Improve your skin with nutrition

Yes it's true - you can help your skin by being aware of what you eat, not just by using an expensive face cream and hoping that will help...

Adjusting the level of the nutrients in your diet can help skin regain some of its natural glow - its not a quick fix or a facelift, but neither is it as expensive or traumatic!

This is a new area of research, but a recent study published in The American College of Nutrition (Martalena br Purba et al, 2001) concluded that people who ate a diet rich in vegetables, fish, pulses and olive oil and low in dairy products and sugar had less skin wrinkling in sun exposed areas.

So what can you do?  Essentially eat the well balanced diet we all know we should eat... but here's the blurb if you want to know the details.....

Vitamin A
Eat more oil rich fish and egg yolks to boost your vitamin A. This normalises the production and life cycle of skin cells, as well as having an antioxidant effect to fight skin damage. Vitamin A can be found as Retinol in animal products and beta-carotene in plants.

Beta-carotene
Along with Lycopene (found in tomatoes), beta-carotene has been shown to protect skin from the sun. Eat more carrots, sweet potatoes, peppers, mango and green leafy vegetables.

Vitamin C
This is essential for the production of collagen which acts like skin elastic. Once it begins to break down through ageing and skin damage, we get sagging and wrinkles.... Boost your diet with dark green leafy veg, citrus fruit, kiwi, tomatoes and peppers.

Vitamin E
This is a powerful antioxidant which helps repair damage to collagen. It also promotes skin healing so potentially could help dry, cracked skin to heal.

Selenium
Another antioxidant, which along with vitamin E helps neutralise free radical damage from pollutants in the air which can trigger enzymes which damage skin. Eat brazil nuts, whole grains and shellfish.

Zinc
Speeds up healing and supports our immune system. Eat seafood, chicken, eggs, nuts and seeds.

Omega-3 fats
These fats help cells stay hydrated, so skin looks less dry and wrinkled. Additionally it works as an anti-inflammatory so helps with dryness and chronic skin complaints such as psoriasis.


You should reduce:
- Alcohol consumption - too much increases the signs of ageing as it breaks up collagen. Try the Mediterranean style small glass of wine with dinner to get the benefits and minimise the risks.
- Processed foods especially carbohydrates. Processed food which is high in sugar may increase spots, as well as potentially containing trans fats which are bad for your overall health and your skin. Trans fats are those such as hydrogenated vegetable fat or oil.


In summary

Eat a diet which is high in green leafy veg and red and orange fruit and vegetables, nuts, oil rich fish and whole grains to keep your skin at its best.  Additionally remember that any moisturiser or foundation you wear should also contain SPF to protect your skin from damage by the sun, even in the Winter.