Top 5 Superfoods for Healthy Skin
When you think of superfoods you may commonly think of strange and wonderful things like acai, cacao, goji berries or chia. Yes, these are a few of the foods that have hit the radar of superfood popularity.
However, there are some regular everyday foods that wont cost a fortune and can still provide you with the same superfood power.
When it comes to your skin, what you eat directly influences its appearance. Even though it seems strange, our skin is the largest organ in our body. It needs nutrients, oxygen, and hydration in order to be healthy and retain our youthful beauty.
More than that, acne, rosacea, redness, dry skin, and even fine lines and wrinkles are all affected by what you eat, which is where common everyday superfoods can lend a helping hand.
The great thing is that you can always improve the health of your skin from the inside out. So include more of these 5 foods in your diet on a regular basis and youll see your youthful beauty renewed.
1. Leafy Greens
According to a study by the CDC, leafy greens are the most nutrient dense vegetables we can possibly eat.
Nutrient density is a quality score that rates foods by the amount of nutrients they contain across the whole range of vitamins and minerals.
If we want to really boost up the nutrients available to our skin, eating more of these green superstars is the key.
There are lots of leafy greens to choose from but here are the top 10 in descending order of nutrient density.
- Watercress
- Chinese cabbage
- Chard
- Beet greens
- Spinach
- Leaf lettuce
- Parsley
- Romaine lettuce
- Collard greens
- Chives
2. Bell Peppers
One of the factors that contributes to more rapid aging is damage from the environment – UV rays, wind and pollution. What happens as a result of this is the skins cells produce more free radicals, which are unstable cells that cause damage and aging.
Bell peppers – red, yellow, and green – are the most vitamin C rich vegetables. Vitamin C helps our skin in two key ways.
- Antioxidants – Vitamin C is a natural antioxidant that can bind to free radical cells and make them stable again, preventing or reducing the damage caused to our skin by the environment.
- Collagen Production – Vitamin C assists with collagen production. Collagen makes our skin look smooth and supple so the more we can encourage collagen production the better off our skin will be.
3. Olive Oil
Most people wouldnt consider olive oil a superfood but many scientific studies have proven it is one of the most nutritious and beneficial foods we can consume.
In fact, science has shown olive oil can help prevent cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, neurological disorders, and believe it or not, olive oil can slow down the aging process!
Extra virgin olive oil is a monounsaturated fat that contains various different fatty acids, such as oleic acid. It also contains more than 36 different phenolic compounds, such as oleocanthal, tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol and others.
Scientists have recently discovered that these monounsaturated fatty acids and the polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil influence the aging process at the cellular and molecular levels.
In particular the polyphenols can prevent DNA damage and help regulate nutrient sensing in our cells – all of which protects our skin and acts as a natural anti-aging treatment.
Fascinating right!
4. Blueberries
Blueberries are often labelled a superfood and that comes as no surprise once you learn a bit about them.
For a berry, they are high in fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K and manganese.
Primary though, their main contribution to healthy glowing skin is in the flavonoids they contain. The deep color of blueberries comes from a flavonoid called anthocyanin, which has been identified as one of the most powerful antioxidants on the planet.
Yes, theres that word antioxidant again. Because of our exposure to so many elements in daily lives, our body (and skin) is constantly producing those nasty free radicals that cause damage. Thats why we need to eat lots of foods that contain antioxidants because the antioxidants stop the free radicals.
One of the great benefits is that you can eat blueberries as a snack or treat without feeling guilty because they are so low in calories. Youll not only enjoy them but be feeding your skin some superfood power at the same time!
5. Salmon
Omega-3 fatty acids are well known for their ability to help reduce inflammation in the body. You cant see the inflammation because it happens in the cells. But too much inflammation can contribute to dry skin, acne, rosacea, and even fine lines and wrinkles.
Therefore, it makes sense that if we can help reduce that inflammation it will help us feel better, and look younger and stay healthier.
Fresh or canned salmon is rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, which can help improve your skins elasticity and softness and fight inflammation, redness, or dryness. Omega-3s have also been shown to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and can even decrease the rate that the skins pores become clogged – meaning much healthier skin overall!
Its amazing that nature provides us with these foods that can have such an amazing influence on our health. And whats even more incredible is that eating more of these everyday superfoods really can be a simple solution to renew your youthful beauty, contributing to smoother, younger-looking skin.