The road to healthy, young-looking skin is one that we all can travel. However, Mother Nature has been known to put a few road blocks in our way. If we make certain lifestyle adjustments we can avoid the barriers she puts along our path to maintaining a fresh complexion. Coupled with using adequate sun protection, one of the most influential aspects of skin maintenance links directly to what we eat every day.
“Even your skin will stay younger-looking if you eat right,” says Allison T. Pontius, MD, at Williams Center for Plastic Surgery in Latham, NY
Knowledge is perhaps the most useful tool you can employ in the fight against aging. Knowing what the best anti aging foods to incorporate in your diet is half the battle. Actually adjusting your meals to make these foods a part of your daily consumption is the other side to this coin.
So the question then becomes, “What should I eat?”
Berries are a great addition to the diet. Not only are they delicious, but they are rich in antioxidants that protect against free radicals, which damage our body’s healthy cells. The darker the berry, the better. Darker berries such as blackberries and blueberries have the highest concentrations of antioxidants as compared to lighter colored berries. Berries are also a wonderful source of vitamin C, which helps repair damaged body tissue. (Source: OSU)
For many years, chocolate was said to have been a direct cause of acne. However, dark chocolate, especially, has been linked to quite the opposite results when scientific methods were applied to test this old wives’ tale. Eating dark chocolate, also rich in antioxidants, has been found to improve circulation in the skin, and offers “significant photoprotection and can thus be effective at protecting human skin from harmful UV effects.” (Source: OSU)
There have been numerous studies correlating the benefits of a glass of red wine a day to a lower risk of heart disease. Moderate red wine drinking has also been linked to longevity due to the presence of a particular antioxidant, resveratrol, which has been connected with lowering cholesterol, decreasing inflammation, preventing blood clots, and reducing risk of cancers. (Source: NIH)
Fiber is one of the most important components for maintaining a healthy digestive system. Beans, a high-fiber source of low-fat protein that keeps the heart healthy, can help lower cholesterol. They are also rich in iron, vitamin B, and potassium. (Source: NCBI)
It is important to keep in mind that moderation is the key to any diet. Though the benefits of eating these top anti aging foods are evident, it is important to realize that consuming any to excess won’t achieve the same results as a well-balanced diet.
Daily life doesn’t always afford us the time and/or opportunity to ingest a balanced meal that contains all of the nutrients needed for healthy skin. Try your best!
