Natural Beauty: Foods That Preserve Youthful Skin
Stress, lack of exercise and sleep, smoking and air pollution accelerate the skin’s aging process, resulting in fine and coarse wrinkles, rough skin texture, prominent blood vessels and pigmentation.These factors make a person look older than his or her actual age.The skin, the largest organ of the body, requires proper nutrition to function properly.
Vitamin A (Retinol) strengthens the skin, prevents acne, helps reduce sebum production, and fights stress which causes acne.It is essential for the maintenance and repair of body tissues and a powerful antioxidant that rids the body of toxins.
Vitamin A-rich foods include liver, beef, chicken liver, pumpkin, carrots, sweet potato, squash, mangoes, spinach, cantaloupe, apricots, collard greens, kale, vegetable juice, broccoli, romaine lettuce, and fortified skim milk.
Vitamin B complex - helps maintain healthy skin tone.Thiamine (vitamin B1) acts as an antioxidant; also enhances circulation.Riboflavin (B2) is essential for healthy skin, hair and nails.
Vitamin B complex-rich foods are dark green vegetables, groundnuts, peas, cereals, meat, eggs, tuna, turkey, Brazil nuts, bananas, potatoes, avocadoes, and legumes.
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) is an antioxidant.It fights stress and increases body resistance, and is vital in collagen production and tissue healing.It is also required in hundreds of metabolic functions in the body.When taken with vitamin E, it increases skin resistance to sunburn.
Vitamin C-rich foods are broccoli, strawberries, citrus fruits, green peppers, brussels sprouts, honeydew, cantaloupe, kiwi fruit, guavas, sweet red bell peppers, parsley, cauliflower, mustard greens, papaya, grapefruit, cabbage, tomatoes, raspberries, celery, spinach, pineapple, watermelon, tangerines, limes, cranberries and passion fruit.
Vitamin D (Calciferol) improves skin respiration and helps fight stress, eczema, psoriasis, and acne.
Vitamin D-rich foods include oily fish (e.g.herring, catfish, salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna, and eel), liver, cod liver oil, milk, and eggs.
Vitamin E slows aging, prevents cell damage, and is an antioxidant that enhances healing and tissue repair.
Vitamin E-rich foods are avocados, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach, watercress, brussels sprouts, blackberries, mangoes, corn oil, olive oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, mackerel, salmon, nuts, whole meal and wholegrain products and soft margarine.
Biotin - helps improve skin, hair and nails.Symptoms of deficiency are dry and pale skin.
Biotin-rich foods include eggs, peanut butter, wholegrain foods (especially oats), cauliflower, lettuce, peas, tomatoes, oysters, grapefruit, watermelon, corn, liver, kidneys, and nuts.
Chromium - helps fight skin infections
Chromium-rich foods are calves’ liver, chicken, eggs, lamb chops, pork chops, scallops, shrimps, cabbage, carrots, fresh chili, green beans, green pepper, lettuce, mushrooms, parsnips, potatoes, spinach, brewers yeast, butter, milk, rye bread, apples, bananas, oranges, and strawberries.
Zinc aids in tissue healing, helps prevent scarring, regulates the activity of the immune system, and helps heal wounds.
Zinc-rich foods are oysters, ginger root, pork chops, lamb chops, chicken, haddock, liver, cauliflower, cucumber, lettuce, potatoes, carrots, Brazil nuts, buckwheat, hazel nuts, oats, peanuts, almonds, walnuts, rye, egg yolk, milk, sardines, and tuna.