Eating right is an essential part of taking proper care of your skin. In fact, applying topical lotions and creams will rarely affect your appearance as your skin reflects what you eat. Since aging begins from the inside out, the best way to prevent it is by eating right so that your skin remains young and fresh.
Eating healthy has its benefits and the same can be said for achieving younger-glowing skin. However, it is important to know what foods to eat that will benefit your skin the most and hence, here are 17 of the most beneficial anti-aging foods for your skin:
Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids which are very essential for maintaining glowing skin. Omega-3 fatty acids moisturize the skin and help in reducing inflammation and swelling thereby making the skin supple. Mackerel, sardines, salmon, tuna, and herring are fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids. They also contain vitamin E, which is an excellent antioxidant, and zinc which is good at getting rid of acne, irritation, and healing wounds.
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Nuts also contain a high content of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, and zinc. In addition, they also contain skin nourishing and enriching vitamins and minerals especially B-group vitamins like folate (which helps in preventing dermatitis), vitamin C which provides anti-aging properties and selenium, another good antioxidant. Walnuts, almonds, and cashews are the top three best nuts to eat for better skin.
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Healthy fats are even found in avocados which improve skin’s elasticity and keep it moisture-free. Apart from fats, avocados contain carotenoids that help in protecting the skin from the sun’s harmful rays. Avocados are considered a superfood because they contain D-mannoheptulose which is a unique phytochemical that stimulates the production of collagen.
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One of the many health benefits of drinking green tea is that it is extremely good for your skin. It is rich in catechins and polyphenols which are skin-protecting antioxidants that shield your skin from sun rays. These even reduce inflammation which causes redness on the skin.
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One of the foods rich in probiotics that are essential for younger looking skin is yogurt or kefir. Probiotics are composed of healthy bacteria that reduce- acne, irritation, inflammation in the gut (from which most skin problems arise) and redness. Another use of yogurt is that it can be applied directly to the skin for its rejuvenating qualities. Since yogurt contains lactic acid it exfoliates the skin and reduce fine lines, and hence acts as an anti-aging agent.
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Honey is widely used in DIY (Do it yourself) face masks, and is topically applied in home remedies for reducing inflammation, moisturizing dry skin and treating acne. Honey is extremely beneficial for skin and is a rich source of antioxidants, antibacterial agents, and is considered a humectant. As it can be eaten, it serves as a good replacement for other sweets.
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Berries are great for both your health as well as your skin but blueberries are the best. Like avocado, blueberries are also called super-foods. They have high antioxidant content that enables your skin to fight off free radical damage and facilitates repair from the inside. Eating blueberries helps you sustain youthful and healthy skin longer as they contain anthocyanins which stabilize collagen.
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Oranges are good mainly because they are rich in vitamin C and filled with water. Vitamin C is vital for collagen production and the water hydrates the skin from within thereby preventing skin breakouts like acne. Collagen prevents sagginess and wrinkles by keeping your skin firm and supple.
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Pomegranates are second to oranges in serving as a good source of vitamin C. Aside from this they contain punicalagin and ellagic acid. Ellagic acid helps in fending off the damage done by free radicals and slows down the collagen breakdown process. Punicalagin, on the other hand, increases your body’s collagen preserving capacity. Combined with the collagen boost that you get from the vitamin C content, eating this fruit can really work wonders for your skin.
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There are some major carotenoids like alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lycopene, and lutein, besides vitamin C present in tomatoes. These carotenoids are antioxidants which help in protecting your skin from the sun’s rays and preventing your skin from wrinkling. Furthermore, they are natural anti-inflammatory agents. Get the best out of tomatoes by cooking them with olive oil (rich in healthy fats). Cooking tomatoes helps you absorb more lycopene rather than eating them raw.
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Spinach and Kale are super green leafy vegetables rich in vitamins that enhance your skin’s beauty. They contain vitamin A that helps in controlling sebum production, vitamin C which boosts collagen, and vitamin E that serves as protection from oxidative damage. These three working in unison keep your skin wrinkle-free, spot free, supple and moisturized. Kale and spinach also have anti-inflammatory qualities preventing any flare-ups in your gut which affect your skin.
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In comparison to other vegetables, yellow and red bell peppers have the highest vitamin C content. Other vitamins that they are also rich in include vitaminB6 and vitamin B9 (folate), along with carotenoids. Vitamin B6 keeps skin conditions like eczema, dermatitis and hormonal acne at bay while Folate largely improves your skin’s firmness. Other colored bell peppers are nutritious too but not as much as the yellow and red ones.
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All fermented foods are equally rich in probiotics and anti-aging lactic acid. The healthy bacteria in probiotics help balance out the bad bacteria, in your gut, and reduce any inflammation that would affect your skin. Preventing the onset of wrinkles is what probiotics is best at and by improving nutrient absorption from whatever you eat; your skin begets a better glowing complexion.
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Turmeric is a spice labeled as a super-food owing to the fact that holds many skin redeeming functions. These are- it prevents redness, acne and oxidative damage to the skin, it is an anti-inflammatory, it repairs any damaged sustained from the sun and also protects the skin from skin cancer.
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Raw Cacao is exceptionally good as it has resveratrol which is a powerful antioxidant. Like other antioxidants, resveratrol also protects and repairs the skin from sun damage, in turn, preventing premature aging. Cacao is even a huge source of magnesium which is an irritation calming mineral. Roasted Cacao also known as Cocoa, and Dark Chocolate also contains resveratrol, but in lesser amounts than raw cacao. It would be preferable to add raw cacao to your yogurt or smoothies to obtain maximum benefits.
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Oats contain a lot of manganese that indirectly benefits your skin by increasing your body’s absorption capacity of essential skin vitamins especially that of vitamin C, biotin and choline. These help in the preservation of your skin’s elasticity and prevention from damage by free radicals. Zinc-good for skin-healing and selenium-an antioxidant are also present in oats.
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Overall olive oil is good for your health as well as your skin. The omega-3 fatty acids and polyphenols present in olive oil nourishes the skin keeping it supple, moisturized, protected from oxidative damage and inflammation.
As eyes are the window to your soul, the skin is the window to your health. Remember it is important to eat right as what you eat will be reflected by your skin. So, try these foods and notice the permanent–positive changes in your skin health.
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