KESEHATAN
The right combination of vitamins and minerals is essential along with healthy diet to get healthy, glowing and youthful skin. For vitamins and minerals to be most effective on your skin, you need to take them orally or apply them topically to the skin. When a brand claims that a product works on all skin types, it’s probably debatable, because only natural extracts can achieve this claim. Here are some of the essential vitamins and minerals for great skin and how to incorporate them into your diet.
12. Vitamins And Minerals For Healthy, Glowing And Youthful Skin
1. Vitamin A
If your skin has been feeling scaly and dry, then there’s a possibility that you might be lacking in Vitamin A. Individuals who are suffering from acne are also encouraged to take plenty of Vitamin A or apply products that are derivatives of the vitamin. Since Vitamin A also helps the skin rebuild tissues, it is also an essential vitamin when it comes to healing scrapes, wounds and other damages to the skin. Patients who suffer from the skin disease psoriasis are often advised to apply retinoids (a form of Vitamin A) to regulate cellular growth. Vitamin A is also a great anti-aging nutrient. So if you wish to keep lines, wrinkles, dull skin and other skin aging symptoms at bay then Vitamin A may can be of great help. Good sources of Vitamin A include eggs, leafy greens, milk, carrots, pumpkins, liver and more.
2. Vitamin E
Vitamin E is perhaps the most well-known vitamin that is essential for healthy skin. This is because Vitamin E is an effective antioxidant that helps fight free radicals in your body. Free radicals are caused by a number of factors such as smoking, pollution and sun exposure. Free radicals are one of the major causes of premature skin aging. As a result, Vitamin E can be an important anti-aging nutrient. Appearance of age spots, wrinkles, stretch marks and lines are reduced by applying Vitamin-E rich products. Vitamin E can also be found in foods like olives, sunflower seeds, peanuts, almonds, wheat germ and leafy greens.
3. Vitamin C
Like Vitamin E, Vitamin C is also an effective antioxidant. This means that it can also help you battle the signs of skin aging. Vitamin C also stimulates the production of collagen in your skin. Collagen is the protein responsible for making your skin supple. So if you wish to retain smooth and youthful skin then Vitamin C can help. Most fruits are good sources of Vitamin C so try to make fruits a staple addition to your everyday diet. Vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, tomato, brussel sprouts and cucumber are also good sources of this vitamin.
4. Vitamin B Complex
B Vitamins should also be added to your diet if you wish to achieve healthy skin. Vitamin B1, for instance, boosts circulation in the body and gives your skin a certain glow. If you're a woman taking birth control pills then you are at risk of Vitamin B1 deficiency. Egg yolks, nuts and raisins are great sources of Vitamin B1. Niacin of Vitamin B3 helps your skin receive plenty of oxygen, which prevents development of acne among other benefits. Niacin-rich foods include tomatoes, broccoli and carrots.
5. Vitamin K
Vitamin K, when consumed in the right doses, keeps the skin from bruising and blemishing easily.
Green leafy vegetables are the best possible source of Vitamin K.
How much to consume: 80-120 mcg of Vitamin K can be derived from broccoli, spring onions and even prunes. There is no set maximum safe dose for this vitamin.
6. Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 Fatty Acids is for Original If you have dry, inflamed skin or skin that suffers from the frequent appearance of whiteheads or blackheads you can benefit from supplementing with essential fatty acids (EFAs). Especially omega-3s. EFAs are responsible for skin repair, moisture content, and overall flexibility, but because the body cannot produce its own EFAs, they must be obtained through the diet. Skin Tip: The typical Australian diet is overabundant in omega-6 fatty acids found in baked goods and grains, and lacking in omega-3s, found in cold-water fish such as salmon and mackerel, as well as flaxseeds and safflower oil. Simply balancing the intake of omega-6s with omega-3s can result in smoother, younger-looking skin. EFAs are also available in supplement form – such as fish oil capsules or flax seed oil – and are effective at treating a wide range of disorders, from depression and cancer to arthritis and heart disease. Good sources of omega-3 oils include chia seeds, flax seeds and, for non-vegetarians, wild-harvested fish oils. EFA deficiency signs: Dandruff, dull skin, dehydration and dryness, Sensitivity, keratosis pilaris (chicken skin appearance on the backs of the arms and legs).
7. Coenzyme Q10 For Your Skin
Coenzyme Q10 is a natural antioxidant in the body that helps the cells grow and protects them from the ravages of cancer. A decrease in natural levels of coenzyme Q10 that occurs in our later years is thought to contribute to aging skin. A study published in the journal Biofactors found that applying coenzyme Q10 to the skin helped minimize the appearance of wrinkles. Most studies conducted so far have used a 0.3% concentration.
8. Iron
Iron is also essential to get healthy, glowing and youthful skin. Iron is required by your body to make hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a molecule in your blood that helps carry oxygen rich red blood cells from your lungs to all parts of your body including your skin cells and facial muscles. When your skin is properly supplied with oxygen rich blood, your skin will look more radiant and rosy.
9. Silica
Silica is for Strong. Silica is a trace mineral that strengthens the body’s connective tissue; muscles, tendons, hair, ligaments, nails, cartilage, and bone, and is vital for healthy skin. It helps you have strong healthy nails and bones – so it’s very important for you to feel healthy from the inside out. Skin Tip: Food sources of silica include: leeks, green beans, garbanzo beans, strawberries, cucumber, mango, celery, asparagus and rhubarb. Silica deficiency signs: Weak, brittle hair and nails, Skin lacking elasticity and firmness.
10. Zinc
Zinc is for Zest. The mineral zinc is an important component of healthy skin, especially for acne sufferers. In fact, acne itself may be a symptom of zinc deficiency. Zinc acts by controlling the production of oil in the skin, and may also help control some of the hormones that create acne. Zinc is also required for proper immune system function, as well as for the maintenance of vision, taste, and smell. Skin Tip: Foods rich in zinc include fresh oysters, pumpkin seeds, ginger, pecans, Brazil nuts, oats, and eggs. Zinc can be purchased in supplement form, in both liquid concentrates and tablets. Zinc deficiency signs: White flecks in the nails, acne, purple marking in the skin after breakouts or trauma, Stretch marks.
11. Green tea
Green tea has also emerged as a powerful beverage for skin health. With both antioxidant and immune-enahncing properties, green tea is protective against harmful oxidative stress. Preliminary animal research suggests that a compound in green tea, EGCG, may help reduce skin damage from ultraviolet light when applied topically.
Remember, your skin is the largest organ in your body, so any food that is good for your body will also be good for your skin.
12. Retinoic Acid For Your Skin
Retinoic acid is the active form of vitamin A in the skin and the "gold standard" in anti-aging skin care, according to Burke. Topical retinoic acid (brand names Renova and Retin-A) treats fine wrinkles, age spots, and rough skin caused by sun exposure. In a study published in the Journal of Dermatological Science, researchers found that treatment with retinoic acid restored the elastic fibers that keep skin taut, and reduced the appearance of wrinkles.
Retinoic acid comes in gel and cream forms, which are typically used once a day. Although dermatologists used to believe that retinoic acid made the skin more sensitive to the sun, they now know that it actually protects against further sun damage.
If you apply retinoic acid in too high of a concentration and too often, it can cause redness, extreme dryness, and peeling. Burke recommends starting with a low concentration (retinoic acid products range from 0.01% in gels to 0.1% in creams) and applying it once every second or third night to reverse photo damage more slowly.
