Your skin is your largest organ and accounts for approximately 1/7 of your total body weight. Your skin’s main function is to act as a barrier, protecting your entire body from sunlight, hot and cold temperatures, pathogens, germs, and toxic substances.
Although most people focus on external skin care by using moisturizer, sunscreen, and other skin care products, following a nutritious and holistic diet is one of the most important factors in keeping your skin healthy, beautiful, and youthful.
Many foods contain vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants which can help improve your skin’s health. Plant-based foods — such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and beans — are particularly rich in skin-supporting nutrients. And studies demonstrate that they can actually help improve skin elasticity and hydration. They may even help reduce the emergence of wrinkles.
Certain nutrients, such as zinc, selenium, omega-3 fats, and vitamins A, C, and E, protect skin from dehydration, loss of elasticity, and oxidative and sun-induced damage.
Eating nutrient-rich foods regularly can protect the skin and help slow the signs of aging, improving skin moisture and elasticity.
Here are 10 of the best foods for skin health and beauty:
Grapes
Grapes are a source of phytoestrogen. Grapes contain resveratrol, another molecule with effects similar to estrogen. The resveratrol in grapes has an anti-aging effect on your skin and may prevent the formation of dark spots.
Resveratrol also helps protect your skin from damage caused by the sun’s UV rays so it can reduce the risk of skin cancer. Some studies show that resveratrol may help you live longer and help prevent age-related diseases.
Edamame
Soybean products such as edamame can help minimize the development of wrinkles. That’s because soy contains isoflavones that imitate human estrogen, a hormone that decreases after menopause. Lower estrogen levels can lead to wrinkles, dryness, and worse wound healing.
Studies show that consuming soy or using soy extracts topically may reduce the appearance of fine wrinkles and increase skin hydration and elasticity.
Carrot
Carrots are an excellent source of antioxidant beta-carotene. Beta-carotene turns into vitamin A. Vitamin A can prevent the appearance of acne, reduce wrinkles, and prevent sunburn.
Eating carrots can also give a slightly orange-red color to the skin due to its beta-carotene content. This increased color may increase “facial attractiveness” and give you a healthy-looking glow, according to some studies. But remember that too many carrots can cause carotenemia, a condition in which your skin turns yellow-orange. Fortunately, this condition is not dangerous and easy to cure.
Blackberries
Blackberries are rich in polyphenols, chemical compounds found in plants. These polyphenols work as antioxidants to prevent damage to your skin and maintain the structural integrity of your skin. They also play a role in preventing skin cancer.
Blackberries are also a good source of vitamin C, which can help combat wrinkles. They also contain a lot of vitamin K, which may help prevent and treat scars.
Red Bell Peppers
When you hear vitamin C, you automatically think of oranges. However, it turns out that red peppers contain greater vitamin C.
Vitamin C is a well-known antioxidant that can help stimulate collagen, the protein that functions as the building block of skin. Having more collagen in your diet can help with skin moisture and elasticity, reducing wrinkles and roughness. So, eating more red bell peppers can help keep your skin looking younger.
Red peppers also contain capsanthin. Capsanthin helps protect skin from damage caused by UV rays from the sun.
Avocado
Avocados are rich in healthy fats. These fats benefit many of your body’s functions, including your skin health.
Getting enough of these fats is important to help keep your skin supple and moisturized.
Avocados contain compounds that may help protect your skin from sun damage. UV damage to your skin can result in wrinkles and other signs of aging.
Avocados are also a good source of vitamin E, which is an essential antioxidant that helps protect your skin from oxidative damage. Most Americans don’t get enough vitamin E through their diet.
Tomato
Tomatoes are a source of vitamin C and contain all the major carotenoids, including lycopene.
Beta carotene, lutein, and lycopene have been shown to protect your skin against sun damage. They also may help prevent wrinkles.
Tomatoes are rich in carotenoids and are an excellent food to maintain healthy skin.
Consider combining carotenoid-rich foods such as tomatoes with a fat source, such as cheese or olive oil. Fats improve your absorption of carotenoids.
Broccoli
Broccoli is rich in many vitamins and minerals that are important for skin health, including zinc, vitamin A, and vitamin C.
Broccoli also contains lutein, a carotenoid that functions like beta carotene. Lutein helps protect your skin from oxidative damage, which can cause your skin to dry out and wrinkle.
However, broccoli florets also contain a special compound called sulforaphane, which offers some impressive potential benefits. It may even have anti-cancer effects, including on certain types of skin cancer.
Sulforaphane is also a strong protective agent against sun damage. It works in two ways: neutralizing dangerous free radicals and activating other protective systems in your body.
In laboratory tests, sulforaphane reduced the number of skin cells killed by UV rays by as much as 29%, with protection lasting up to 48 hours.
Evidence shows sulforaphane can also help maintain collagen levels in your skin.
Dark Chocolate
If you needed one more reason to consume chocolate, here it is: The effects cocoa has on your skin are simply phenomenal.
After 6–12 weeks of consuming antioxidant-rich cocoa powder daily, participants in one study experienced thicker, hydrated skin.
Their skin is also less rough and scaly, less sensitive to sunburn, and has better blood flow — which brings more nutrients to your skin.
Another study found that consuming 20 grams of dark chocolate high in antioxidants every day can make your skin withstand twice as much UV radiation before burning, compared to consuming chocolate low in antioxidants.
Several other studies showed similar results, including improvements in the appearance of wrinkles.
Make sure to choose dark chocolate with a minimum of 70% cocoa content to maximize its benefits and minimize added sugar.
Soy
Soy contains isoflavones, a category of plant compounds that can mimic or block estrogen in your body.
Isoflavones benefit several parts of your body, including your skin.
A small study involving middle-aged women found that consuming soy isoflavones daily for 8–12 weeks reduced fine wrinkles and improved skin elasticity.
In postmenopausal women, soy can also treat dry skin and increase collagen, which helps keep your skin smooth and healthy.
These isoflavones not only help protect cells in your body from damage but also your skin from UV radiation — which can reduce the risk of some types of skin cancer.
