods at iftar, but don’t have too many, and try to drain the oil from them first,” she said.
Dr Fitria emphasised the importance of paying attention to fluid intake and nutrition to keep the skin healthy during the fasting period.
Hydration can be managed from iftar to sahur so that the amount of liquid consumed is at least eight glasses a day.
Dr Fitria recommends choosing nutritious meals that are not too high in salt and sugar for both iftar and sahur to meet nutritional needs.