Foods for Healthy Skin

Eating a Balanced Diet to Boost Skin Health

Sep 12, 2009

Diet plays an important role in skin health. A nutritious diet consisting of antioxidant-rich foods, healthy fats, fiber, and water is essential for healthy skin.

While many cosmetics and skincare products are enriched with vitamins and antioxidants, what is put in the body plays a more important role in promoting skin health. Food has a direct impact on how the skin looks and feels, and eating a balanced diet consisting of foods rich in essential nutrients is the best way to nourish and protect the skin.

Antioxidant-rich Foods

Environmental factors such as pollution, smoking, a diet heavy in fried foods, and the sun all cause aging of the skin. Eating antioxidant-rich foods can help combat premature signs of aging by reducing the harmful effects of free radicals. The top foods with the highest concentrations of antioxidants per serving include:

Other antioxidant-rich foods include fruits and vegetables that are red, yellow or orange in color, including sweet potatoes, carrots, apricots, and watermelon; purple foods such as grapes; and green foods such as broccoli and spinach.

Healthy Fats and Oils

Omega-3 fatty acids are another component to soft, healthy skin. Essential fats help keep the skin soft and smooth, and without enough healthy fats in the diet, skin cells cannot retain water and maintain their plumpness. The best sources of Omega-3 fats include flaxseed, fish, and walnuts. While healthy oils also contain good fats, oil also acts as a lubricant, making the skin both look and feel better. Healthy oils include extra virgin olive oil, olive oil, and canola oil.

Foods for Healthy Digestion

Both the digestive tract and liver promote skin health by detoxifying the body. The live bacteria in low-fat yogurt promotes a healthy digestive tract. High-fiber foods such as whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables in the diet also help keep digestion and the liver in good working order.

Water

Without adequate amounts of water, cells cannot rebuild and the waste that builds up in cells cannot be flushed out. Also, fine lines and wrinkles appear deeper when the body is dehydrated. Drinking 6 to 8 glasses of water every day keeps the skin well-hydrated and actually plumps up skin cells, making the skin supple and younger in appearance.

Eating a balanced diet is important to overall skin health and can help the skin to feel soft and supple and look more youthful; however other factors including limiting sun exposure, wearing sunscreen, avoiding processed and deep-fried foods, and not smoking also are important when the goal is healthy skin.

Holford, P. (2004). The New Optimum Nutrition Bible. Berkeley: Crossing Press.

The copyright of the article Foods for Healthy Skin in Nutrition is owned by Jennifer Murray. Permission to republish Foods for Healthy Skin in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.