Foods For Healthy Skin

Who doesn’t want pretty skin???

Let’s “face” it: Warmer weather puts the health of your skin on display. And with the right health habits, including putting the right things on your plate, vibrant, radiant, smooth skin can be yours.

The Importance of Vitamins & Minerals To Your Skin

The largest organ in your body is your…skin! Studies show that the right vitamins and minerals can do everything from speeding cell turnover, thus revealing the healthier, younger skin underneath, to protecting skin from the sun’s UV rays.

So…here are the seven best beauty foods you should be eating:

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are loaded with beta-carotene, which produces vitamin A. Vitamin A increases cell turnover and helps protect the skin. In fact, it’s so vital that its derivatives, retinoids, can be found in many different types of skin care products.

Salmon

Salmon is rich in anti-aging ingredients, including omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s contain alpha-linolenic acid, which decreases dryness and keeps skin soft, smooth, and supple. Fatty fish, like salmon, also reduces inflammation and may help ease chronic skin problems.

Avocados

Avocados are considered to be one of the healthiest foods on the planet. They contain over 25 essential nutrients, including vitamin A, B, C, E, & K, copper, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium. Avocados are also good sources of fiber and protein. In addition, studies show they may reduce free radicals and protect against damaging UV rays.

Blueberries

Free radicals are particles that can harm skin cells and reduce collagen, making skin more wrinkle-prone.

“With 1/2 cup of blueberries, you can just about double the amount of antioxidants most Americans get in one day. If you want to slow down the free radical aging process, blueberries are the leader of the pack,” says Ronald Prior, PhD, head of the USDA Phytochemical Laboratory at Tufts.

Onions

Onions are rich in quercetin, an antioxidant that protects against wrinkles. Studies show that, like blueberries, they may save skin from harmful UV rays.

Red Bell Peppers

A half-cup of chopped red pepper will give you more than 100% of your daily required dose of vitamin C. Researchers in the United Kingdom looked at vitamin C intake in 4,025 women and found that those who ate more vitamin C had less skin dryness.