Maintain Healthy Skin with a Variety of Nutritional Foods

Your skin is made mostly of water, and everyone knows that drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day is vital for hydrating skin and keeping it healthy. But people often think drinking water is all they need to do. Actually, what you eat can make a real difference in the health and softness of your skin.

Here are several vitamins and nutrients that are key to keeping skin supple, protected from infection, and resilient.

Vitamin A. An antioxidant, vitamin A serves as a barrier to infections and viruses, and helps repair and grow cells. You’ll find vitamin A in orange-colored fruits and vegetables, including apricots, cantaloupe, carrots, peaches, pumpkins, squash, and tomatoes. The recommended daily amount (RDA) for women is 700 micrograms [mcg], which is just a pinch, or less than a tenth of a teaspoon.

Vitamin B complex. Vitamin B complex includes B3 (niacin), B6, B12, riboflavin, and biotin (which helps grow hair, nails, and skin). Look for B vitamins in dairy products, eggs, fish, fortified cereals, oatmeal, and rice. Your RDAs are: 1.3 milligrams ([mg] B6), 2.4 mcg (B12), 1.1 mg (riboflavin), 14 mg niacin), and 100 mcg (biotin).

Vitamin C. This is your skin’s warrior. An antioxidant that fights free radicals, vitamin C produces collagen and elastin, which help keep skin firm, promotes healing, and protects skin against infections. If you don’t meet your daily vitamin C requirement, your wounds might take too long to heal. Get vitamin C from an abundance of fruits and vegetables. This will help protect your skin from both UV rays and aging. The RDA for women is 75 mg.

Vitamin D. Another warrior, vitamin D reduces inflammation, promotes healing and is essential for bone health. The sun is the best and most natural source of vitamin D; however, older adults don’t often get enough sun. That’s why it’s important to ensure you consume the right foods to give your body the vitamin D it needs. Foods that contain vitamin D include fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring), dairy, eggs, beef, and fortified cereals. Some people in the northern hemisphere of the United States require vitamin D supplements because they don’t get enough sun. But these and other supplements should be taken only if your doctor suggests it. The daily requirement of vitamin D is 600 international units ([IU] 15 mcg) up to age 70 and 800 IU after 70 (20 mcg).

Vitamin E. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that fights damage caused by free radicals, such as wrinkles and sunburn. It also has the potential to slow the aging process. Foods with vitamin E include green leafy vegetables (kale, spinach, lettuce), broccoli, and almonds. The daily requirement of vitamin E for adults is 15 mg.

Omega-3 fatty acids. Small studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids protect the skin from the sun’s UV rays and slow aging. Get your omega- 3s from fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, sardines), dairy, olive oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds. One particular study saw twice the benefit against UV rays among those who consumed omega-3s compared with those who didn’t consume omega-3s.

Also, a poor diet can lead to acne at any age, and healthy fats help fight acne and keep pores clear.

Phytonutrients. A type of antioxidant that comes from plant foods, phytonutrients include beta-carotene (found in orange-colored fruits and vegetables, such as apricots, carrots, cantaloupe, pumpkin, sweet potatoes), carotenoids (apricots, asparagus, broccoli, carrots, grapefruit, squash, tomatoes), flavonoids (bananas, berries, citrus fruits, dark chocolate, red wine, tea), glucosinolates (crucifers, including arugula, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale), and resveratrol (blueberries, dark chocolate, grapes, peanuts).

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