Clearer, healthier skin is a goal for many. The health of your skin is influenced by several factors, such as pollution and the sun, while some are related to what you eat, including the quality and composition of your food.
Rather than reaching for collagen supplements, instead include foods rich in protein such as meat, chicken, eggs, cheese, tofu and legumes. These foods provide your body with the amino acids needed to make collagen. Collagen also requires vitamin C for stability, which you can find in foods such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, capsicum, tomatoes, spinach, kiwi fruit, lemons and oranges.
Other nutrients that can help in keeping your skin healthy include zinc found in fish, chicken, meat and legumes, Vitamin A found in oily fish, egg yolks, cheese, tofu and wholegrains, along with Beta-carotene which is found in plants and converted to Vitamin A in the body, as well as foods rich in polyphenols, found in fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices.
Whilst more evidence is needed, the influence of the foods you eat upon the severity of acne suggests that acne may be improved by eating foods with a lower GI, including wholegrain breads and pastas, apples, bananas and oats, eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, losing weight if you are overweight, limiting your intake of fried foods and those high in saturated fat, and lowering your intake of dairy products (except cheese).
Foods that may support you in having clearer, healthier skin include:
- Carrot
- Lettuce
- Melon
- Pumpkin
- Raspberries
- Spinach
- Sweet potato
- Tomatoes
You can read more about the link between these foods and clearer, healthier skin here:
