Protein-rich meat for post-workout recovery.
Leafy greens for heart health.
Probiotics for a bumble-free belly.
Sound familiar? Foods are often defined by their health remedies and performance-boosting benefits. But when it comes to skincare, the best foods for healthy skin are often overlooked for cosmetic creams and ointments.
But a nutrient-rich diet packed with collagen, healthy fats and antioxidants can often be the key to a glowing complexion. This article lists the 11 best foods for healthy skin, provided by the Factor dietitian team!
Water
Your skin is an organ with millions of cells. Water makes up those cells. Staying hydrated can help protect your skin from appearing dry, tight and flaky.[1] A good rule of thumb is to drink half of your body’s weight in fluid ounces every day. For example, if you are 200 lbs, try to consume 100 oz of water daily.
Brazil Nuts
Selenium helps temper inflammation (caused by UV damage and pollutants) by slowing the development of inflammatory cytokines. One brazil nut contains 68 to 91 mcg of selenium (123% of the daily recommended intake).[2]
Spinach
Lutein, a powerful antioxidant, can help your skin stay hydrated and keep its youthful elasticity by protecting against UV damage. Because the body cannot make lutein, adding a healthy serving of spinach will give you a great boost of dietary lutein.
Tomatoes
Lycopene, a cancer-preventative phytonutrient, may help protect your skin against damaging sunburns. Daily intake can help to lessen the redness associated with a burn by up to 40%![3] While most people associate lycopene with bright red tomatoes, yellow and orange tomatoes are great sources as well. To get a concentrate burst of lycopene, try incorporating tomato paste into your recipes.
Beef
Coenzyme Q10 is responsible for making energy and helping your skin cells work. While the body can make CoQ10, production declines as we age making a boost from food a great strategy! A 3-ounce cooked serving of beef, which is roughly the size of a deck of cards, contains approximately 2.6 milligrams of CoQ10.
Hard-Boiled Eggs
Vitamin A is a retinol which has shown to help diminish unwanted wrinkles and brown spots. Eggs contain 8% of your daily recommended vitamin A. They’re also an easy breakfast or snack option!
Kakadu Plums
Kakadu plums are one of the best foods for healthy skin! Vitamin C is essential to creating collagen, the main structural protein that keeps your skin strong and firm.[4] The Kakadu plum is an Australian fruit the size of a cherry that’s packed with vitamin C. Just one plum has a whopping 481 mg of vitamin C, or 530% of your recommended daily intake (RDI).
Sunflower Seeds
Vitamin E has strong antioxidant abilities that can reduce free radical damage and slow the aging of skin cells.[5] One cup of sunflower seeds has 221% of your RDI of vitamin E. What’s more, sunflower seeds are an excellent addition to salads and trail mixes.[6]
Chia Seeds
Omega-3 fatty acids — DHA and EPA specifically — help regulate oil production and slow the aging process. Some studies show that omega-3 fatty acids may help prevent acne.[7] One tablespoon of chia seeds provides 61% of your RDI.
Broccoli
Flavonoids are potent phytonutrients that help maximize vitamin C’s skin-related benefits. Flavonoids also help strengthen capillaries in the body, which helps heal bruises. According to the USDA, broccoli, along with spinach and kale, top the charts in flavonoid content.[8] So, the next time you bruise, help it heal with a side of roasted broccoli.
Sweet Potatoes
Beta-carotene is a precursor to vitamin A that may help slow the signs of aging. Next time you crave potatoes, swap white potatoes for sweet potatoes to get more beta-carotene. Just ½ a cup of sweet potatoes contains four times the RDI for vitamin A.[9]
Sources:
[1] www.uwhealth.org/madison-plastic-surgery
[2] www.ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets
[3] www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16465309
[4] www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PMC3673383
[5] www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PMC3257702
[6] www.ndb.nal.usda.gov/
[7] www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full
[8] www.catalog.data.gov/dataset
[9] www.nutritiondata.self.com/facts
