Diet and Skin Health -- Foods That Support the Skin by Dr. Sangita Gaur Nutritionist

 

For everyone, eating good, balanced meals helps develop a well-balanced skin because diet directly affects its texture and tone.

A well-balanced diet that nourishes the skin should include:

➢      healthy fats, such as those found in avocados, nuts, salmon, and flaxseeds, for skin cell regeneration.

➢      colorful fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants, such as vitamin C, beta-carotene, and phytonutrients, to help give skin a healthy glow.

➢      whole-grain breads and cereals that are rich in magnesium and B vitamins for regeneration of skin cells.

➢      lots of water to help keep skin hydrated and plump.

In addition to eating the right foods, healthy skin requires limiting foods that can rob the skin of moisture, such as alcohol and caffeine, which is found in coffee, tea, chocolate, and certain sodas.

Ideal skin is known for its firmness, glow and clearness. The skin and hair need enough protein, vitamins and minerals the deficiency causes dull and dry skin and scalp.

1.  Make a point to eat foods like bran which can help to flush toxins out of your body and thus clear your skin.
2. Avoiding crash diets and harmful extremes of any kind will greatly help to keep your skin healthy and beautiful.

Causes of Unhealthy skin

➢     Faulty diet. Refined foods like white flour, sugar and products made with them, tea, coffee,          and soft drinks deplete energy, bring about wrinkles, unattractive skin and premature aging.
➢      Lack of healthy blood. Healthy blood adds a glow to the skin and keeps it well-nourished,             moist, and free from dryness and roughness.
➢      Inadequate cleansing. Very often, our skin looks superficially clean; but they really are not.         Dirt and dust particles can hide in the pores of the skin and clog sweat and sebaceous glands.      Proper cleansing not only removes all the dust, dirt and make-up, which accumulate during the      day, but also stops the oil-secreting sebaceous glands from getting clogged.

Food we eat should be rich in - Many people are concerned with not only their healthy. Some people think that it is not healthy to become a vegetarian or vegan and that you will become weak and skinny. Healthy skin and good nutrition generally go hand in hand. Vitamins and minerals that play an important role in maintaining the quality of your skin include vitamins A, C, and E, and minerals such as selenium and zinc In maintaining a healthy skin it is important to eat foods that are rich in vitamin A.

Vitamin C by eating foods that re rich in vitamin C. This will help the skin to fight against the harmful effects of the damages caused by the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Antioxidants can also be very helpful with regards to nutrition for healthy skin. Antioxidants can prevent damage done to cells by free radicals, which damage cell membranes. This can help to naturally protect your skin against the harmful effects of the sun.

Proteins- help in the proper growth and production of new skin cells. Proteins, which are the chains of amino acids, are responsible for proper skin cell growth and maintenance of skin cells. The protein, which is available in meat, poultry, fish, and dairy is called as complete protein as it contains essential amino acids necessary for building and maintaining skin cells.

Vitamin D Helps us absorb calcium. Most people obtain all the vitamin D they need from sunlight on their skin. Certain foods are fortified with it as well, like cereals and vegetable margarine. Eating foods rich in fiber is good complexion for skin. Fiber, or roughage, is composed from the plant’s cell wall material. Good sources of dietary fiber are whole grains, legumes, citrus fruits, nuts, and vegetables.

Zinc is use healthy skin. The best way to prevent skin is to protect yourself from the sun. Avoid sun exposure when the sun's rays are the strongest, between 11 am and 4 pm. Wear a broad- brink hat, long sleeves, and long pants or a long skirt when in the sun. Eating fatty fish, containing salmon, is also recommended because they contribute beneficial fatty acids to the diet that help protect the skin from sun damage.

Drink plenty of fluids: water, juices, milk, soups, and more. There are many types of beans, pulses and nuts - so it shouldn't be too hard to try and eat some every day. Add them to soups, pasta sauces and curries. Beans are an excellent beginning of certain proteins and iron. Nuts and seeds are rich in different proteins and in essential fats. Scheduling meals and snacks helps assure a healthy diet for preschoolers. Avoid tanning beds. They are not a safe alternative to natural tanning. They use UV light and can increase your risk of skin cancer and skin damage.

Diet for different type of skin

If you have oily skin, dry skin, or acne-prone skin, you know how important it is to have a solid skincare regimen that includes quality products and up-to-date knowledge of new developments in skincare technology. You also know that there are simple lifestyle changes you can make to achieve healthier skin, such as regular exercise, drinking lots of water, and getting plenty of sleep. But diet plays a big role in caring for your skin as well—sometimes with surprises.

Dry Skin: Your skin is flaky, tight, and dull. Your worst season is winter, when your skin is exposed to harsh temperatures and moisture-sapping indoor heating. Your first thought may be to drink more water, but doctors say that while drinking lots of water is good for your skin, it will do little to help excessively dry skin. Why? Because the water in your skin cells comes from your metabolism, and the water you drink just gets excreted in your urine.

Surprise solution: eat a diet with plenty of good fats, which your body will then metabolize into water for your cells. This means olive oil, flax oil, and fish oil. Another unexpected solution for dry skin is sulfur, which kicks up the metabolism and prevents cell hardening and drying. You can get sulfur from eggs, onions, garlic, and asparagus.

So for breakfast, have some scrambled eggs (with some colorful veggies thrown in, as they're rich in antioxidants), a tuna sandwich made with regular mayonnaise and chopped onions for lunch, and a stir-fry with vegetables, whole grain pasta (high in B vitamins, which are also good for dry skin), and garlic sauteed in olive oil for dinner.

Oily Skin: The good news is that years from now, you'll look great. Your skin will be supple and young and no one will guess your age. The bad news is that right now your skin is shiny and has a thick, mottled appearance with enlarged pores. The greasy sheen that you keep blotting with tissues is due to an overproduction of sebum from the sebaceous glands, which are concentrated in the infamous T-Zone. Your skin type is tricky, though, as there is very little you can do to combat oil-production. Oily skin is caused by a combination of genes and hormones. If your parents have oily skin, you're still in the turbulent phase of puberty, or you’re on a form of birth control (or all of the above), chances are your oily skin is due to one of these factors. But there are some dietary changes you can make to combat the oozing oil.

Eat foods that are high in B vitamins. A slight B-vitamin deficiency can cause oily skin, so eat a diet rich in whole grains, legumes, nuts, and organ meats. Or you can take one to two tablespoons of brewer's yeast a day, which is also good for your immune system and eczema.

Acne-Prone Skin: Your skin-type tends to go hand-in-hand with oily skin, but yours is much easier to manage. Studies have found that diet plays a key role in the maintenance of acne-prone skin, and one study even found that three out of four adults that suffered from acne saw a dramatic decrease in breakouts when they changed their diets. The obvious change to make is the reduction of sugars and fats in your diet. Lacto-fermented vegetables are essential for bowel cleansing and increasing healthy bowel flora, which equals clean, healthy skin, and the sulfur in the cabbage is particularly beneficial to your skin.

Another surprise solution for preventing acne breakouts is eating mostly raw or whole foods. The process of cooking and refining foods produces chemicals and toxins that the body tries to excrete through the pores, creating pus and inflammation. Furthermore, the process of cooking food often erases its nutritional value, cooking out the vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that your body needs.

Conclusion: Different skin types require different skincare regimens. A person with dry skin shouldn’t use alcohol-based products, just like a person with oily skin shouldn’t load on products made with oil or wax. The same holds true for diet. A person with dry skin should avoid caffeine and eat more good fats, while a person with acne-prone skin should cut out the sugars and eat more raw, unrefined foods. So find out which category you fit into and enjoy your meal

Best of all, eating a healthy diet not only helps people look better, but it also helps people feel better.

Dr Sangita Gaur

Former Nutritionist Indraprastha Apollo Hospital