Best foods to support healthy glowing skin

When we think about the appearance of our skin we often think about the best products to put on it to keep it looking good but what we eat plays a significant role in our skins overall appearance.

The skin is our bodies largest organ and the outer top surface layer known as the hydrolipid film or acid mantle creates a protective film over the entire surface of the skin. This barrier is our bodies primary defence from our external environment, we rely its integrity to protect us from physical injury, infections, chemicals, to regulate our temperate and to reduce water loss. Maintaining the function and structure of this barrier is important to skin health.  

The skin can undergo many alternations and changes, some of the most common causes for this include damage caused by sun exposure, inflammation, changes in the structure of the skin surface and skin disorders such as acne, eczema, psoriasis and rosacea. The path to managing any skin complaint and achieving healthy looking skin can often be found in the foods we eat, from oils and water to hydrate the skins surface to antioxidants to protect from sun damage, our food is a potent medicine for our skin.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids

The hydrolipid film of the skin is a structure made up of 3 lipids – cholesterol, ceramides and free fatty acids. So for this reason omega 3 fatty acids are important in the diet to maintain the structure and function of our skin. Adequate dietary intake helps to reduce inflammation, support wound healing and to improve the appearance and function of the skin.

Some of the best sources of Omega 3 fatty acids are oily fish like Atlantic or Australian Salmon, mackerel, yellow-tail kingfish and tuna whilst plant based foods such as nuts and seeds, especially flax seed oil can also be added to the diet.  

If your skin appears rough and flaky and your wrinkles appear more pronounced, it may be sign that your skin needs some extra Omega 3’s to boost its appearance.

Water

Yes, this one is a simple one, but often gets forgotten when we think about our diet and it’s so very important. Water is a major component of our cells and tissues and represents 75-60% of our body composition. Increasing our water intake helps to hydrate the superficial and deep layers of our skin.  The increase of water uptake into our skin may enhance the skins barrier function reducing water loss through the skin and aiding in a more youthful hydrated appearance.

If your skin is dehydrated it often appears flaky and tight, and you’ll notice fine lines can form more easily. It’s important to note that you can still have dehydrated skin even if your skin appears oily, so if you’re an Acne sufferer despite all that excess oil on your skins surface you may still have dry skin.  

Water requirements differ between everyone dependant on age, weight and physical activity levels – as a general rule of thumb I recommend water intake based on your weight – so for every kilogram of body weight you need to drink 33mls of water so a 75kg person needs to drink around 2.4 litres of water daily. Drinks containing caffeine like coffee and tea act as diuretics enhancing our water loss, so for every caffeinated drink you have I suggest drinking an additional 1-2 glasses of water to balance out any water loss.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A provides antioxidant support for the skin, reducing skin damage caused by UV Sun exposure.  Antioxidants are important for our skin health as they destroy free radicals which are harmful compounds in our body that can damage our skins DNA and even cause cell death, these free radicals are also believed to contribute to the aging process.

One of the most common forms of Vitamin A found in foods is beta-carotene, this compound is what gives the natural bright orange colour to some of our foods – so to dose up on the antioxidant goodness of Vitamin A increase naturally orange fruits and vegetables in your diet such as apricots, carrots, mangos, pumpkin and sweet potato.  

 

Vitamin C

Another antioxidant - Vitamin C also reduces damage caused from the sun. It plays an important role in collagen synthesis, helping to improve skin elasticity, reducing the signs of wrinkles and increasing skin moisture.

Foods rich in Vitamin C include: Broccoli, Brussel Sprout and Cauliflower, Cabbage, Citrus fruits, Kiwi fruit, Guava and Grapefruit.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E the super powerful antioxidant,  helps to reduce skin damage from sunburn minimising the aging effects that are often associated with sun exposure. 

Vitamin E can be found in nuts and seeds, particularly almonds as well as green leafy vegetables. Plant derived oils such as Almond oil are rich in antioxidants A & E and are safe to use internally and externally.

Sweet Almond oil is one of my favourite topical products, it works great as an evening moisturiser or even used to cleanse the skin to remove any dirt and make up at the end of the day.

Zinc 

Zinc is one of the most abundant minerals in our body and can be found in all body tissues with approx. 20% of our total bodies zinc found in our skin. It provides protection against UV radiation and enhances the skins wound healing properties. Zinc is a mineral that can often be low in those with Acne, indicating the role of skin in maintaining healthy skin. Zinc supplementation has also been found to be beneficial in reducing the appearance of skin conditions like  Rosacea.

Zinc is highest in oysters and found in nuts like brazil, almonds and cashews, tahini and sesame seeds, sundried tomatoes and most animal-based protein sources.

Cruciferous Vegetables

Lastly if we are discussing foods for clear the skin, we need to look to foods that support our livers detoxification process. After the skin our liver is our next largest organ, it’s job amongst many other things is to filter our blood, rid the body of toxins and support the bodies clearance of excess hormones. We rely on this detoxification process for clear healthy skin. Cruciferous vegetables are supportive of the liver as they contain a compound known as glucosinolates that assists the detoxification process.

You can get your dose of liver loving foods from cruciferous vegetables such as bok choy, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage.