16 Anti-Aging Foods That Greatly Benefit Your Skin
There is no double that your skin can give a hint to your age. As we age, the foods we eat can greatly affect not only our appearance, but also our quality of life, and disease risk.
Our bodies rely on various nutrients to support the natural aging process. Some nutrients can help slow aging, such as enhancing healthy and smooth skin.
Your skin reflects what you eat as aging starts from the inside out. It makes great sense to care what you eat at the same time to care for your skin.
Here at My Beauty Choice we've researched the most beneficial foods for your skin and want to share our findings with you.
Extra Virgin Olive oil
One of the most beneficial oils for your overall health, olive oil is also good for your skin. It contains omega-3 fatty acids and polyphenols.
Olive oil helps balance your skin’s moisture levels and shield it from potential irritation. It is one of the most nourishing oils in the world, olive oil is high in anti-aging omega-3 and polyphenols.
Because it deeply hydrates, it’s been a natural beauty mainstay for decades. With its unique ability to mix with water, olive oil helps moisturize your skin without clogging its pores.
As it is, omega-3s keep your skin supple and moisturized, while polyphenols protect it from oxidative damage and fight inflammation.
Fatty fish
Fatty fish contains an impressive number of beneficial ingredients for the skin, covering omega 3 fatty acids, selenium, zinc, vitamins A and D, and protein.
Fish offers many benefits in the areas of cholesterol, heart health. and brain function, but in here we will focus on the benefits for skin beauty.
Fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, tuna) are essential for healthy glowing skin. Omega-3 fatty acids keep the skin supple and moisturized and reduce inflammation. These fish are also a good source of antioxidant vitamin E as well as zinc, a wound-healing mineral that helps get rid of acne and irritation.
Proteins in fish also help skin health. It helps the body rebuild and repair tissue. This is a great benefit for skin, which needs frequent repair because it is exposed to the environment and external stresses every day.
Avocado
Avocado is good food filled with healthy fats, which help improve your skin's elasticity and moisture barrier. It is also rich in carotenoids, which protect the skin from sun damage.
What makes avocados stand out, however, is that they contain D-mannoheptulose. It is a unique phytochemical that is believed to stimulate collagen production.
Avocado is rich in Biotin, a B vitamin that contributes to healthy skin strong nails, and thick, luscious hair.
Avocado is also an important source of fiber, pantothenic acid, vitamin K, copper, folate, and potassium all of which play an important role in overall health, inside and out.
Try to have one small avocado a day, or half of it if it’s a large avocado. You can add avocado to smoothies for a creamy texture, or put it together with cheese or mayo on a sandwich.
Yogurt
Yogurt is packed full of living probiotics that help your skin look young by reducing redness, irritation, and acne. The friendly bacteria fight inflammation in the gut, which is where a lot of skin problems take root.
Yogurt contains lactic acid, which helps in the healing process of our skin from harsh ingredients. Yogurt can make your skin feel fresh, new and rid your face of impurities!
But before trying it out, make sure to test it first by applying yogurt on your skin, Spread yogurt to a very small area on your face, and wait for 15 minutes. If all is good, you can proceed and try out a large area.
You can also apply yogurt topically to rejuvenate your skin – lactic acid in yogurt has anti-aging and exfoliating properties that will reduce fine lines and give your face a healthy glow.
Brazil Nuts
Just like fish, nuts are generally rich in omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, and vitamin E. Moreover, they contain other minerals and vitamins that help keep your skin young and glowing, such as several B group vitamins (including folate which prevents dermatitis,) selenium (which is another good antioxidant for the skin,) and vitamin C (which has anti-aging properties.)
Among all types of nuts, what makes Brazil nuts so special is their extraordinary selenium content, just four nuts provide more than 100 percent of your recommended daily amount.
Selenium protects the body from free radicals that can cause premature aging and studies have shown that people who eat a diet rich in this mineral are less likely to suffer from cancer, as well.
Honey
Honey is a product that is naturally antibacterial, antioxidant, and humectant, so it's no wonder that honey provides so many benefits.
Applying honey regularly on your skin can give you results beyond your imagination and can go a long way in giving you healthy, younger-looking, and glowing skin.
Although usually used in DIY face masks and applied topically to reduce inflammation, treat acne and moisturize dry skin, eating honey is also a good idea, especially if you're replacing other sweets with it.
The reason why honey is often found as a base ingredient for almost every beauty product is that it can deeply moisturize the skin from deep within. The enzymes in honey enable it to easily seep into the skin to condition and soften it from deep within.
Here is how to use honey as a moisturizing mask: Apply one teaspoon of honey on clean, dry skin, and let it sit for fifteen to twenty minutes, then rinse with cool water. This way it serves as a perfect moisturizing mask.
Green tea
For many people, green tea is their most favorite drink. Not only it is tasty, but also it offers great benefits to your skin. Green tea is full of polyphenols and catechins. Those are antioxidants that can effectively protect your skin from sun damage. That does not mean you do not need sunscreen, but using those together you can substantially reduce skin inflammation. Healthy skin gives you great look.
The power of antioxidants in green tea slows the progress of sun damage, age spots, fine lines, and wrinkles. It is because the polyphenols neutralize the free radicals. Research shows that skin DNA molecules are constantly attached by free radicals originating from endogenous processes as well as from environmental agents and from radiation sources.
An article in the American Medical Association Dermatology stated that "green teas possess anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic potential, which can be exploited against a variety of skin disorders." The researchers went on to say that "supplementation of skincare products with green tea may have a profound impact on various skin disorders in the years to come."
Oranges
There are 2 main reasons why oranges are good for your skin: they're packed with vitamin C and they're also loaded with water. Water hydrates the skin from the inside and prevents breakouts and vitamin C. The natural oils contained in oranges help to moisturize and make skin soft and healthy. The antioxidants in orange fight free radicals, which help to delay the appearance of wrinkles and premature aging.
Its high serum acid content helps prevent skin flaking and dries out acne. Vitamin C plays a big role in the body to produce collagen and elastin. Collagen keeps your skin supple and firm, preventing sagginess and wrinkles.
Pomegranates
Just like oranges, Pomegranates are rich in vitamin C. On top of it, pomegranates contain abundant ellagic acid and punicalagin. Punicalagin can increase your body's capacity to preserve collagen, and ellagic acid fights damage from free radicals and also slows the breakdown of collagen.
Exposure to the sun not only causes tanning and sunburn but can also lead to oxidative stress that causes age spots and wrinkles. The polyphenols in pomegranate are powerful antioxidants that help protect skin cells from oxidative damage.
Combining collagen-boosting powers of vitamin C, pomegranates provide great benefits to your skin.
Blueberries
Most berries are great for your skin, but blueberries are especially good. Blueberries are often called a superfood, they are a rich source of antioxidants, which help your skin fight free radical damage and repair it from the inside.
Anthocyanins in blueberries can stabilize collagen, making your skin remain youthful and healthy for longer. It is also are anti-inflammatory, which is one of the major causes of wrinkles.
Moreover, blueberries help prevent acne, it balances hormones and neutralize oil production in your skin.
Flaxseed
Flaxseeds contain a list of helpful components. First, flaxseed contains phylloquinone, which gives flax seeds the ability to whiten the skin and fight pigmentation. It contains niacin, which increases skin tone, and eliminates fine wrinkles. It also contains thiamine, which provides a rejuvenating effect.
Moreover, flaxseeds contain plenty of folic acids, which help skin cells fight inflammation relieve redness and itching. Choline is another ingredient in flaxseed, which has a good effect on sensitive skin, soothes, and relieves irritation. And then it contains alpha-linolenic acid which stimulates skin regeneration, reducing age-related changes.
They are also a great source of an omega-3 fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid. Consuming a diet rich in omega-3 fats helps support a healthy skin membrane by helping your skin stay hydrated.
In cosmetology, flaxseeds are used in the production of acne clearing masks, anti-wrinkle face masks, and hydrating face masks.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes contain many great ingredients such as vitamin C, lycopene, lutein, alpha-carotene, and beta-carotene.
It helps in reducing pores. If you apply tomato on your face regularly, it can reduce the problem of open and enlarged pores. It also helps in treating pesky whiteheads which arise due to open and clogged pores. Slide a tomato and rub it onto your face directly. Alternatively, you can apply tomato juice and let it sit on the spot for 10-20 minutes.
Tomatoes are natural skin toner as they contain rich sources of vitamin and natural lycopene which can make skin supple and soft. Tomato gives a subtle and healthy glow to the skin and rejuvenates skin cells. You can prepare tomato skin toner at home and apply it to the skin to make it smooth and soft.
To enjoy the utmost benefits of tomatoes, it's best to cook them using healthy grease such as olive oil instead of eating it raw. Eating cooked tomatoes can help your body absorb more lycopene.
Kale
Green leafy vegetables are generally healthy, but kale is especially full of vitamins that the skin loves, including vitamins A, C, and E.
Vitamin A controls sebum production, vitamin C boosts collagen, and vitamin E protects from oxidative damage. Together, they help your skin remain moisturized, plump, wrinkle-free, and spot-free. Kale is also anti-inflammatory, fighting flare-ups in your gut and your skin.
All skin types get benefits from Kale. Kale is packed with nutrients that detox and clear out debris that causes blemished skin. It improves hydration and new cell turnover. Kale is easily the new must-have ingredient in your skincare regime.
Bell peppers
Out of all the fruits and vegetables, red bell peppers contain the most vitamin C. One red bell pepper offers more than 100% of your daily vitamin C needs.
It also contains significant amounts of dietary fiber and vitamin B6. Moreover, it is rich in carotenoids that can help prevent wrinkles and increase blood circulation to your skin, so your skin will look more youthful.
Due to their carotenoids, red bell peppers are also great to fight acne. Red bell pepper is a perfect, low-calorie snack that contains about 30 calories and has a really satisfying crunchy bite.
Keep red bell peppers in your fridge. If you feel like having some snacks, slicing a bell pepper gives you something healthy and tasty to reach for. The fiber that a bell pepper contains will help you to feel full longer and at the same time, you consume very limited calories. On top of that, you provide benefits to your skin.
They're also rich in skin-healthy vitamins B6 and B9 (folate), as well as carotenoids. B6 is known to prevent or fight such skin conditions as dermatitis, eczema, and hormonal acne, and folate improves the firmness of your skin.
You can get nutrients from bell peppers of all colors, not just red, but red ones contain much more of them.
Fermented foods
Yogurt isn’t the only fermented food that is good for your skin. All fermented foods contain probiotics–friendly bacteria that balance out the bad bacteria in your gut. It eases the inflammation that would present on your skin, and it also helps prevent wrinkles. Good bacteria offer the benefits of a glowing complexion by optimizing the absorption of nutrients from everything you eat. They also contain anti-aging lactic acid.
More recently, a concept called fermented skincare that was introduced in Korea has become popular around the world.
We know that fermentation breaks down the molecular structure of substances into smaller and simpler compounds. It is possible that these compounds may be able to penetrate the skin more deeply and get absorbed more easily. Moreover, fermented skincare may provide beneficial bacteria to the skin, as well as increased levels of anti-aging antioxidants and vitamins. All these factors contribute to the greatness of your skin.
Raw cacao
Raw cacao is a particularly good type of food because it contains resveratrol, a really powerful antioxidant. It protects and repairs sun-damaged skin, and prevents showing up of premature aging.
As a potent anti-inflammatory substance, it soothes redness and blemishes, improving the skin’s complexion. It is extremely high in antioxidants, which help protect your cells from oxidation and aging. As you may know, raw cacao contains more than 20x’s the amount of antioxidants in blueberries.
Cacao is also one of the biggest sources of magnesium in food, which is a calming mineral that helps reduce skin irritations. Cacao is the richest food source of these nutrients.
Cocoa (roasted cacao) and dark chocolate (made with cocoa) also have some resveratrol, but not nearly as much, so it's best to consume raw cacao by adding it to smoothies or yogurt to get the most out of it.