Eating for healthy skin

Are there foods that promote healthier skin?  Students in my class often ask what foods they can eat for healthier skin.  As it turns out there are lots of foods that promote skin health.  Environmental Nutrition recently had an article, “Eat to Glow” and they outlined many foods for eating to glow.  WebMD and other sites also provide guidance on eating for healthy skin.  What are some of their recommendations?

1.  Fruits and Vegetables – “eat the rainbow”.  Many people know that fruits and veggies are healthy but many don’t know the different colors of fruits and veggies pack different antioxidants that are good for you.  For great skin, focus on vitamin A and carotene which turns into vitamin A in our bodies.  Think dark green and dark orange like spinach, sweet potatoes, carrots, green peppers, broccoli and cantaloupe.  Interesting, foods that are red – not only provide carotenes but also the healthy antioxidant, lycopene.  Think fresh tomatoes, salsa, spaghetti sauce, red bell peppers.  Researchers have found that eating more carotenes can improve skin discolorations like redness in just 6 weeks.  How much do you need to eat?  About 3 servings a day.  So, enjoy a handful of baby carrots at lunch, add some dark greens and bell peppers to your dinner salad. Skip the lettuce as it provides little vitamin A and carotenes.  Another benefit of all this carotene is it helps protect your skin from the sun’s damaging UV rays. Eating your veggies may even help protect against getting a sunburn.

2.  Nuts – Dr. Oz recommends a handful of nuts a day and nuts, especially almonds, are good for your skin. Eat more almonds and they may help reduce wrinkles as one study found.  How many almonds did study participants eat? About 2 ounces a day as a snack.  But be patient, the study lasted 16 weeks, so there aren’t overnight changes.  Walnuts and flaxseed are good sources of healthy fats that promote skin health. 

Almonds may help reduce wrinkles.

3.  Grapes – grapes have been known for resveratrol but now researchers have found dark grapes can help prevent your skin from the damaging rays of the sun.  Yes, you still have to use sunscreen but snacking on some dark grapes can help your skin.

4.  Mediterranean Diet -  As noted in a previous blog, the Mediterranean Diet is ranked the number one diet for good health.  It is also a diet to follow for great looking skin.  Following the Mediterranean Diet over a period of years can reduce skin cancer risk.  One component, tomatoes, has the lycopene that seems especially protective from UV induced skin cancers.  So, load up on some fresh tomatoes, enjoy the Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato sandwich.  Eat some salsa with whole grain chips.  Salsa is low in calories and high in nutrition.

5.  Low-fat dairy – real low-fat milk and yogurt is fortified with vitamin A.  Your body doesn’t have to convert the carotene into vitamin A as real milk provides real vitamin A.  Aim for 2 servings of real dairy a day. 

6.  Hydration – keep your skin cells hydrated with water.  Skip the sugared soda, sweet tea and choose plain water or the refreshing seltzer waters that are so popular.

Visit your local farmer’s market this week and pick up some fresh fruit and vegetables.  My husband just came back with fresh raspberries, blackberries, tomatoes and green peppers.  Add some fresh fruits and veggies to your day and enjoy some low-fat dairy this week to boost the health of your skin.

Sources:  Environmental Nutrition, WebMD, almonds, fats, blog    Image Sources: rainbow  ,  Almonds  , Grapes