Ageing is a natural process but what you eat also plays a major role in helping you age better from the inside out. This article talks about foods that can help you look younger.
- Dark Chocolate or Cocoa: It has a stronger antioxidant content than all the berries. It helps to improve arterial function, reduces blood pressure, increases insulin sensitivity and skin elasticity. The flavanols protect the skin from sun damage, improves skin hydration, thickness and smoothness. The more cocoa content is present in dark chocolate the higher will be the flavanol content. Therefore always choose dark chocolate with a minimum of 70% cocoa.
- Vegetables: They are low in calories and very nutrient-dense. Being high in carotenoids (beta carotene) they protect against free radicals and solar radiation that lead to skin ageing. Try to include pumpkin, carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers, broccoli and leafy greens in your daily diet.
- Flaxseeds: They are rich in omega 3 fatty acids (ALA) that helps to reduce sun-induced skin damage and improves the quality of the skin.
- Pomegranates: They have a very high antioxidant activity which helps to decrease inflammation, helps repair damaged skin and also increases collagen production.
- Spices: The plant compounds in spices have various beneficial effects. Cinnamon helps to increase collagen production which improves the elasticity and firmness of the skin. The antioxidants in ginger have anti-inflammatory effects and prevent age spots.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: It helps to reduce the risk of heart diseases, prevents metabolic syndrome, lowers blood pressure and is also effective in fighting cancer. Because of its anti-inflammatory effects on the skin, it helps our skin to look young.
- Green Tea: It has a high antioxidant value which protects against damaging free radicals. It helps to fight inflammation, insulin resistance, diabetes and heart diseases. Collagen production decreases with age thus polyphenols in green tea help to protect the main skin protein called collagen which is responsible for smooth skin and elasticity.
- Fatty Fish: It consists of omega 3 fatty acids which protect us from inflammation, heart diseases and sun damage. Salmon is one of the best fatty fishes for consumption as it is rich in astaxanthin (a carotenoid antioxidant). It helps to improve skin hydration.
In conclusion, we cannot fight the clock and turn back time but what we can do is eat in the right manner and choose foods that can help us improve the function of our skin and overall health so that we remain young and healthy as we age.
References:
Boelsma, E., Hendriks, H. F., & Roza, L. (2001). Nutritional skincare: health effects of micronutrients and fatty acids. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 73(5), 853–864. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/73.5.853
Nagata, C., Nakamura, K., Wada, K., Oba, S., Hayashi, M., Takeda, N., & Yasuda, K. (2010). Association of dietary fat, vegetables and antioxidant micronutrients with skin ageing in Japanese women. The British journal of nutrition, 103(10), 1493–1498. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114509993461
Munir, K. M., Chandrasekaran, S., Gao, F., & Quon, M. J. (2013). Mechanisms for food polyphenols to ameliorate insulin resistance and endothelial dysfunction: therapeutic implications for diabetes and its cardiovascular complications. American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism, 305(6), E679–E686. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpendo.00377.2013
Bowe, W. P., & Pugliese, S. (2014). Cosmetic benefits of natural ingredients. Journal of drugs in dermatology: JDD, 13(9), 1021–27.