10 Great Foods to Promote Healthy Skin

Aug 25, 2021 · 4

Did you know that skin is the human body's largest organ? Not only is it the largest organ - it has several important responsibilities: Our skin protects from trauma, radiation, and infections, regulates temperature, senses the environment, and contributes to endocrine functions. Your first thought about skincare is likely external treatments, like creams and moisturizers, which can be helpful tools in protecting skin health.

In this article, we want to bring attention to how you can take better care of your skin by focusing on nutrition. If you eat a balanced diet, then you may be unknowingly doing this already. However, knowing what to eat and how it will benefit you will motivate you to be more conscious about your diet.

Here are ten foods that can help boost the health of your skin!

Oranges for Vitamin C

Oranges are a great source of water for your body. They help you hydrate your skin. In addition, the Vitamin C that you can get from oranges contributes to the production of collagen. Collagen is a protein in your body that helps the structure of your skin. If your skin is rich in collagen, then your skin will feel tighter and more supple. Think of it as the glue that keeps your skin together. It also has other vital functions, such as healing wounds and building strong bones and muscles. Along with oranges, you can also benefit from other citric fruits such as grapefruit or lemons.
Brussels sprouts for Vitamin A and Folate

Brussels sprouts are an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and folate. We already discussed how Vitamin C can help your skin. Vitamin A and folate help you prevent sun damage to your skin. Along with Brussels sprouts, you can see similar benefits from other greens, such as broccoli, kale, and cauliflower. Vitamin A has also received attention in its active form, retinoids, which can treat various skin conditions such as acne, psoriasis, eczema, and cold sores.
Salmon for Omega-3 fats

If you think that all you have to eat to improve your skin health is fruits and vegetables, you would be wrong. Salmon provides healthy omega-3 fats. Some recent studies have suggested that Omega-3 can have cancer-fighting properties. In addition to salmon, you can also get the same benefits from mackerel and sardines. If you are vegan, then opt for flax seeds, chia seeds, and walnuts.
Berries for Antioxidants

Berries like blueberries, blackberries, and goji berries are important sources of antioxidants. Antioxidants help you fight inflammation in your skin. The cosmetic industry advertises this as an anti-aging solution.

Antioxidants help you fight free radicals. Free radicals are highly unstable chemicals that are produced naturally when you exercise, and your body transforms food into energy. Free radicals can also enter your body from several external causes, including cigarette smoke, air pollution, and sunlight. Free radicals can trigger cell damage. Antioxidants work by checking the number of free radicals you have in your body. Antioxidants also improve solar radiation protection.
Probiotic Yogurt for your Gut Flora

There is a belief that your skin is only as healthy as your gut. You might have heard older adults say good food leads to good skin. Modern medicine suggests that there is a relationship between your gut flora and your skin. If you can keep your digestive system clean, you can keep your skin clean as well. It goes to say that beauty comes from within.

Probiotic yogurt is a food that is beneficial to the healthy bacteria that live in your stomach and help with your digestion. Apart from probiotic yogurt, you can opt to include kombucha, sauerkraut, anything pickled, and miso in your diet.
Turmeric for Anti-inflammation

Turmeric has received a lot of good press in recent years. Nowadays, you can even walk into many coffee shops and order a cup of coffee that's mixed with turmeric as well. Turmeric helps you boost your immunity. It also helps you maintain the health of your gut flora and contributes to your skin's good health as an anti-inflammatory agent. You can add a little bit of turmeric to warm water or milk to prepare a drink, or you can add it to your vegetables as well. Oregano, cloves, ginger, and garlic are some more herbs and spices that increase the natural shine of the skin.
Green Tea for Detox

Green tea use is part of several East Asian cultures, and Japanese women have been aware of its skincare advantages for generations. Tea's numerous benefits include slowing DNA damage, reducing inflammation, and even guarding against UV damage and burns. There's a reason the superfood is used as an ingredient in so many cosmetics. However, you get the best effects from consuming the real thing directly. Green tea contains EGCG, a polyphenol with potent antioxidant effects. It is also known to help detox your body.
Avocado for Vitamin E

Avocados are easy to love. Avocados are high in antioxidants such as Vitamin E and healthy fats (monounsaturated), and they are beneficial to both the body and the skin. A lunchtime salad of leafy greens and avocado provides antioxidant protection.
Beef and Chicken for Amino Acids

Meat items, such as beef and chicken, are among the greatest meals for glowing skin because they include high levels of amino acids, which promote collagen synthesis. Proteins are essential building elements for smooth, supple skin. The nine necessary amino acids present in various forms of protein are the hidden key for collagen formation, which can improve your skin's youthful, bright look.
Red Wine for Resveratrol

What a great way to wrap up a list of the top foods to improve your skin health! Resveratrol found in wine is beneficial for slowing down the aging process of your skin by destroying harmful free radicals that could harm your skin. The way it makes it into the wine is through grapes. So, eating grapes would give you the same benefit as well.