Healthy Skin Diet
Healthy Skin Diet – If you want to have beautiful skin, you must stick to a healthy diet. Skin products can help but the role of a healthy diet cannot be underestimated. Watch this video to learn about a healthy skin diet.
Expert: Adam Friedman, MD, FAAD Assistant Professor of Dermatology, Director of Dermatologic Research, Associate Residency Program Director, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Transcript
With all of the available anti-aging, anti wrinkle creams available, it is important not to lose sight of how what you eat can also play a pivotal role in your skin care.
While a good rule of thumb is to follow a basic healthy diet, there are certain super foods that REALLY get your skin glowing! Some of the most effective are those rich in vitamin A, a nutrient known for being a potent antioxidant. What that means is that it stops unstable oxygen molecules from hurting the DNA and machinery of healthy skin cells, in turn protecting against premature aging.
Vitamin A is SO effective, in fact, that a form of the nutrient is the main ingredient in many of anti-wrinkle and anti-acne creams, like Retin-A. So which foods get an A+ in terms of getting your A? Low-fat dairy, (like yogurt and skim milk cheeses), and orange vegetables and fruits, like carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, squash, cantaloupe, and mangoes.
Foods full of vitamin C are also key to achieving smooth and sturdy skin. C-rich foods have antioxidants, AND they provide the essential ingredient for collagen production. The collagens are natural fibrous proteins that connect and give structure to the skin, keeping it taut and youthful. Aside from the obvious oranges, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries and plums are all ripe with C.
Another awesome antioxidant is found in vitamin E-containing foods, like vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds. Vitamin E is especially useful for guarding against damage from ultraviolet radiation, and those antioxidants help protect cell membranes from free radicals. In fact, vitamin E enhances the effect of vitamin C, which is why various companies combine both in over the counter skin care products.
Still ANOTHER skin-saving ingredient you can find on your plate is omega-3 fatty acid. Fatty acids help strengthen your skins barrier, potentially preventing wrinkle-causing sun damage. Find omega-3s in all KINDS of foods, ranging from fish and oysters to walnuts and flaxseed.
Finally, fill your cupboards with whole grains and your fridge with turkey and tuna or vegetarian sources of selenium. Selenium is a skin-saver because (along with sunscreen!) it helps safeguard the skin from sun and environmental damage while protecting skins elasticity.
And don’t stop with what you eat! Drinking plenty of green tea can improve your skin further. Green tea contains polyphenols, which prevent skin from getting puffy and haggard, and functions as a potent antioxidant, so it works like vitamins A, C, and E to prevent skin damage.
By including these nutritious and delicious foods in your diet, and your firmer face will thank you! Check out more videos in this series for additional skincare tips!
Last Modified: 2012-11-17
Category: Health and Nutrition, Videos
