The 12 Best Foods for Healthy Skin
Achieving healthy, radiant skin is about more than what you apply topically; it’s also about what you consume. Your diet plays a critical role in maintaining skin health and vitality. From combining inflammation to boosting hydration and protecting against sun damage, the foods you eat can significantly impact the appearance and resilience of you skin. Today, we will explore the top 12 foods recommended for skin health. Nourish you skin from the inside out.
Fatty Fish
Fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, and herring, are excellent foods for healthy skin. They’re rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for maintaining nail, hair, and skin health.
Omega-3 fatty acids are necessary to help keep skin thick, supple, and moisturized. In fact, an omega-3 fatty acid deficiency can cause dry skinThe omega-3 fats in fish reduce inflammation, which can cause redness and acne. They can even make your skin less sensitive to the sun’s harmful UV rays
Some studies show that fish oil supplements may help fight inflammatory and autoimmune conditions affecting your skin, such as psoriasis and lupus
Fatty fish is also a source of vitamin E, one of the most important antioxidants for your skin.
Getting enough vitamin E is essential for helping protect your skin against damage from free radicals and inflammation
Fatty Fish are also a source of high quality protein, which is needed for maintaining the strength and integrity of your skin
Lastly, fish provides zinc — a mineral vital for regulating the following:
inflammation
overall skin health
the production of new skin cells
Increasing botox longevity
Avocado
Avocados are high in healthy fats. These fats benefit many functions in your body, including the health of your skin. It’s no secret that the consumption of healthy fats has been associated with supple, bouncy skin. Getting enough of these fats is essential to help keep skin flexible and moisturized.
Avocados are also a good source of vitamin E, which is an important antioxidant that helps protect your skin from oxidative damage. Interestingly, vitamin E seems to be more effective when combined with vitamin C
Vitamin C is also essential for healthy skin. Your skin needs it to create collagen, which is the main structural protein that keeps your skin strong and healthy. Vitamin C deficiency is rare these days, but common symptoms include dry, rough, and scaly skin that tends to bruise easily. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant that helps protect your skin from oxidative damage caused by the sun and the environment, which can lead to signs of aging
An average sized 1/2 an avocado, provides 14% of the daily recommend intake of vitamin E and 11% of the daily recommend intake for vitamin C.
Sweet Potatoes
Beta carotene is a nutrient found in plants. It functions as provitamin A, which means it can be converted into vitamin A in your body. Beta carotene is found in oranges and vegetables such as carrots, spinach, and sweet potatoes Sweet potatoes are an excellent source — one 1/2-cup serving of baked sweet potato contains enough beta carotene to provide more than six times the daily recommend intake of vitamin A
Carotenoids like beta carotene help keep your skin healthy by acting as a natural sunblock. When consumed, this antioxidant is incorporated into your skin and helps protect your skin cells from sun exposure. This may help prevent sunburn, cell death, and dry, wrinkled skin. Interestingly, high amounts of beta carotene may also add a warm, orange color to your skin, contributing to an overall healthier appearance
Dark Chocolate
If you need one more reason to eat chocolate, here it is: The effects of cocoa on your skin are pretty phenomenal.
After 6–12 weeks of consuming a cocoa powder high in antioxidants each day, participants in one study experienced thicker, more hydrated skin. Their skin was also less rough and scaly, less sensitive to sunburn, and had better blood flow — which brings more nutrients to your skin.
Another study found that eating 20 grams of high-antioxidant dark chocolate per day could allow your skin to withstand over twice as much UV radiation before burning, compared with eating low-antioxidant chocolate
Several other studies have observed similar results, including improvements in the appearance of wrinkles. However, keep in mind that at least one study didn’t find significant effects
Make sure to choose dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa to maximize the benefits and keep added sugar to a minimum.
Red Grapes
Red grapes are famous for containing resveratrol, a compound that comes from the skin of red grapes. Resveratrol is credited with a wide range of health benefits, among them is reducing the effects of aging.Some studies suggest it may also help slow the production of harmful free radicals, which damage skin cells and cause signs of aging.
Sunflower Seeds
In general, nuts and seeds are good sources of skin-boosting nutrients.
Sunflower seeds are an excellent example.
One ounce of sunflower seeds packs 49% of the daily recommend intake vitamin E, 41% of the daily recommend intake of selenium, 14% of the daily recommend intake of zinc, and 5.5 grams of protein
Walnuts
Walnuts have many characteristics that make them an excellent food for healthy skin. They’re a good source of essential fatty acids, which are fats that your body cannot make itself. In fact, they’re richer than most other nuts in both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-3 fats reduce inflammation in your body — including in your skin While omega-6 fatty acids are plentiful in the Western diet, sources of omega-3 fatty acids are rare.
What’s more, walnuts contain other nutrients that your skin needs to function properly and stay healthy.One ounce of walnuts contains 8% of the daily recommend intake of zinc. Zinc is essential for your skin to function properly as a barrier. It’s also necessary for wound healing and combating both bacteria and inflammation
Walnuts also provide small amounts of the antioxidants vitamin E and selenium, in addition to 4–5 grams of protein per ounce.
Red Peppers
Like sweet potatoes, bell peppers are an excellent source of beta carotene, which your body converts into vitamin A. One cup of chopped red bell pepper contains the equivalent of 156% of the daily recommend intake for vitamin A.
They’re also one of the best sources of vitamin C. This vitamin is necessary for creating the protein collagen, which keeps skin firm and strong.
A single cup of bell pepper provides an impressive 211% of the daily recommend intake for vitamin C . A large observational study involving women linked eating plenty of vitamin C to a reduced risk of wrinkled and dry skin with age
Broccoli
Broccoli is full of many vitamins and minerals important for skin health, including zinc, vitamin A, and vitamin C.
It also contains lutein, a carotenoid that works like beta carotene. Lutein helps protect your skin from oxidative damage, which can cause your skin to become dry and wrinkled.
But broccoli florets also pack a special compound called sulforaphane, which boasts some impressive potential benefits. It may even have anti-cancer effects, including on some types of skin cancer. Sulforaphane is likewise a powerful protective agent against sun damage. It works in two ways: neutralizing harmful free radicals and switching on other protective systems in your body. In laboratory tests, sulforaphane reduced the number of skin cells UV light killed by as much as 29%, with protection lasting up to 48 hours. Evidence suggests sulforaphane may also help maintain collagen levels in your skin.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are a great source of vitamin C and contain all of the major carotenoids, including lycopene.
Beta carotene, lutein, and lycopene have been shown to protect your skin against damage from the sun. They may also help prevent wrinkling.
Because tomatoes are rich in carotenoids, they’re an excellent food for maintaining healthy skin.
Consider pairing carotenoid-rich foods like tomatoes with a source of fat, such as cheese or olive oil. Fat increases your absorption of carotenoids
Soy
Soy is a rich source of isoflavones. Isoflavones exhibit antioxidant, anticancer, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties
One small study involving middle-aged women found that eating soy isoflavones every day for 8–12 weeks reduced fine wrinkles and improved skin elasticity
In postmenopausal women, soy may also improve skin dryness and increase collagen, which helps keep your skin smooth and strong
These isoflavones not only help to protect the cells inside your body from damage but also your skin from UV radiation — which may reduce the risk of some skin cancers.
Examples of soy foods include, soya beans, edamame, tofu and miso.
Green Tea
Green tea may help protect your skin from damage and aging.
The powerful compounds found in green tea are called catechins and work to improve the health of your skin in several ways.
Like several other antioxidant-containing foods, green tea can help protect your skin against sun damage
One 12-week study involving 60 women found that drinking green tea daily could reduce redness from sun exposure by up to 25%.
Green tea also improved the moisture, roughness, thickness, and elasticity of their skin
While green tea is a great choice for healthy skin, you may want to avoid drinking your tea with milk, as there’s evidence that milk could reduce the effect of green tea’s antioxidants.
In conclusion
The foods you eat can play a role in the health of your skin, including in how your skin changes as you get older.
In particular, foods that are high in protein, healthy fats, and antioxidants are linked to the most skin benefits.
Along with eating a nutritious diet full of whole, plant-based foods, consider protecting your skin with other habits, such as wearing sunscreen, avoiding smoking, staying physically active, and using quality skin care products.
