Do you know what you eat has a huge impact on your skin? A healthy and nutritious diet can help you be beautiful inside out. You don't have to rely on expensive cosmetics for your daily skin care routine.
So, here are the top 10 foods that can help you keep your skin healthy. Remember, good food, in the right amount can do wonders.
Walnuts
Eating walnuts keeps bacteria and skin inflammation at bay.
Walnuts are great to have a healthy skin. They are rich in essential fats that can help you get a glowing skin.
According to FoodData Central, walnuts are a better option than most nuts due to the presence of both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Balanced amount of these help prevent inflammation, protects the skin and keeps it healthy. According to PubMed Central, it contains zinc which helps fight barriers, inflammation, bacteria and promotes healing.
Fatty Fish
According to PubMed Central, fatty fish like mackeral, herring and salmon helps you keep a healthy skin. They are rich in omega-3 fatty acids which promotes soft, supple, thick skin and prevents dryness as well. They fight against inflammation that can cause acne.
They protect skin from harmful UV rays as well. According to the US NIH, fatty acids in fish prevent autoimmune disease skin diseases like lupus and psoriasis. Fatty fish helps maintain optimum levels of vitamin E as well. In general, it keeps the skin healthy, fights inflammation and promotes the development of new skin cells.
Avocado
Avocados contain essential fatty acids that are beneficial for liver problems.
According to the US NIH, the healthy fats in avocados helps keep the skin moisturised and flexible. Avocados have proven to promote healthy, supple and springy skin. There are evidences of them preventing sun damage, protecting against UV rays, slowing down wrinkling and other signs of aging.
Avocados are rich in vitamin E and vitamin C. According to the PubMed Central, vitamin E protects the skin from oxidative damage and vitamin C promotes the development of collagen protein responsible for strong and healthy skin.
Sweet Potato
Sweet potatoes contain beta carotene that get converted into vitamin A in the body. Half a cup of boiled or baked sweet potatoes contain six times the daily requirement of beta carotene.
It protects the skin from sun exposure and prevents death of cells, dry or wrinkled skin by acting as a natural sun block. According to PubMed Central, it adds an orange tint to the skin giving it an overall healthier appearance.
Broccoli
According to PubMed Central, broccoli is rich in minerals and vitamins essential for healthier skin. It includes vitamin A, zinc and vitamin C that together helps maintain glowing skin.
It is rich in lutein which protects the skin from oxidative damage and prevents drying and wrinkling. Sulforaphane is a compound found in broccoli which prevents certain types of skin cancer and protects the skin from sun damage as well.
Tomatoes
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According to the US NIH, tomatoes contain nutrients like vitamin C, beta carotenoids, lutein and lycopene. They protect the skin from sun damage, prevent wrinkling and promote an overall healthy skin.
You can always combine the carotenoids rich food with fats like cheese and olive oil since they help in better absorption of carotenoids.
Dark Chocolate
5 reasons why you should eat chocolate.
(Photo: iStock)
Research has shown that regular use of cocoa powder promotes healthy, flexible and hydrated skin due to the presence if antioxidants in them.
Antioxidants in dark chocolate makes the skin less sensitive, prevents scaling, dryness and maintains a healthy blood flow. Chocolates with at least 70 percent or more cocoa can help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and prevents the skin from UV radiation effectively.
Soy
Soy contains isoflavones which prevents the production of extra estrogen in the body promoting healthier skin. They also help reduce the appearance of wrinkles, minimising the effects of aging on the skin.
The compounds present in soy promote strong, healthy, moisturised and elastic skin. According to the US NIH, it protects the skin from UV radiation, protects the inner cells from damage and prevents skin cancer.
Green Tea
The essential compound catechins present in green tea helps promote healthy skin and protect it from any damage or aging. The antioxidants in green tea protects the skin against sun damage.
According to PubMed Central, green tea makes the skin moisturised, thick and elastic preventing roughness and redness from sun exposure up to 25 percent.
Bell peppers
Yellow and red bell peppers have proven to promote healthy skin. According to FoodData Central, these bell peppers are rich in beta carotenoids, that get converted into vitamin A in the body.
One cup of chopped bellp eppers contain 156 percent of daily required vitamin A and 211 percent of daily required vitamin C which promotes collagen production, a protein in the skin responsible for skin tightening and reduced risk of wrinkling and skin aging.
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