Our Favourite Eleven Foods for Healthy Skin.

We’re taught from an early age to eat foods that are good for our bones, eyes and heart, and yet we often neglect our largest organ of all – our skin! When we don’t nourish our body with healthy foods, our immune systems are compromised, exposing our organs (including our skin) to harm. That’s why, when planning your daily meals, it’s important to include a variety of foods that promote healthy skin.

But while following basic nutrition guidelines are a great place to start to improve your overall health, there are certain foods with specific properties that have been shown to improve the skin’s appearance. The best foods for healthy skin should contain at least one of the following:

  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin E
  • Carotenoids
  • Healthy fats
  • Sulforaphane
  • Anti-oxidants
  • Isoflavones
  • Zinc

That being said, some foods that are high in these essential nutrients aren’t always good for your skin. For example, even though bananas are high in many essential vitamins, their high sugar content makes them a poor choice for clear skin. The same goes for fortified breakfast cereals with high sugar content.

To avoid confusion, we’ve rounded up the 11 best foods for healthy skin that you can safely incorporate into your daily meals to improve the look and feel of your complexion.

What you eat can make or mar your health. A poor diet can weaken the body’s defence system and expose key organs to harm. These include your liver, heart, and especially your skin. For the most part, the skin presents with noticeable changes as our diet changes. And so keeping it strong and supple always can seem a mountainous task. But it doesn’t have to be so. In this article, we’ll be taking a look at 11 of the best, research-proven foods to include in your diet for radiant and healthy skin. Let’s dive in!

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1. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of carotenoids, a type of plant pigment with known anti-oxidant properties, among others. Specifically, sweet potatoes contain beta-carotene, a carotenoid that your body converts it into Vitamin A. Carotenes are also present in carrots and spinach and have a wide variety of health-benefits, many of which promote a healthy complexion. For example, beta-carotene may protect against sunburn, which in turn prevents wrinkle formation. Regular consumption of beta-carotene-rich foods may also brighten your skin’s colour and overall health.

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2. Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a great source of Vitamin C, a known antioxidant which prevents single oxygen atoms called free radicals from damaging your skin cells. Tomatoes are also rich in carotenoids including lutein, lycopene and beta-carotene. Since tomatoes provide all the major carotenoids your body needs, a tomato-rich diet is a great option for healthy skin. One way to maximize the absorption of these carotenoids is to include healthy fats such as olive oil or fish, which is why these should be included in your diet, too.

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3. Fatty fish

Fatty fish has long been considered one of the best foods for healthy skin, particularly mackerel, salmon and herring. This is because these types of fish are incredibly rich in omega-3 fatty acids. If your suffer from dry skin it could be because your diet is lacking healthy fats. Furthermore, omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties that promote a supple, thick and moisturized skin. They may also be helpful against harmful UV rays as well as be effective in reducing redness and acne.

Another important constituent in fatty fish is Vitamin E, which has an antioxidizing effect, making your skin less susceptible to the damaging effects of inflammation and free radicals. In addition to this, fish also contain protein, known to enhance the skin’s integrity and firmness. And finally there’s zinc, which provides inflammatory benefits and stimulates the development of new cells.

All in all, fatty fish is one of the best foods to incorporate into your diet if you want clear, healthy and youthful looking skin.

Broccoli

4. Broccoli

Broccoli contains zinc and vitamins A and C. It’s also another source of the carotenoid, lutein, which acts in similar ways to beta-carotene. Essentially, lutein fights against oxidative stress that causes dryness and wrinkles.

Broccoli also boasts sulforaphane, a compound that may help fight against skin cancer. Like beta-carotene, sulforaphane also protects your skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays. It does this by neutralizing the activities of harmful free radicals and activating the body’s defense systems, protecting your skin for as long as 48hrs. Finally, sulforaphane has also been thought to help stabilize the skin’s collagen content, supporting a firm, supple appearance.

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5. Dark Chocolate

Now’s the time to breathe a sigh of relief because dark chocolate is, in fact, a great food for healthy skin! A recent study suggested that eating antioxidant-rich cocoa powder for 6-12 weeks can improve dehydrated skin. Dark chocolate may also increase blood flow and reduce the harmful effects of sunburn. Another study showed that daily consumption of high-antioxidant dark chocolate could provide your skin with twice as much resistance to UV rays than low-antioxidant chocolates would.  However, it’s important to choose a dark chocolate variety with maximum cocoa content and minimum sugar.  

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6. Avocados

Avocados provide multiple benefits to the skin. They have a high healthy fat content for a supple and moisturized skin. There’s also evidence to suggest that they contain compounds that protect against UV rays. Again, this slows down signs of aging and formation of wrinkles. Like fatty fish, avocados are rich in vitamin E, a strong antioxidant that fights oxidative damage.

The fruit also contains vitamin C which is responsible for collagen development. Collagen is the key structural protein responsible for maintaining the firmness and overall integrity of your skin. While less common, vitamin C deficiency has been linked to dry, scaly and bruise-prone skin. Consuming a 100-gram serving of avocado provides 17% and 10% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) of vitamins C and E respectively, making it a great food choice for healthy skin.

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7. Green Tea

Green tea contains catechins, a potent antioxidant that protects the skin from harmful UV rays. In addition to this, one study found that drinking green tea for 12 weeks can reduce skin redness by as much as 25%. The study also found that green tea made the skin smoother and increased elasticity, thickness and moisture. Before sipping your next cup, however, you might want to avoid milk, as some findings say it could reduce the antioxidizing activity of green tea.

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8. Red Or Yello Bell Peppers

Because they are packed with beta-carotene, bell peppers are a great source of Vitamin A. One cup of chopped red bell pepper translates to 92% of the recommended intake of vitamin A you need daily. These peppers are also an excellent choice for vitamin C. A cup of bell peppers provides 317% of the RDI for this essential vitamin.

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9. Walnuts

Walnuts are rich in essential fatty acids that your body cannot otherwise produce. Walnuts contain more omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids than other nuts, which is why they are one of the best foods for clear skin. That being said, be careful not to overindulge. Excessive omega-6 fats may enhance inflammatory conditions like psoriasis. Thankfully, omega-3 fats are great anti-inflammatory agents, and since walnuts contain both fats in adequate proportions, you can consume them safely.

Besides that, walnuts are also a great source of zinc. Consuming 28g of walnuts provides 6% of the recommended daily intake of zinc. This promotes wound healing, and protects against bacteria and inflammation. Walnuts also contain vitamins C and E, protein and selenium, all of which provide tremendous benefits for your skin.

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10. Sunflower Seeds

Just like walnuts, sunflower seeds are packed with vitamin E, selenium, zinc and protein. An ounce of sunflower seeds contains 5.4g of protein and 37% of the recommended daily intake for vitamin E. This serving also provides you with 32% and 10% of the RDI for selenium and zinc respectively. A great way to consume sunflower seeds is sprinkled over a salad using any of the other vegetables mentioned in this article to maximise the benefits for your skin.

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11. Soy

Soy is another food that should be on your checklist of the best foods for skin. Soy is laden with isoflavones, a compound that improves the skin’s elasticity, thus keeping it smooth and wrinkle-free. Also, isoflavones protect the skin from UV radiation, thus helping prevent skin cancer. 

The best way to get clear skin naturally

Adopting clean eating habits is one of the most important things you can do to improve your skin’s appearance, but it’s not the only one. Getting enough sleep and keeping up a consistent skincare regimen are equally important, and part of this is using high quality, clean skincare  that supports a healthy, natural glow.

La Fervance Eclat Extraordinaire  is one such product that addresses a range of issues including redness, wrinkles, and dry skin. A multi-function beauty balm, Eclat Extraordinaire is made from ingredients with 100% natural origins, making it a skincare option as healthy and safe as any of the foods on this list.

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