Eat your way to healthy skin – the nutrients you can’t glow without!

Many nutrients are needed for good skin health, yet did you know that our skin is one of the last organs’ to receive the nutrients we consume!

Think of nutrients as the building blocks to your skin cells. If we do not meet our nutritional requirements either through our diet or supplementation, we may not have adequate amounts of nutrients required for skin cell production and regeneration. Therefore, supporting your skin nutritionally is very important to achieving optimal skin health and healing.

Some common nutrients involved in maintaining healthy skin:

Zinc – essential mineral for skin health!

Involved in the creation of DNA, growth of cells, building proteins (like collagen), healing damaged tissue, and supporting healthy immune function.

Dietary sources of zinc include: eggs, beef, lamb, pork, lentils, hemp seeds, quinoa and cashews.

 

Vitamin A – an awesome antioxidant

Vitamin A is an antioxidant that can help protect cells from UV damage, regulate the production and growth of healthy skin cells, support immune function and healing, support collagen production, keep skin nice and strong, and assist in suppressing the over production of oil!

Dietary sources of Vitamin A include: leafy greens, yellow and orange fruit and veg (think, carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, mangoes, rockmelon etc), eggs, liver, fish and dairy products.

 

Vitamin C – essential for plenty of reasons

Vitamin C is essential for supporting collagen production and wound healing in the skin, another potent antioxidant that can assist in protecting the skin from UV damage and neutralising free radicals that lead to oxidative stress which causes premature ageing.

Dietary sources of Vitamin C include: organ meat, eggs, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, lentils, peanuts, sesame seeds, pistachios, kiwi, strawberries, oranges and tomatoes.

 

Vitamin D – playing an important role for your skin

Vitamin D plays an important role in skin protection and rejuvenation, contributes to skin cell growth, repair and metabolism, enhances the skin’s immune function, barrier function and can help destroy free radicals that lead to premature ageing.

Natural sources of Vitamin D include: healthy exposure to sunlight, the app ‘D Minder’ is great for letting you know the ideal time for sun exposure, 10-30mins is all that is needed for most people, depending on your skin type. Don’t forget to still wear your hat! Mushrooms, liver, oily fish and the yolk of an egg are also dietary sources of Vit D.

 

Vitamin E – another awesome antioxidant

Vitamin E is another antioxidant capable of preventing premature ageing from oxidative stress in cells, caused by UV damage or food and environmental toxins. Also known to have anti-inflammatory and wound healing effects, support the immune system and support cell function.

Dietary sources of Vitamin E include: wheat germ oil, sunflower seeds and oil, almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, peanuts, brazil nuts, salmon, avocado, mango, kiwi fruit and blackberries.

 

Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) – essential to skin health

Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) are essential to skin health, they reduce inflammation and irritation in the skin, improve skin barrier function by locking in hydration and helping keep harmful bacteria and irritants out, and can assist in balancing hormones which in turn can balance oil production.

Dietary sources of Omega 3 EFAs: fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring and sardines), flaxseeds or oil, chia seeds and walnuts. Due to the large amount you need to consume in your diet to be adequate, supplementation can be a great way to ensure you are getting enough.

 

Protein – essential building blocks

Protein – amino acids found in dietary sources of protein are essential in the production of key building blocks that make up plump and healthy skin, such as collagen and elastin. Dietary protein is also required for healing and repairing damaged tissue and forming enzymes that assist the body with our natural exfoliation process.

Dietary sources of Protein include: meat, eggs, fish, greek yoghurt, cheese, milk, soy, tofu, chickpeas, lentils, beans, edamame, peas, oats, quinoa, walnuts, hemp seeds, chia seeds, peanuts and almonds.

 

These are just a few nutrients that are involved in skin cell health. If you would like tailored nutritional support for optimising your skin health and healing, book yourself a consultation with our amazing Face Fit Naturopath.

*Note all advice given in blogs is general in nature and a consultation is required for advice specific to individuals.

 

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