Eat your way to healthy, supple skin

Skin, the largest organ of our body which is spread throughout. The skin protects us from microbes and elements, helps regulate body temperature, and permits sensation of heat, touch & cold.

To make your skin look healthy on the outside, first you need to work on the inside that can favour your skin to stay clear, glowing and healthy! Usually people suffer from endless skin issues, most common being acne & pigmentation. The lesser common ones are dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, cellulitis, skin abscess, melanoma, ring worms etc.

In order to keep our skin well toned & young, we usually prioritize in expensive beauty products and underrate the power of real food and nutrition that can nourish your skin from the inside to make it shine on the outside.

So what are the important nutrients that can help improve your skin?

1. A balanced diet : Having the right foods in the correct amount throughout the day in your routine is one of the most simple and best way to boost skin health. Including tons of colourful fruits and vegetables, whole grains, drinking enough water & to exercise daily helps in amping up the skin health.
2. Anti-oxidants : Anti-oxidants such as beta-carotene, vitamin C, E and A can curb the damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals. These molecules can harm skin cells and cause.. Food sources rich in this category are — carrots, tomatoes, guava, kiwi, papaya, mango, lemon, nuts & oil seeds, bell peppers, sweet potato, coriander leaves, spinach, fenugreek leaves and other seasonal fruits and vegetables.
3. Good Fats : No matter you are lean or fat, good fats are essential for you & your skin’s wellbeing. This how your skin gets it’s glow. Too little fat in your diet can make you feel dry & wrinkled. Focus on monounsaturated & polyunsaturated fats from plants like nuts, seeds, avocados, flaxseeds, walnuts & fish from animal sources. These help your skin stay moist, firm & flexible.
4. Proteins : The proteins that we eat are broken down into simple form called Amino Acids. These are used by the body to make other proteins like collagen & keratin. They help in rejuvenating the skin and sloughs off the old & dead skin cells. Rich sources of proteins are dals, pulses, dairy, chicken, eggs & fish.
5. Vitamin A : This Vitamin helps in protecting your skin from UV rays and sunburns. It helps the oil glands work well and without Vitamin A, the skin can get dry, itchy & bumpy.
6. Vitamin E : This one works with Vitamin C & helps build stronger cell walls. It absorbs the energy from UV light and keeps the damage away. The rich sources are sunflower seeds, almonds, peanuts, spinach, beet & collard leaves, pumpkin, red bell pepper, asparagus, mango & avocado.
7. Zinc : It helps your skin heal after an injury/acne/scar. It’s needed to keep the cell walls stable & for the cells to divide and specialise as they grow. Rich sources of zinc are shellfish, legumes, seeds, dairy, eggs, dark chocolate, whole grains etc.

What should you be careful of?

Overall the best practices for your diet will nurture your best-looking skin. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, but make sure to keep an eye on your serving sizes. Stick to 1–2 (100–200g) seasonal fruits daily.

And as always, be sure to cut down on the unhealthy stuff, you don’t want to undo all the work the healthy foods are doing. Eating too many processed or refined sugars and foods with high glycemic index, dairy, carbohydrates, and unhealthy fats can actually cause skin inflammation, irritation, and breakouts and encourage the aging process of your skin. And remember, supplement pills are not a substitute for a healthy diet!

Apart from the nutrients, make sure you are cleansing your gut well, knowing about any allergies you have and are taking good care of your skin. Stick to a regular habit of eating the recommended foods, and in time you’ll feel better, look better — and your healthier skin will reflect it all.

References:

1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/healthy-skin/faq-20058184
2. https://www.webmd.com/beauty/ss/slideshow-skin-foods
3. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/23-foods-good-skin/
4. http://idaindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Balanced-Diet-for-Indians.pdf
5. https://www.webmd.com/beauty/nutrients-for-healthy-skin#1

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