Food for your skin

Research suggests that deficiencies in vital nutrients, proteins and essential fatty acids can sabotage the health and beauty of your skin. Skin care and nutraceutical companies routinely promise a healthier, younger appearance through the use of nutritional supplements. Surveys indicate that there are a growing number of persons who purchase over-the-counter supplements because they believe that their diets do not adequately support health, disease prevention and anti-aging. Books about the relationship between nutrition and beauty are making best-seller lists, while skin care formulations are more widely available today than ever. What follows is some insight into the role that diet plays in skin care.

Nutrition’s role
A healthy, well-balanced diet not only reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes and possibly certain types of cancer, but also contributes to a feeling of vitality and energy. The foods you eat contain nutrients; these nutrients come in the form of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids, carbohydrates and lipids. They sustain life by providing the body with the basic materials needed for its daily functions. Research has shown that each part of the body contains high concentrations of certain nutrients, and that a nutritional deficiency will cause the body part to malfunction and, eventually, break down.

To keep this from happening, you need to maintain a proper diet. The skin’s ability to defend itself against environmental damage as well as to renew and repair itself is supported by these nutrients. With proper nutrition, exercise and stress management, you substantially can affect the aging process and the youthful look of the skin. It is important to remember, however, that it’s not about what you eat—it’s about what you digest and absorb. Unless you can digest your foods, you can’t get all their nutrients into your cells. When eating for health and beauty, it is important to remember that nutrients and other food components work together in a complex way in your body. No matter how healthy a food may be, it needs to be part of a balanced eating plan.

Foods make an impact
Essential fatty acids have been used in moisturisers for years, but now evidence and research show that diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids can help combat dry skin conditions. I see an improvement in my eczema and psoriasis clients when they increase their intake of omega-rich foods. Essential fatty acids are crucial to health but cannot be made in the body. When taken orally, they enhance the well-being of skin cells and act as a barrier against environmental allergens and irritants, often improving hydration and skin texture. Fish and flaxseed oils are good sources of essential fatty acids. For example, flaxseed can be purchased from organic sources, is inexpensive, and is rich in fiber and lignans.

Orac
The rating of oxygen radical absorbance capacity is known as ORAC. UV light and environmental pollutants generate free radicals in the skin and body. Free radicals are a natural result of the body’s metabolic process; however, they also are known to damage healthy DNA cells. Antioxidants neutralise and protect cells from these free radicals and help to repair cellular damage. Unfortunately, there are many antioxidants from which to choose, and each acts in a different way to protect the cells. Marketers mislead when they suggest that a single antioxidant is the most powerful. Nutritionists believe that there are antioxidants in natural food sources that have yet to be discovered, and that eating a variety of these foods is the best way to ensure good health. In addition, studies have supported the concept that fruits, vegetables and green tea all have anti-inflammatory benefits when eaten as part of a well-balanced diet.

The acne issue
There is no real relationship between acne development and an individual’s pattern of food consumption. The connection is associated with the fact that those who eat a lot of junk food simply do not get enough of the good nutrients that are needed to support healthy skin function. One nutrient that is thought to help to improve acne is zinc. I see many vegetarians in my practice with blemishes. While they have diets rich in fruits and vegetables, many do not get enough absorbed zinc through vegetarian sources. Adding 25 milligrams of zinc to a topical acne solution often will accelerate the healing process. Since the best and most absorbable source of zinc is found in meat, supplementation often is needed.

The touting of vitamins and other nutrients to beautify the skin has certainly become very popular, but diet should be your first line of defense in supporting the body. Eating a variety of foods every day or over the course of a week helps to ensure an adequate mix of nutrients. In this “body-image” society, supplements are replacing food, but supplements can vary greatly in quality, potency and formulation. Foods supply a synergistic balance provided by nature; formulators of vitamin supplements can only guess at that balance. Your skin care professional should be responsible for your overall well-being. If your  full medical history is not known, you may not be receiving service that is in your best interests.  Be as careful when taking recommended supplements as you are when deciding which skin care treatment is most appropriate for your skin.

Food sources in skin care products
The idea of adding food nutrients to skin care products is based upon the proven dietary science that all cells need proteins, carbohydrates and fats to enable the body to optimally function. Every minute of every day, thousands of chemical reactions occur in every cell. The goal of biochemistry—the scientific discipline that studies these reactions—is to harness the synergy of the building blocks of nature to revive cellular metabolism. In order to do this, cells use amino acids from proteins, simple sugars from carbohydrates and fatty acids, and glycerols from oils and fats. Some food sources act to nourish and protect cells from free radical damage, while others act to supply energy and feed metabolic activity.

Some very select proteins have the ability to mimic the body’s natural growth factors and act as cell messengers. Direct application of food-based skin care is thought to bring these nutrients directly to the skin and, in combination with other skin care, can be effective in supporting skin health. Feed your skin for good health; feed your mind for an enriched life.

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