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Tune In: A Longevity Physician On How To Optimize Your Health Span & Skin Span

Alexandra Engler
Author:
April 02, 2024
Alexandra Engler
Senior Beauty & Lifestyle Director
By Alexandra Engler
Senior Beauty & Lifestyle Director
Alexandra Engler is the senior beauty and lifestyle director at mindbodygreen and host of the beauty podcast Clean Beauty School. Previously, she's held beauty roles at Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, SELF, and Cosmopolitan; her byline has appeared in Esquire, Sports Illustrated, and Allure.com.
Dr. Anant Vinjamoori MD
April 02, 2024
We carefully vet all products and services featured on mindbodygreen using our commerce guidelines. Our selections are never influenced by the commissions earned from our links.

"There is low-level chronic inflammation that happens as a result of the aging process. And for some people that can smolder a little bit more and begin to affect people," says internal medicine physician and longevity specialist Anant Vinjamoori, M.D. In this episode of Clean Beauty School, I chat with Vinjamoori about the ways that low-level inflammation starts to show up in the body, including on the skin. 

As you can tell from listing to the episode, he's particularly passionate about the practical usage of emerging longevity research—including how folks can make small tweaks to their day-to-day lives that have a big impact on their overall health span. 

And one area that has a big impact is skin health: "One of the things that we've learned from research is that really taking care of yourself holistically is actually the best way to improve the health of your skin," Vinjamoori says. "It's about understanding nutrition, sleep, movement. There is a litany of research that shows that being really good with respect to these factors has a positive impact on your skin." 

Throughout the episode, we talk about how lifestyle and daily habits influence skin longevity, including the below factors that I found particularly fascinating. Get a sneak peek by reading below, but then tune in to the episode to learn more. 

Working out

The fitness and skin connection is one that's often misunderstood. For so long, there was a persistent myth that working can age one's appearance. (There's evidence that overexercise can affect the skin negatively.) The reality is that there's overwhelming research showing that moving the body is good for the skin. 

It can actually strengthen your mitochondria1 (the powerhouse of your skin cells and, well, every cell), improve circulation2, reduce stress3, and aid sleep4—all of which are great for skin health. There's even research that shows that resistance training can increase dermal thickness5 and smooth fine lines.

"One conversation I'm having a lot is encouraging people—including people who are otherwise active—to do more resistance training," says Vinjamoori. "People aren't doing enough of it, and it's really important. Muscle health is the currency of aging." 

He's so passionate about exercise, he even said it was his No. 1 well-being modality. "If I had to pick one that had the highest leverage, it's exercise," he says. "It can impact your metabolism, your sleep, and your hormones. It's really the most powerful biological tool that we have." 

Metabolism 

You may not think metabolic health has much to do with skin health, but the two are closely linked. More specifically, poor metabolic health can lead to wrinkles and collagen loss. 

"When we have inefficient glucose processing or glycemic control, that excess glucose deposits into our tissues, including into the connective tissue underneath our skin, and it forms what is known as AGEs or advanced glycation end products," he explains. 

The skin's connective tissues are more commonly known as collagen and elastin, structural proteins found in the dermal layer that give skin firmness, bounce, and suppleness. Needless to say, it's very important for skin's appearance—and when damaged, it can result in fine lines, wrinkles, and so on. 

Well, poor metabolic health damages collagen and elastin: "Think of it like this: Your skin's connective tissue is caramelizing itself," he says. "Being good about controlling your metabolism can have a positive influence on your skin because obviously, fullness is something that a lot of people want with respect to their skin."

Glutathione 

We talk a lot about antioxidant support in skin care but don't spend as much time on glutathione specifically. But as Vinjamoori notes, it's worthy of a deep dive into how it supports skin health. 

"Glutathione is an antioxidant that our cells make to clean up oxidative damage. Oxidative damage underpins all of aging," he explains. "Ordinarily, our bodies should be able to produce their own glutathione, but sometimes there is just so much damage that our own native systems are overwhelmed. That's where glutathione comes into play."

This is particularly important to the skin because it's an organ that's bombarded with a lot of oxidative stress. "One of the systems that experiences some of the most damage is the skin," he says. "Between UV light or being mechanically stressed, there's a lot of things happening to our skin every day. Fortunately, it turns over very quickly, but even then sometimes there can be so much damage that we can't compensate. And so that's why I think glutathione is something that can really benefit the body and the skin."

Tune in

For more insights on how living a "longevity lifestyle" can influence your skin, tune in here:

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