One of the best-kept secrets to younger-looking skin starts with eating a healthy, balanced diet. They are many connections between our digestion and our overall health. Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet improves our energy levels, gut health, and even the look of our skin. After all, you are what you eat right? You can’t stop the aging process of your skin, but you can control it with your daily diet. If you stay committed to eating healthier, you can give your skin extra love and a little boost.
Seeing a board-certified dermatologist can go beyond the surface of your skin health and help you obtain glowing, clear skin with a nutritious diet. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is the core diet for healthy skin.
The Best Nutrients for Your Skin
Fatty acids like omega-3s help our cells to stay hydrated and also help reduce inflammation in the body. Then you have antioxidants and phytonutrients that can help protect your cells by reducing the free radicals in your body.
Omega-3 fatty acids help to improve your cholesterol and help fight inflammation. Best of all Omega-3 fatty acids help preserve collagen in your skin and help to keep it firm. Some of the best foods to eat that are filled with Omega-3 fatty acids are:
- Herring
- Mackerel
- Salmon
- Tuna (bluefin or albacore)
- Sardines
However, if you are a person who does not eat fish there are some plant-based options to get in your Omega-3s:
- Flaxseeds – look for ground flaxseed as your body doesn’t get as many nutrients from whole flaxseed and mix it into yogurt, smoothies, or oatmeal.
- Chia seeds
- Walnuts or almonds
- Edamame
- Canola or soybean oil.
Tomatoes contain the antioxidant, lycopene, which helps keep your skin smoother. Tomatoes are also super easy to work into anything, like salads, soups, side dishes, sandwiches, including sauces.
Some fruits and vegetables not only contain antioxidants but also contain vitamin C. Eating foods that are rich in vitamin C helps fight against wrinkles. Some of the best foods to eat to get an intake of your daily needs of vitamin C include:
- Citrus fruit – oranges, grapefruit, lemons, and limes
- Bell peppers – green, orange, red, or yellow
- Broccoli
- Strawberries
- Kiwi
Consuming foods that contain vitamin E helps prevent cell damage as just like vitamin C it’s an antioxidant. Some of the best foods to incorporate into your diet that are high in vitamin E are:
- Almonds
- Sunflower seeds
Many foods contain antioxidant polyphenols. This antioxidant helps reduce the rough texture of your skin and protects it against sun damage. Ways you can get your polyphenols intake are:
- Tea and coffee- studies have shown that polyphenols in coffee and green tea could help prevent photoaging along with hyperpigmentation
- Grapes
- Chocolate – just make sure it contains 60% to 70% cocoa.
Best Diet for Acne
There is significant evidence that there is a link between dairy and acne breakout, especially in teens. Dairy products contain compounds that trigger acne breakouts, and they are inflammatory molecules, hormones, and sugars. Try reducing your dairy intake by avoiding cheese, milk, and yogurt.
Best Diet for Fine Lines and Wrinkles
Having an anti-wrinkle diet is an anti-inflammatory diet. You want to ensure you are eating foods that have plenty of antioxidants, as these foods help fight aging by neutralizing free radicals. Free radicals are atoms that bond with your skin cells’ DNA, that cause damage and decay, leading to the formation of fine lines and wrinkles. Eating foods like leafy greens, fruits (oranges and grapefruits) and nuts contain more antioxidants than a non-vegan diet of dairy, meat, fish, and eggs.
Best Diet for Oily Skin
If you are one of the many people who struggle with oily skin that tends to lead to breakouts, there are foods that you can consume that will help your body regulate oil production better. Adding flaxseed to your diet has fatty acids and lignans that help make your skin glow without being shiny. Make sure you are consuming enough whole grains in your diet so your skin doesn’t overproduce sebum.
Having inflammation in your body can have a negative impact on your skin. If you are eating a ton of processed and fast foods, this may increase your body’s inflammation. Skin dryness can be caused by excess alcohol and smoking. If your skin is dehydrated or feels like it, try drinking at least eight glasses of water a day. Eating too much processed or refined sugars and foods that have a high glycemic index like dairy, carbohydrates, and unhealthy fats can cause skin inflammation, irritation, breakout, and aging. You want to eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, fatty fish, and legumes that will help nourish your skin from the outside to the inside.
