Foods good for your skin | the Fashion Spot

Foods good for your skin

pinkvolvo

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What type of foods are good for your skin? (as in, consumming them, not putting them on your face:p) Almonds? I have no idea :blush:

Thanks!:D
 
Good food for your skin is what is good for the body in general...

Lots of fresh vegetables, whole-grains (rice, breads, pastas), beans and lentils, fish, eggs, fresh fruit, nuts and seeds... I tend to stay away from meats and dairies made from cow's milk, but if it works for you: go ahead!

In general, B and C vitamins and Zinc are considered important for skin unless I'm mistaken... But overall, your general diet will make the biggest difference!
 
Thanks tott


I finally found a good article about this!
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=50523
What Are Foods for Healthy Skin?
Most experts say eating a balanced diet is the best way to get your share of good food for healthy skin. Still, a number of specific skin treats are more likely than others to give a boost of glowing good health to your complexion. Here's what experts told WebMD are the most important:
Low-Fat Dairy Products. One the most important components of skin health is vitamin A. One of the best places to get it is low-fat dairy products. In fact, experts say that the health of our skin cells is dependent on dietary vitamin A.
Nutrition expert Liz Lipski, PhD, CCN, says it's doubly important to eat A-rich dairy foods if you have either diabetes or a thyroid condition.
"Many people who have these problems can't convert the beta carotene to vitamin A, which is the form found in many foods that we normally associate with this vitamin, such as carrots," says Lipski, the founder and Director of InnovativeHealing.com and the author of Digestive Wellness.
The A in dairy products, she says is "true A," so everyone's skin can use it.
Lipski says low-fat yogurt is not only high in vitamin A, but also acidophilus, the "live" bacteria that is good for intestinal health. Turns out, it may also have an impact on the skin.
"Anything that helps keep digestion normal, any live bacteria or enzymes, is also going to be reflected in healthy-looking skin," says Lipski.
Blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, and plums. The common link between these four foods is their high antioxidant content. In a study recently published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, these four fruits weighed in with the highest "total antioxidant capacity" of any food. The benefits of these foods for healthy skin are plentiful.
"Free radicals -- like the kind formed from sun exposure -- damage the membrane of skin cells, potentially allowing damage to the DNA of that cell," says Heller. The antioxidants and other phytochemicals in these fruits can protect the cell, she says, so there is less chance for damage.
"When you help protect the cells from damage and disintegration, you also guard against premature aging. In this respect, these fruits may very well help keep your skin younger looking longer," says Heller.
According to the new study, other fruits and vegetables with a "high antioxidant capacity" include artichokes, beans (the study cited black, red, and pinto), prunes, and pecans.

Salmon, Walnuts, Canola Oil, and Flax Seed. These seemingly unrelated foods all deliver essential fatty acids, and thus are key foods for healthy skin.
"Essential fatty acids are responsible for healthy cell membranes, which is not only what act as barriers to harmful things but also as the passageway for nutrients to cross in and out and for waste products to get in and out of the cell," says Ann Yelmokas McDermott, PhD, a nutritionist at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston.
Because it is the cell membrane that also holds water in, the stronger that barrier is the better your cells can hold moisture. And that means plumper, younger looking skin.
Also, says Heller, the same inflammatory process that can harm our arteries and cause heart disease can harm skin cells. Essential fatty acids can offer protection to both.
The best-known essential fatty acids are omega 3 and omega 6, which must be in balance for good health (and good skin). Though we all seem to get enough omega 6, Heller says many people lack omega 3s. Fish, walnut, and flax seed oil are among the best sources.
Healthy Oils. These contain more than essential fatty acids. Eating good-quality oils helps keep skin lubricated and keeps it looking and feeling healthier overall, Lipski tells WebMD.
Which oils are the right oils for healthy skin? Lipski says those labeled cold pressed, expeller processed, or extra virgin are the ones to look for.
"When an oil is commercially processed, the first thing they do is add solvents and raise them to really high temperatures, then put it though five or six processes. Important nutrients are lost," says Lipski.
By comparison, she says when oils are prepared by the cold-press or expeller process, or, in the case of olive oil, are extra virgin, preparation involves only pressing, heating, and bottling.
"You get all the nutrients that are not only good for your skin, but good for your body," says Lipski.



Whole-wheat bread, muffins, and cereals; turkey, tuna and brazil nuts. The mineral selenium connects all these foods for healthy skin. Experts say selenium plays a key role in the health of skin cells. Some studies show that even skin damaged by the sun may suffer fewer consequences if selenium levels are high.
For instance, in two clinical trials, researchers at Edinburgh University showed that when levels of selenium were high, skin cells were less likely to suffer the kind of oxidative damage that can increase the risk of cancer. The results were published in 2003 in both the British Journal of Dermatology and the journal Clinical and Experimental Dermatology. And a group of French researchers found that oral doses of selenium, along with copper, vitamin E and vitamin A could prevent sunburn cell formation in human skin.
What's more, Lipsky says that filling up on whole-grain products leaves less room for the "white" foods that are a worse choice for skin health. These include white-flour items (bread, cake and pasta), sugar, and white rice. All can affect insulin levels and cause inflammation that may ultimately be linked to skin break outs.
Green Tea. This beverage deserves a category all its own in any article about foods for healthy skin. The skin-health properties in this beneficial drink just can't be beat.
"It has anti-inflammatory properties, and it's protective to the cell membrane. It may even help prevent or reduce the risk of skin cancer," says Lipski.
Indeed, a study published recently in the Archives of Dermatology shows that whether taken orally or applied to the skin, green tea can reduce the risk of damage from ultraviolet light (such as the burning rays of the sun), and thus reduce the risk of skin cancer.
Heller adds that the polyphenols in green tea have anti-inflammatory properties that may also be beneficial to skin health overall.
Water. While the exact amount you should drink each day varies, no one disputes the role good hydration plays in keeping skin looking healthy and even young. When that hydration comes from pure, clean water -- not liquids such as soda or even soup -- experts say skin cells rejoice.
"It is my belief that our skin needs at least a half gallon of good clean water -- that's about eight glasses -- every day," says Lipski.
While any good, clean water will keep your body and your skin hydrated, Lipski says hard water, the kind high in minerals, is especially good. Using water softeners to de-mineralize drinking water may reduce some of the potentially helpful effects.
"A water softener may help your plumbing, but it's hard water that is better for your health," she says.
In addition to keeping cells hydrated, water helps cells move nutrients in and toxins out, which Lipski says automatically leaves skin looking better.
She adds that when we're properly hydrated, we also sweat more efficiently. Doing so helps keep skin clean and clear as well.
 
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^ Thanks for posting, that's an interesting article!

Just wanted to mention that walnuts aren't really a good source of omega 3s if the goal is to balance omega 3 and 6. In a Western diet, you get too much 6 and not enough 3. While it's true that walnuts have lots of omega 3s, they have a nearly equal amount of omega 6. So you're better off with other nuts, like almonds, pecans, cashews, hazelnuts, or macadamias.

I'm sure you guys know about the mercury in tuna, particularly albacore ...
 
Great article, pinkvolvo! :flower:

The only thing I would challenge is low-fat dairy products as the source of vitamin A. Eggs are also a great source of it. I'm one of those people who can't really digest cow's milk products well, and you don't need them to stay healthy..
 
Tofu, fruits and veggies and water!

And if you can, try to drink soyabean milk without sugar, this was recommended to me by my dermatologist and it works like a charm for me!

From a traditional Chinese medicine perspective, tonics like bird's nest soup, snow fugus, herbal jelly are also crucial to having a great complexion. There are so many herbal recipes for this, but I'm afraid I can't recall any as it's usually my Mum who prepares them for me :ninja:
 
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I heard yogurt is good but it's got a ton of calories.

Water is the best!
 
Water is by far the best treatment for healthy skin! I've been a vegetarian since I was 12 and a vegan for a little over a year and I've never had problem skin in the least!
Food for thought! :flower:
 
:woot: great tips everyone! thanks^_^. I'm going to try to drink more water & eat more organic foods!
 
pomegranate juice

Pomegranate is the ultimate antioxidant. Great for the skin. One glass of pomegranate juice contains as much as 10 cups of green tea!
 
i read this article a couple of days ago in a health magazine, a psychitrist said that eating whatever u really love in reasonably amounts would really make u look better!
lol yeah, like roasted/cheese flavored nuts wont make breakout *drools*
 
vanilla fairy said:
i read this article a couple of days ago in a health magazine, a psychitrist said that eating whatever u really love in reasonably amounts would really make u look better!
lol yeah, like roasted/cheese flavored nuts wont make breakout *drools*

I hear this often and i agree. I think your body knows what it needs, like sometimes i have strong need for certain vegetables or fruits that i dislike usually. :blush: Everything (let's say almost everything ;) ) is fine if you don't overdose it. :p
 
Caroliiine said:
I heard yogurt is good but it's got a ton of calories.

Water is the best!

What do you consider a ton of calories? :innocent: I think low-fat/fat-free yogurt has very reasonable calories for the nutritional benefit--unless, as tott points out, you're lactose-intolerant. (This is the default condition btw--certain Europeans "evolved" lactose tolerance and dairy farming became part of their way of life. Since I and my family are lactose tolerant, it's always hard to remember not everyone is ;))
 
Too bad I can't have dairy products. I drink at least 3 cups of green tea a day though! My skin isn't so hot right now though.
 
fashionista-ta said:
What do you consider a ton of calories? :innocent: I think low-fat/fat-free yogurt has very reasonable calories for the nutritional benefit--unless, as tott points out, you're lactose-intolerant. (This is the default condition btw--certain Europeans "evolved" lactose tolerance and dairy farming became part of their way of life. Since I and my family are lactose tolerant, it's always hard to remember not everyone is ;))

I can't stand fat-free yogurt because it's too sour for me and I always always need the fruit bottom type. I checked the label a couple of months ago and it was about 230 calories. I dunno, I consider that to be quite a lot. :p Especially since yogurt doesn't fill me up.
 
Fantastic article pinkvolvo! Karma for you!!!

I was at the pharmacy and the lady there recommended Blackmore's Vit A, C, E + zinc for hair and skin supplements. I think I'd rather get those from natural foods but she seems to imply it may be insufficient and I should get the supplements. What do you guys think?

Add me to the pro-water section :flower:
 
Fish is great for your skin because of the omega-3 fatty acids. Also any yellow vegetable (such as bellpeppers) are very high in Vitamin A (which is essentially what accutane is). Anything high in Zinc, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B5.
 
alot of people here are saying that green tea is great for the skin...sure its full of antoxidants (which may i add is found are vegetables) however the caffeine in green tea dehydrates the skin..so its said that for every cup you have you need to drink 2 glasses of water in order to compensate your hydratration levels

- vitamin c - builds the collagen in your skin (making it firmer)
- Vitamin a - found in mainly in regular or whole dairy foods makes the skin glow
- omega 3 - oils are good for your skin (salmon, almonds, tuna)
- dark chocolate - having in moderation of course since its full of sugar which breaks down the collagen in your skin. its full of antioxidants
salt - causes DRY skin
oats - ive heard that oats make your skin glow...also known to be good for your heart

and the most obvious water - cleanses your body of toxins and hydrates your skin
 
eve1 said:
alot of people here are saying that green tea is great for the skin...sure its full of antoxidants (which may i add is found are vegetables) however the caffeine in green tea dehydrates the skin..so its said that for every cup you have you need to drink 2 glasses of water in order to compensate your hydratration levels

- vitamin c - builds the collagen in your skin (making it firmer)
- Vitamin a - found in mainly in regular or whole dairy foods makes the skin glow
- omega 3 - oils are good for your skin (salmon, almonds, tuna)
- dark chocolate - having in moderation of course since its full of sugar which breaks down the collagen in your skin. its full of antioxidants
salt - causes DRY skin
oats - ive heard that oats make your skin glow...also known to be good for your heart

and the most obvious water - cleanses your body of toxins and hydrates your skin

:buzz: Dark chocolate!? I've never heard about that before! I'm going to try that (and oats, they're ok), I'll try to keep it moderate :innocent:
 

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