When sugar in your body sticks to skin proteins like collagen and elastin, it makes them stiff and gummy over time—this is why skin loses its bounce and starts to wrinkle as you age.

Eating too much sugar and white bread can cause gummy sticky stuff to form in your skin, which makes your collagen and elastin fibers stick together—leading to stiff, wrinkly skin that doesn’t bounce back like it used to.

When sugar sticks to proteins in your body over time, it can create harmful compounds that make tissues stiff and less flexible, which might lead to problems in your heart, bones, and eyes as you age.

When sugar in your body sticks to skin proteins without needing enzymes, it creates gunk that makes skin wrinkle and lose elasticity — and scientists have studied this process more than almost any other cause of aging skin.

Eating more fruits, veggies, and whole foods while cutting back on sugar and white bread can help keep your skin from getting damaged by sticky sugar molecules that make it age faster.