Creams, lotions, serums, and ointments are all great for your skin, but the truth is that relying on them is essentially trying to treat an “inside” problem from the outside.
Yes, you read that right!
Most of your skin problems are the result of internal problems—organ issues, slowed metabolism, and, more often than not, imbalanced diets.
Eating more foods for healthy skin is crucial to clearing up that acne, improving your skin tone, preventing wrinkles, and keeping your skin looking beautiful and fresh.
After all, foods contain all those critical nutrients that your body needs to produce more collagen and elastin, the proteins vital for healthy skin. No amount of topical treatments can compensate for a lack of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and healthy fats!
If you want your skin to look better, it’s time to take a good, hard look at your diet and see what you’re eating wrong or right. Try adding these foods to eat for healthy skin to your daily meals, and you might just see the huge improvement in your skin health you’ve been dreaming about.
Just a note: this list of foods to eat for healthy skin is far from complete!
Literally EVERY vegetable, fruit, grain, nut, seed, and meat has a nutrient that is vital for good skin health. Eating more natural, raw, organic produce is crucial for beautiful skin.
However, the items on this list of foods for healthy skin are those best-suited to improving your skin health from the inside out.
Avocadoes aren’t just great on whole-wheat toast; they’re great everywhere!
They are loaded with healthy, natural fats, specifically one very important fat: Vitamin E. Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant that coats your skin with a natural protective layer of oil, which will help to lock in moisture and keep out UV rays, toxins, and chemicals in the air. It’s basically a shield that keeps the good stuff in and the bad stuff out.
Studies have proven that high unsaturated fat intake led to supple, springy skin. This is due to the fact that Vitamin E works with Vitamin C to produce collagen, the protein that keeps your skin fresh and firm. Avocados are loaded with both Vitamins C and E, making them a skin-health-boosting powerhouse!
It may not be your favorite food on the menu, but it’s absolutely one of the best for your skin.
Fish oil is loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids, which are crucial for healthy skin. A lack of Omega-3s in your diet can lead to dry skin, but getting enough of these fatty acids will encourage better hydration of your skin, as well as keeping it supple and thick.
Omega-3s can prevent UV radiation damage (a common side effect of sunlight), reduce inflammation, fight skin-affecting auto-immune conditions, and decrease your risk of acne. Fish oil also contains Vitamin E, which is wonderful for protecting your skin from external damage.
Another great source of Omega-3 fatty acids, but that’s not all they’re good for!
Walnuts provide an excellent balance between Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, which
And, best of all, walnuts are rich in both Vitamins C and E, as well as the antioxidant selenium. All three of these work together to provide your skin the nutrients and protection needed to stay healthy.
Now you’ve finally got a darned good reason to eat these crunchy little trees!
Broccoli is an amazing source of the Vitamin C your skin needs to produce more collagen and elastin, as well as the Vitamin A and zinc that will protect your skin from external damage and reduce internal inflammation. Broccoli’s also loaded with lutein, a member of the beta carotene family that can reduce oxidative damage that might dry out and wrinkle your skin.
This crunchy veggie is particularly rich in sulfurophane, a nutrient that can protect against photoaging (light-induced aging) of the skin. It can reduce the damage caused by UV light, prevent dryness, reduce wrinkles, and neutralize free radicals in the body. It may even help to maintain the collagen that is keeping your skin healthy and strong!
That orange color is actually going to do you good!
Orange foods are high in beta carotene, a nutrient that your body turns into Vitamin A. Vitamin A works as a natural sun-block to protect your skin from both
Bonus: eating more Vitamin A-rich foods (like sweet potatoes, carrots, and spinach) can give your skin a warm, healthy glow!
Yes, we absolutely saved the best for last!
Dark chocolate is rich in cocoa, which contains nutrients that have been proven effective at helping to protect the skin against UV damage. According to one study, those who took a small dose of cocoa powder for a few weeks found that their skin was less sensitive to the sun, retained more moisture, was less scaly and rough, and saw noticeable thickening in their skin. Heck, even their blood flow increased, meaning their bodies were able to deliver more nutrients to their skin.
Another study found that just 20 grams of high-antioxidant dark chocolate (anything over 70% cocoa) helped to protect the skin from UV radiation and improved the appearance of wrinkles.
All that to say, you’ve now got an excuse to eat a SMALL portion of high-antioxidant dark chocolate every day. Your skin will thank you for this tiny indulgence!
These six foods are not only beneficial for your skin but in our opinion, they're pretty tasty foods as well! If you're looking for a few types of foods to add to your diet that will not only give you a healthy boost but also help with your natural radiance of your skin, give these six foods a try!