The Best Foods for Healthy Skin

Have you tried all those creams and ointments on the market in hopes of obtaining that glowing, radiant skin you’re seeking? Have you tried products from the grocery store? Did you even consider your diet and the foods you eat as a means of obtaining that flawless skin you desire? Below is a list of skin beautifying foods. Try them out first!

• Water. Good hydration plays a vital role in keeping skin looking healthy and even young. Though the amount you need per day varies, a good amount to shoot for is around eight glasses a day. Water helps to keep your cells hydrated, while moving good nutrients in and toxins out.
• Essential fatty acids. Essential fatty acids are found in foods like salmon, flaxseeds, walnuts and canola oil. Essential fatty acids are responsible for healthy cell membranes. Meaning, they act as barriers to harmful things as well as a passageway for nutrients and as means of waste products to exit. These foods should ring a bell for helping your heart fight off inflammation, well the same can be said for your skin because they protect both! The key is to have a balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
• Low-fat dairy products. One the most important components of skin health is vitamin A, and low-fat dairy products are some of the best places to get it! Some dairy products, like low-fat yogurt, not only contain high amounts of vitamin A, but also acidophilus, which is a “live” bacteria. This bacteria has been shown to be good for intestinal health and it may also have an impact on the skin. The idea behind this is that anything that helps keep digestion normal will help reflect healthy skin.
• Fresh fruits, including plenty of berries. Blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries all contain a potent amount of free-radical fighting antioxidants.  Free radicals result from various sources, like sun exposure, which damage skin cell membranes. The antioxidant’s (and its partner phytochemicals, also found in fresh fruit) role is to protect the cell from degeneration and damage by pairing up with the free radicals, neutralizing them, and sending them on their way without causing harm to our heart or skin.
• Selenium containing foods. These foods include: whole-wheat bread, cereal, tuna, and brazil nuts just to name a few.  Selenium is a mineral which acts like Vitamin C and E due to its capability to act like an antioxidant. Selenium helps the skin the same way that the fresh fruit mentioned above does.