The skin is the body’s largest organ. It protects against germs, regulates body temperature and enables touch (tactile) sensations. To keep your skin healthy and enable it to do its job effectively, you need to nourish it with the right balance of nutrients.
Healthy fats give your skin that “glow”. Eating a diet with too little fat can lead to wrinkled and dry skin. Eat foods rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats from plants like nuts, seeds, and avocados and from fish.
The proteins you eat are digested and turned to amino acids that form the building blocks of your skin’s structure such as collagen and keratin. Amino acids also help shed old skin and act as antioxidants that protect skin cells against UV rays and free radicals.
Your skin’s upper and lower layers need Vitamin A. Without enough vitamin A, your skin might get dry and itchy or bumpy. It may prevent sun damage by interrupting collagen breakdown. As an antioxidant, vitamin A may protect against sunburn. It helps the oil glands around your hair follicles work and helps hasten wound healing.
Vitamin C helps maintain your skin’s collagen network. As a powerful antioxidant, it protects you from free radicals and may lower your risk for skin cancer. Without enough vitamin C, you may bruise easily and experience bleeding gums, as well as slower-healing sores.
Vitamin E has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It can protect against UV light which damages skin and leads to wrinkles, sagging, and skin cancer. Vitamin E works with vitamin C to strengthen cell walls.
Zinc helps your skin heal after an injury. It keeps cell walls stable and is important for cell division and specialization. Zinc may protect your skin from UV damage, and also acts as an antioxidant.
Selenium helps certain antioxidants protect your skin from UV rays, and may lower skin cancer risk.
Fruits and vegetables are rich in skin-friendly vitamins and other antioxidants. Foods good for your skin include fatty fish, leafy dark greens, eggs, flaxseeds, legumes, avocados, and extra virgin olive oil.
Consult your dermatologist for more information on the best nutrients for your skin, and whether supplements are right for you.
Shop at Watsons for your vitamins, supplements, and other essential healthcare needs.
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Reference: https://www.webmd.com/beauty/nutrients-for-healthy-skin. Accessed 27 September 2022
