You know that eating a healthy diet is important for maintaining your overall health, but did you know that the foods you eat are integral to the health of your skin? Eating the right types of foods are essential for keeping your skin looking glowing and nourished, and provides a benefits of anti-aging. By eating the right combination of vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids, you can provide your skin with the nutrients it needs to stay healthy, youthful and vibrant.
What are the Best Nutrients for Healthy Skin?
Beautiful skin began from the inside out and the benefits of healthy skin start with the foods you eat. Here are some of the best nutrients to include in your diet for healthy skin:
VITAMIN A: Vitamin A acts as a powerful antioxidant and helps protect against damage caused by free radicals and environmental exposure. Benefits of Vitamin A include; promoting skin renewal, lightening of sun spots and age spots, reducing wrinkles, and increases the production of collagen and elastin. Vitamin A is found in foods such as carrots, mangos, sweet potatoes, lettuce, broccoli, spinach, apricots, and eggs.
VITAMIN C: Vitamin C is a water-soluble antioxidant and helps protect the skin cells by neutralizing free radical damage. It also helps promote healthy collagen formation and fights cellular aging. Vitamin C can be found in foods such as oranges, tomatoes, kale, strawberries, kiwi, papayas and more.
VITAMIN E: Vitamin E is an important fat-soluble antioxidant that helps neutralize free radicals which can cause damage to skin and even promote visible signs of aging. Vitamin E is an important nutrient for skin health and protection against sun damage, pollution, and other environmental exposure. Benefits of Vitamin E include promoting healthy collagen production, protecting skin from the sun and more. Vitamin E can be sourced from almonds, sunflower seeds, avocado, spinach, and peas.
ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS: Essential fatty acids are vital to healthy skin and aid in maintaining skin barrier function, regulate cell production and oil production, and help keep skin hydrated. Essential fatty acid foods to include in your diet include walnuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds, fatty fish, avocados, and olive oil.
ANTIOXIDANTS: Antioxidants help to protect the skin from oxidative damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that are highly reactive and cause damage to cells. Antioxidants help neutralize free radicals and protect skin cells from damage caused by environmental exposures such as UV radiation and air pollution. Common antioxidant-rich foods include dark leafy greens, sweet potatoes, brightly colored fruits and veggies, and walnuts.
MINERALS: Minerals like zinc, copper, and selenium are essential for healthy skin. Zinc helps to regulate sebum production, copper can help even skin tone, and selenium works as an antioxidant to help protect skin from oxidative damage. Foods rich in minerals for optimal skin health include oysters, grass-fed meats, dark leafy greens, and mushrooms.
WATER: Water is crucial for proper hydration and skin health. Not consuming enough water can make skin appear dry, dull, and tired. The recommended daily intake of water is 8-10 glasses a day and more water should be consumed if exercising, hot weather or intake of caffeinated beverages.
Protein: Protein is an important nutrient for skin health and helps promote proper collagen production which is important to keeping skin looking youthful and vibrant. Protein can be sourced from lean meats, eggs, fish, nuts, and legumes.
The Benefits of a Healthy Diet
Not only can healthier foods provide your skin and body with essential vitamins and minerals, but a nutritious and balanced diet is also beneficial when it comes to clear, healthy and nourished skin. Eating a balanced diet will help to give skin the essential building blocks to fight against signs of aging and other damaging elements of the environment.
Vitamin And Mineral Supplements
If you don’t feel that you’re meeting your skin’s nutritional requirements through diet alone, you may consider adding a vitamin or mineral supplement. Be sure to speak to your doctor or a healthcare provider before adding a supplement to your daily diet as there may be interactions with other medications that can occur.
Tips For Eating For Healthy Skin
Eating the right foods is just one part of a healthy skin lifestyle and here are a few tips to get the best out of diet for healthy skin:
• Increase your water consumption
• Incorporate more Omega-3 fatty acids into diet
• Eat more Vitamin A-rich foods
• Increase your consumption of dark leafy green and brightly colored fruit and veggies
• Avoid processed foods
• Balance carbs, protein and fat in each meal
• Limit caffeine and alcohol
• Take a daily multivitamin with mineral supplement
Healthy skin begins from the inside out and the best way to achieve beautiful, nourished, and vibrant skin is by eating a balanced, nutritious diet that provides the essential vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and antioxidants the skin needs. Eating a diet that includes all the major food groups and cutting down on processed foods and excessive caffeine or alcohol can help to improve the health of your skin. Additionally, adding a daily multivitamin or supplement may benefit skin health if recommended by a healthcare provider.
