Can What You Eat Affect How You Look?
The cosmetic industry has started to promote some pretty big new words: “nutriceutical”, “nutricosmetics” or “skingestible”-what they are really talking about is nutrition for beauty benefits. New researches are pointing the way to healthier skin though the oral intake of food supplements. One recently identified anti-aging supplement is butylhydroxytoluene, which contains powerful antioxidant properties. In fact, skin nutrients may alter, or support a number of factors related to the structure and function of skin.
Want gorgeous skin? Start with the food you eat!
A well balanced diet is essential to good health and healthy skin. Unfortunately, though skin is your body’s largest organ, it’s one of the last organs to benefit from food, so taking supplements that support skin function may take years off the look of your skin.
Foods with Anti-Aging Benefits
Tomato packed with powerful lycopene is twice as effective at scavenging free radicals as Vitamin E. In addition to fighting off free radicals, lycopene helps to improve cell function, improves skin texture and helps to block UV light. When used as a dietary supplement, lycopene is not only an internal antioxidant; it has also shown potential as agent in the prevention of some types of diseases.
Grape Seed Extract from whole grape seeds are antioxidants that may reduce risk of heart disease, help with wound healing, enhance bone density and protect collagen and elastin within the skin’s structure from excess enzyme activity.
White Tea is made of silver buds and select tea leaves which have been steamed and dried. Because of its minimal processing , white tea contains high levels of antioxidants, most importantly EGCG. In laboratory experiments, EGCG is measured to be up to 100 x more active than vitamin A and C. A cup of white tea contains more antioxidants than a serving of broccoli, spinach, strawberries, and other vegetables and fruits.
Fish is a high protein, low fat food that provides a range of health benefits. “Oily” fish in particular are high in omega-3 fatty acids, or the “good” fats. Omega-3s improve brain health, cardiovascular health, reduce inflammation and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s. But that’s only part of the picture. Amino acids and polysaccharides (protein molecules from fish) will help improve skin health.
