FOODS THAT CAN MAKE YOUR SKIN LOOK YOUNGER

Looking great and having a clear complexion is easier than you think. All you have to do is include the right foods in your diet and behold… you can achieve that healthy, glowing, younger-looking skin!

Here is a list that you must include in your diet:

OMEGA-3 fatty acids.

What it can do to your skin. Improve skin health by helping to alleviate symptoms related to skin disorders like acne and psoriasis.

Other Benefits. It fights bad cholesterol and elevates good cholesterol. It reduces the incidence of bone loss and improves mental health. It also helps prevent cancer. Colon, breast, and prostate cancers have all been correlated with low intakes of omega 3s.

Best sources. Oily fish such as sardines, tuna and salmon are good sources of EFAs, as are nuts and seeds and their oils, organic eggs, prawns and soya beans. A quick way to increase your intake is to use sesame, rapeseed, walnut, soya bean or flax oils in the kitchen. At the same time, you should reduce your intake of saturated and processed fats because these can cancel out the beneficial effects of EFAs.

Antioxidants

What it can do to your skin.  Antioxidants have a major role in destroying free radicals, that damages collagen which is responsible in keeping the skin plump and elastic.

Other benefits.  Antioxidants protect us from minor infections and can also help prevent more serious, degenerative diseases such as cancer and heart disease.

Best Sources.  Uncooked, highly colored fresh fruit and vegetables are the best places to find high levels of antioxidants. Choose from: berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants); black grapes; Brazil nuts; broccoli; carrots; cherries; chestnuts; hazelnuts; kale; raisins; papaya; peas; peppers; prunes; spinach; sweet potatoes and tomatoes.

  

Vitamin A
What it can do to your skin.  Involves in forming new skin cells, vitamin A helps keep skin supple and is vital for healthy eyes and hair. Dry, flaky skin can indicate a deficiency.

Best sources.  Whole milk and butter, liver, oily fish and eggs. It can also be manufactured by the body from beta-carotene.

Vitamin E

What it can do to your skin.  This works with selenium and has a powerful action against free radical damage. It also helps the skin retain moisture. Premature wrinkles, pale skin, acne, easy bruising and slow wound healing may indicate a deficiency.

Best sources. Vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, peanut butter, wheatgerm, wholegrains, avocados and sweet potatoes.

Beta-carotene

What it can do to your skin. It helps to protect us against the ageing effects of sunlight.

Best sources.  Dark green vegetables (spinach, broccoli, watercress) and orange fruit and vegetables (apricots, mangoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and tomatoes).

Selenium

What it can do to your skin.  Protects cells from free radical damage and helps counter dry skin. Works with vitamin E to support the immune system, so can help fight infection.

Best sources.  Cereals, meat, offal, seafood, cheese, eggs, mushrooms, Brazil nuts, molasses, beans, wholegrains and wheatgerm.

Vitamin B Complex
What it can do to your skin. B vitamins help to release energy from food for skin metabolism and have a role in keeping skin moist and smooth.

Best sources.  Milk, oily fish, poultry, red meat, offal, eggs, bananas, soya beans, wholegrains, wheatgerm, peanut butter, fortified breakfast cereals.

Zinc

What it can do to your skin.  Vital to the immune system and the manufacture of collagen, zinc also speeds up healing. Lack of zinc can lead to stretch marks and stubborn blemishes. A dull complexion, white spots on fingernails, and dandruff are signs of deficiency.

Best sources.  Seafood, red meat, offal, turkey, cheese, brewer's yeast, eggs, nuts, wholegrains and mushrooms.

Vitamin C
What it can do to your skin. Vitamin C is essential for the production of collagen, the elastic tissue in skin that declines with age. Smoking, stress and sun exposure can drain vitamin C from the skin, leaving it vulnerable to damage.

Best sources.  Peppers, potatoes, peas, kiwi fruit, lemons, strawberries and tomatoes.

Iron

What it can do to your skin.  Important for the formation of hemoglobin, the red pigment in blood. A pale complexion and dark circles under the eyes may indicate a deficiency.

Best sources.  Red meat, liver, seafood, eggs. Less absorbable iron is found in green leafy vegetables, dried apricots and fortified cereals.