15 Foods That Will Make Your Skin Glow
Did you know there are actually foods for healthy skin? Feeling ruddy in the face? Pores feeling a little big? Dry skin? Sallow color? Fear not — the answer to make your skin glow might just be under your nose, literally on your plate.
According to nutritionist, Maria Patricia Restrepo, “Artificial foods are the biggest no-no, as they literally suck the liveliness from our skin.” With that in mind, she recommends instead “opting for live, fresh foods—food that exists in its original state.” She notes that great skin can be helped by eating high levels of the chemical elements needed for optimal connective tissue found in foods such as collard greens, beet greens, beets, and papaya.
We went on to scour the web to bring you a comprehensive list of foods for healthy skin that will make your face glow.
1-FOODS RICH IN VITAMIN C
Vitamin C is not only effective against colds. It’s also an antioxidant that slows the rate of free-radical damage. New research shows that ascorbic acid 2-phosphate, a derivative of vitamin C, not only neutralizes free radicals, but also reverses DNA damage. Blueberries, blackberries and guava are loaded with V-C.
2-GREEN TEA
This gem from the East reduces redness, swelling and irritation and is thought to be one of the best combatants against the body’s inflammation.
3-MANGOES
These tropical fruits have more than 80% of the required vitamins known for restoring skin cells.
4-MUSHROOMS
There’s a fungus among us — or at least there should be, as shrooms contain a lot of Vitamin B12 and can dramatically repair damaged tissue.
5-SWEET POTATOES
Rich in Vitamin A, these healthy orange ‘taters, help speed up our body’s cellular turnover.
6-WHOLE GRAINS
Processed (or refined) flours can cause spikes in insulin, which can create acne. Switching to whole grains instead of processed carbohydrates is not only good for your diet, it can actually improve your skin.
7-COOKED TOMATOES
Lycopene, the phytochemical that makes tomatoes red, helps boosts collagen strength—a protein that gives skin its taut, youthful structure—and fights off the oxidizing effect of UV rays by eliminating skin-aging free radicals. A study in the British Journal of Dermatology found participants who ate five tablespoons of tomato paste daily showed 33 percent more protection against sunburn than a control group. Why is tomato paste one of our best foods for skin? It's because cooking tomatoes ups their lycopene levels, so tomato sauce, gazpacho, and even ketchup pack on the protection.
8-CARROTS
Think of carrots as your very own wonder wands—good for the eyes and good for clearing up breakouts. No magic here, though, just plenty of beta-carotene and vitamin A, an antioxidant which prevents overproduction of cells in the skin's outer layer. That means fewer flaky dead cells that otherwise could combine with sebum to clog your pores. Plus, vitamin A plays an essential role in reducing the development of skin-cancer cells. It's a win-win with this best food for skin.
9-TURMERIC
Turmeric isn't just a game-changer when it comes to protecting against cancer or reducing pain. This Indian spice can also protect your skin. That's because turmeric's active antioxidant, curcumin, has shown to be one of the most effective anti-inflammatory and free-radical fighting options out there (even more effective than ibuprofen!), according to a study in Oncogene. Plus, research shows this spice can also be used to lighten dark pigmentation blotches or scars caused by aging, hormone imbalance, or sun exposure by inhibiting an enzyme in the skin that produces pigment—just combine with honey to create a healing facial mask!
10-YELLOW PEPPERS
Vitamin C is essential to the formation and growth of skin and muscle tissue as well as to building collagen—the protein which provides strength and structure to your skin, bones, muscles, and tendons. But instead of grabbing an orange to get your dose, much on some vitamin C-rich yellow bell peppers instead. In a British Journal of Nutrition study of over 700 Japanese women, researchers found that the more yellow and green vegetables subjects ate, the less apt they were to have wrinkles and crows feet—even once they controlled for smoking and sun exposure. And a study out of the UK concurs. The British study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that volunteers who consumed 4 milligrams of C (what you'd get in a single bite of yellow pepper) daily for 3 years decreased the appearance of wrinkles by 11 percent.
11-AVOCADOS
This fruit — rich in essential oils and B-complex vitamins that nourish the skin — is so good for the complexion that many make masks out of it and smear it right onto their face.
12-COCOA POWDER
Flavonals, the antioxidants in dark chocolate, reduce roughness in the skin and protect against sun damage; studies show that women who drink cocoa fortified with 326 milligrams of flavonals a day have better skin texture and stronger resistance to UV rays than those who didn’t get as much of the antioxidants.
13-COCONUT OIL
Coconut oil is one of the best foods for healthy skin whether you cook with it or use it as a lotion. This sweet oil is loaded with “good fats” that restore moisture to the skin.
14-ALMONDS
Almonds are full of one of the most oft-associated vitamins with skin care, vitamin E. That's because this vitamin helps repair scarred cells and defends against sun damage. Volunteers who consumed 14 milligrams of the vitamin per day (about 20 almonds) and then were exposed to UV light burned less than those who took none. And because vitamin E also acts as an antioxidant, it also works to keep your body free of dangerous free radicals. Almonds are also one of the best sources of dairy-free calcium!
15-OYSTERS & MUSSELS
Bet you didn’t know mollusks were one of the best foods for healthy skin. But it’s true: oysters are loaded with zinc, which help fight saggy skin by giving its elasticity a boost. Mussels, which are loaded with iron, help prevent the skin from appearing pale and pasty.
