Natural Skin Nutrition - Angelique Jodein

You are what you eat. This famous adage not only applies to our overall nutrition and health, but how our skin looks and feels as well. As the largest organ in the body, our skin can benefit from the same nutrition we get from foods that have a positive effect on our major organs, including our heart. In fact, new research suggests that eating foods rich in protein and certain vitamins and minerals might provide valuable anti-aging effects.

Our overall health is indeed affected by what we eat, but how our health can be impacted by something we consume or something we don't, is mostly an unexplored field. Some food and beverages can even worsen common skin conditions and cause allergic reactions that manifest on the skin.

Good Food, Good Skin
Perhaps the easiest way to maintain a healthy, balanced diet and ensure the skin is getting optimal nutrition from the foods we eat is to follow the recommendations of the Daily Food Guide elaborated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA), commonly called the food pyramid.

These include:
- Choosing and eating no less than three ounces of crackers, rice, cereals, whole grain breads or pasta.

- Consuming a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, including more dark green and orange vegetables.
- Eating calcium-rich aliments, like low-fat or fat-free milk and other dairy products.

- Choosing a variety of low-fat or lean meats, fish and poultry.

- Food alone can't work miracles but its benefits can be greatly increased by combining a balanced diet with a natural skin care discovery. The best options are products based on natural ingredients that work in sync with health.

Scientific Studies support a Natural Lifestyle
These foods, as part of a healthy diet, contain valuable vitamins and minerals with proven skin health benefits.

Research has demonstrated that the antioxidants in vitamins C and E help reduce damage in skin cells caused by harmful free radicals and can protect the skin from sun damage, which contribute to aging skin. Similarly, B vitamin biotin is responsible for forming the basis of skin, hair and nail tissues, and vitamin A - found in many fruits and vegetables - heals tissues and keeps your skin healthy. Acne and other skin, hair and nails conditions will surely appear if you don't have an adequate intake of these vitamins.

While the direct link between food consumption and skin damage has not been completely studied, a comparative study about the correlation between skin wrinkling with food and nutrient intake found a positive relationship. Studies show that subjects with a higher intake of olive oil, vegetables, and mono unsaturated fat and legumes, but a lower intake of butter, margarine, milk/dairy products and sugar foods had less dermal wrinkling in a sun-exposed site.

More research needs to be done to determine the long-term acne health benefits of aliments. Drinking plenty of water so the skin stays hydrated and eating a variety of healthy foods should help most people improve the appearance of their skin.