As the largest organ in the human body, your skin should be at the top of your list of priorities. This is especially true as you grow older. If you want to stay looking as youthful as you did in your 20s, your skin is a major factor in achieving that goal.
The first step in taking care of your skin is to check your diet because what goes into your body seriously affects how it looks on the outside. Your diet should include nutritious foods that will provide you with loads of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, healthy fats, and more. At the same time, you should make sure to stay away from foods that will negatively impact your skin, such as sugary or oily foods.
Collagen is an essential ingredient in the process of maintaining youthful-looking skin. Although collagen is present in the middle layer of your skin, its levels start waning as you grow older. To supplement this, you should increase your intake of foods that contain natural collagen boosters like ellagic acid. Other ingredients you need to look for include vitamins A, E, and C.
If this all sounds a bit too complicated, don’t worry, because we’ve simplified it for you. Here are some of the best anti-aging foods for your skin:
Avocados
The avocado craze of the recent past may have sounded a bit pretentious to some, but the fact is that they have a lot to offer in terms of nutrition. These green beauties are rich sources of monosaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Not only do they have anti-inflammatory properties, but they also help refresh and hydrate the skin.
What’s more – avocados are chock full of vitamins A, B, C, E, and K, which are all beneficial to help maintain glowing skin. Scientific studies also explore the thesis that lutein and zeaxanthin present in avocados can help the skin fight against UV damage.
Strawberries
Who doesn’t love these juicy red berries? The good news is that you can get a load of essential micronutrients from them, regardless of if you’re having them as part of a healthy salad or the occasional sweet treat. Strawberries are full of phenolic compounds that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These are great for healthy skin because they boost cellular metabolism and cell revival. Plus, they also help prevent oxidative stress, which can slow down the aging process significantly.
Broccoli
Broccoli might not be the most popular vegetable, but there’s no denying that it is a powerhouse of nutrients. The unassuming broccoli is a source of several anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties. Vitamin C is one of the main components in broccoli, and your body needs to aid in the process of synthesizing collagen. Plus, vitamin C, along with the help of vitamin K (also present in broccoli) is the best anti-wrinkle treatment out there!
Walnuts
Walnuts are delicious and super convenient to add to anybody’s diet. They are rich sources of protein, fiber, and healthy fats – and they also have a bunch of skin-friendly ingredients that can help your skin look smooth and glowing.
Walnuts have a high dose of vitamin E that your skin can use to protect itself from harmful UV rays. They also have the added benefit of having the highest content of antioxidants when compared to all other nuts! They also have plenty of omega-3 fatty acids. This makes them highly effective anti-inflammatory tools which benefit the overall health of your skin.
Dark Chocolate
Here’s more good news: chocolate is good for you. But before you start chowing down on your favorite chocolate bar, turn it over and read the list of ingredients. Ideally, it should have a minimal amount of sugar and at least 70% cocoa. This is because the good properties of chocolate come from the cocoa flavanols present in them. They can provide many anti-aging benefits such as antioxidants that protect against sun damage, moisturize the skin, and enhance blood flow.
Magnesium, an anti-inflammatory mineral that is present in dark chocolate, helps decrease stress and promotes better sleep. Given that these are habits that will contribute to the aging of your skin, this will also help you achieve your goal of having youthful skin in the long run.
Fatty Fish
Fatty fish is another great addition to your diet that can help your skin stay young and healthy. Varieties of fish like salmon, tuna, sardines, and mackerel are one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids. This is an important component in preventing skin inflammation and moisturizing the skin. Furthermore, such fatty fish are also carriers of vitamin E and zinc, which are known to aid in the quick healing of wounds – including skin-related wounds like acne and rashes. Eating more fatty fish can even help protect the skin against sun damage!
