Have you ever heard the saying, “You are what you eat?” There may be more truth to it than you think. Each month, current research finds new information into how important the food you consume is for your well-being. The food you eat impacts all your organs, especially the largest organ of all – your skin. (1)
Beauty: More than Skin Deep
Are you looking for healthy, vibrant, and youthful skin? You may find it through being more attentive to what’s on your plate, especially if your skin is sensitive. Everything you consume eventually becomes a part of or impacts your body at a cellular level, including your skin.
It’s important to remember that most changes don’t happen overnight. When it comes to the skin, what we consume has a more cumulative effect. For example, the effects of one donut in one day might be negligible. One donut each day for a month, however, might start to show on your skin.
How does diet affect the skin?
The answer to how diet affects the skin is complex, and it can vary from person to person. How your skin reacts to specific foods might depend significantly on your genetic makeup and environment. For the most part, however, what you eat affects your skin through a variety of factors, like inflammation, antioxidants, nutrients, and hydration. These factors can impact your skin barrier, skin elasticity, and your skin’s natural beneficial microorganisms. (2)
The body’s inflammatory response is a reaction to injury from toxins, trauma, bacteria, and other factors. Although this response is there to protect the body, constant (chronic) inflammation can end up hurting the body instead. When you consistently consume foods that trigger inflammation, your skin may also become inflamed.
Foods that are bad for your health are typically the same foods that cause chronic inflammation. Some examples of inflammatory foods are: (3)
●Fatty or greasy foods
●High-sugar processed foods
Antioxidants and Nutrients
Each day free radicals injure your body, by way of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet light, toxins from the environment, and as a naturally occurring process in the body. Free radicals are unstable molecules that damage DNA and injure cells, and antioxidants are the essential molecules that neutralize these free radicals. (4)
Fresh and nutritious foods are typically high in antioxidants like vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, and zinc. Zinc is especially important. According to the Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology, zinc reduces oxidative stress from free radicals, decreases inflammation, and slows the signs of aging. For the skin, which takes a brunt of the free radicals in the environment, antioxidants work to keep skin smooth and youthful. (5)
Water accounts for more of your skin than any other substance, 64% of it to be exact. (6) The water you drink, however, doesn’t instantly show up in your skin. Your skin benefits from drinking water because water flushes toxins from the body. Furthermore, the structures that make up the skin need water to do their job effectively. Dehydrated skin tends to show more wrinkles, fine lines, and skin irritations.
How does diet show up on the skin?
Diet isn’t the sole factor in the health of your skin, but it does play a major role. The following are a few examples of how diet can negatively impact your skin. (7)
●A diet high in dairy and processed carbohydrates can increase the risk for acne. A 2016 article found a connection between the hormone IGF-1 contained in dairy and acne. (8)
●The risk for skin cancer greatly decreases with a antioxidant-rich diet. An 11-year study found that people who consumed a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables decreased their risk of skin cancer by 54%. (9)
●Diets high in processed sugar can accelerate the signs of aging due to thinning the skin barrier and inflammation. (2)
Foods That are Good for Your Skin
It won’t happen overnight but replacing processed foods with more nutritious choices may improve your skin.
Are you looking for youthful radiant skin? Then you may want to add the following foods to your diet:
●Colorful berries (blueberries, cherries, raspberries)
●Nuts (almonds, walnuts)
●Green leafy vegetables (kale, spinach, collards)
●Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines)
●Healthy oils (olive oil)
●Fruits (mangos, oranges, bananas)
●Vegetables (carrots, pumpkin, radishes)
Taking Care of Your Skin: Inside and Out
Caring for your skin means being mindful of what you expose your skin to and what you consume. Quality counts, both inside and out. Eating fresh, nutrient dense foods rich in antioxidants will help you get the clear, radiant skin you’ve been dreaming of.