Essential Nutrients for Strong and Healthy Skin

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Springtime is the perfect time to give some extra love to your skin. After it survived harsh winter winds and freezing cold, it’s time to prepare it for milder weather and return it to its former glowy and dewy self. Sure, there are various creams and tonics, but the best way to rejuvenate your skin is to provide it with proper vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Here’s what to introduce to your diet for healthy skin.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is created during exposure to the sun. When created, it’s transported all over your body through your kidneys and liver and employed to help with new cell creation. Vitamin D also reaches the skin, where it regulates skin tone and plays other important roles in skin processes. Vitamin D can even help with aggressive psoriasis! Experts recommend that people take 600 IU of Vitamin D every day (more if you’re pregnant or older than 70). Vitamin D production can be boosted by sun exposure (10 minutes a day is all you need, though) and by eating Vitamin D rich foods like salmon, tuna, cod or fortified cereals and yogurts.

Vitamin A

Human skin contains three layers and all of them need Vitamin A to function normally. It helps prevent sun damage, interrupts the processes that break down collagen and even helps cuts and scrapes heal faster! All in all, without this vitamin, your skin would get itchy, bumpy and dry. Vitamin A is found in animal products, mainly in the animal liver, fatty fish and dairy products

Vitamin C

If you need a boost of collagen, think Vitamin C! This vitamin helps protein from the skin hold its shape, but it’s also a powerful antioxidant that protects your body and skin from harmful free radicals that might even cause skin cancer. Vitamin C deficiency can trigger easy bruising, slower-healing sores and bleeding gums. So, make sure to eat plenty of peppers (both red and green), green leafy veggies, oranges, and strawberries.

Vitamin E

Vitamin C and E work together to strengthen skin cell walls, but Vitamin E has other functions as well. It’s an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory that prevents sun damage and keeps those wrinkles at bay!

Q10

If you want to avoid tired and droopy skin, you must keep your elastin and collagen levels high. Coenzyme q10 is a molecule contained in our mitochondria that helps keep our skin in top shape by finding and neutralizing free radicals and minimizing their harmful effect on the skin. Without molecules like coq10, your skin would deteriorate very quickly and dramatically. While the concentration of this molecule is highest in childhood and starts to lower with years, it can be replenished. There are practical coq10 supplements that offset cellular damage caused by free radicals and give skin its elasticity back. Additionally, coq10 is also great for supporting heart function while serving as a powerful antioxidant, so you can benefit from it in many ways.

Healthy Fats

If your skin lacks a beautiful glow, you might need to boost your intake of healthy fats. You can try adding some plants like nuts, seeds, and avocados to your daily diet and grab some fish a few times a week. Omega-3 fatty acids found in these foods keep your skin firm, moist and flexible and they are much better for your overall health than saturated fats.

Zinc

One of the most important minerals for skin health is definitely zinc. It’s especially beneficial for teens and adults who suffer from acne breakouts because it controls the production of skin oils and the hormones responsible for acne. Zinc’s antioxidant properties also help with signs of aging and boost skin healing after an injury. All in all, zinc has positive effects on human health and it makes us look young. So, if you want to reap those benefits of zinc, make sure to boost intake of nuts, rice, sunflower seeds, rye, olives, and peas. Lean meats, liver, and fortified cereals are also a great choice of foods. Pro tip: soak grains, nuts, and seeds overnight in order to release the phytic acid that prevents proper zinc absorption.

Copper

Copper is another mineral that encourages the production of elastin and collagen that gives the skin its elasticity and strength. It also protects the skin from oxidative damage by enhancing the functions of other antioxidants. If that’s not enough, copper also helps convert tyrosine, an amino acid that controls skin and hair pigment. So, make sure to introduce copper-rich dietary sources into your life. Eat plenty of sunflower and sesame seeds as well as various nuts. Soybeans and mushrooms are also full of copper, so grab some recipes online and try them out today.

Adding these nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to your diet is neither expensive nor complicated. All you need to do is fill your fridge and pantry with the right foods and order your supplements online and you’ll always have something beneficial for your skin right at hand!

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Diana Smith

Diana Smith is a full time mom of two beautiful girls and a passionate traveler. In her free time she enjoys exercising and preparing healthy meals for her family.