5 Healthy Foods for Healthy Skin

You are what you eat, right? We have all heard that if you have a steady diet of candy and potato chips, your health (and your skin) will suffer. So what are *the* best food choices for magnificent skin? I have found three articles that guide us to the top foods for healthy skin: one from a doctor, one from a nutritionist and the third from a scientific dermatology journal.


The first article, What are the best foods for healthy skin? is written by Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D. This article lists specific foods that are rich in antioxidants that will contribute to healthy skin. http://mayocl.in/1Tvm2ES

The next article, by a well known nutritionist, Joy Bauer, details 8 specific foods that directly affect your skin's appearance. In 8 Foods for Healthy, Gorgeous Skin, Joy gives a little bit of the science behind why each type of food helps our skin. http://bit.ly/22Dy1Xg

The last article is a scientific article published in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthethic Dermatology. The article, The Role of Dietary Intervention in Skin Disease, provides key scientific evidence for the connection between diet and skin, with references coming from some pivotal skin-diet studies. http://1.usa.gov/1mvl5lb

Using the valuable information from these three articles, I'm giving you a list of super foods that will contribute to having healthy, glowing, problem free skin. Add these foods to your diet, or use them as snacks in place of those potato chips!

• Carrots - Carrots have the antioxidant beta-carotene which does two things for skin: 1. it works to protect the skin against sun damage, and 2. it works to help the skin rebuild cells. Carrots also have Vitamin A, and a deficiency in Vitamin A often presents as dry skin.
• Nuts - Nuts, specifically almonds, are a great choice for healthy skin, primarily because of the Vitamin E which nourishes the skin. 
• Tomatoes – Tomatoes and tomato products (like juice and tomato paste, especially) have lycopene, which works to protect against UV skin damage. And get this - "Human studies have also supported the role of dietary factors in reducing aspects of photocarcinogenesis. In one RCT, ingestion of tomato paste, which is rich in lycopene, was found to protect skin against UVR-induced effects, including erythema and DNA damage." Erthema is sunburn. Lycopene works to actually prevent sunburn!
• Fish - Fish that contains Omega-3 (like salmon, sardines, herring, anchovies) work to generate stronger skin cells due to the fatty acids. Omega-3 can also help reduce symptoms of psoriasis.
• Tropical Fruit - Fruits such as pineapple and papaya are high in Vitamin C which primarily works to defend against free radicals and contributes to collagen production and directly helps with anti-aging efforts.

What are your favorites? Share using hashtag #skinfood and tell us what you like to eat every day!