The Right Nutrients are Critical for Healthy Skin

You may be familiar with some of the nutrients for healthy skin. They include the common antioxidants, the vitamins A, C and E. Others may come as a surprise. Here’s what you need to include in your daily diet to support your skin’s health. Let’s start with protein. Proteins are the basic building blocks of cells, fibers and tissues throughout the body. The skin’s outer cells are composed of the protein keratin. The elastic fibers, responsible for the skin’s strength and firmness, are composed of collagen and elastin. The structural proteins are simple ones, composed of only a few amino acids. More complete proteins are present in the diet. They are broken down by the stomach into individual amino acids that are then directed to where they are needed in the body. If you are not getting enough protein in your daily diet, the amino acids will not be directed to the skin’s cells and fibers. They will first be transported to more vital body parts. A good rule of thumb is to aim for a half gram of protein per pound of body weight, every single day. Some of the other important nutrients for healthy skin are called essential fatty acids. They should not be confused with essential oils which are present in many skincare products. An essential oil is simply a concentrated water-based plant fragrance, not oil at all. Real oils are fats. One of the foods recommended for supporting the skin’s health and appearance, particularly as we age is salmon. It provides essential proteins and essential fatty acids. The evidence comes from supplement use, not from eating specific foods, but studies have shown that increasing protein intake improves the skin’s structure and firmness. Taking a fish oil supplement, which contains essential fatty acids called omega-3s, increases the skin’s firmness by 10%. You might think of salmon as “anti-wrinkle” food, because firmer skin is generally less wrinkled. The other important nutrients for healthy skin are all antioxidants, like the vitamins A, C and E. Increasing your antioxidant intake will help to delay the aging process throughout your body. A few ways to easily increase your antioxidant intake include:

• Substitute green tea or cocoa for coffee
• Eat dark chocolate, instead of milk chocolate
• Eat sweet potatoes instead of white ones
• Eat carrot sticks and other crunchy vegetables instead of chips or junk food

Being sure to include the nutrients for healthy skin in your diet is only half of the equation. The other half is to use skincare products that contain them, too. There are studies indicating that creams containing:

• the antioxidant coenzyme Q10 reverses wrinkles and repairs sun damage
• the protein keratin increases skin-cell production and firmness
• vitami E helps to prevent age spots
• vitami A stimulates collagen production

Those are just a few of the nutrients for healthy skin that are found in plant extracts and oils like avocado and macadamia. So, remember to eat right, but don’t forget to feed your face.