Can the food you eat affect your skin? Especially its role in aging, a

Food for skin part two

What we eat generally has a huge impact on our skin. While this impact is not always immediate, over time our skin can begin to show the harmful effects of our habits. Some of these behaviors include not exercising, smoking and drinking excessively and eating foods with high fat and calories with little to no nutritional value.  It is vital to remember that while you may not be seeing side effects from your diet right now, in the long run it will affect you tremendously. Simply eating the right things and getting your diet on the right track can do a lot for your skin. This article will focus on some of the best and worst foods that you can consume that affect your skin’s aging process.

To be more specific, the effect that food has on the skin is actually pretty complex. The body is put into an inflammatory state whenever bad and unhealthy food is consumed. This inflammatory state, in turn, promotes aging, because aging is seen as a ‘chronic inflammatory state’. In addition, advanced glycation end products are produced when foods high in fat and sugar are consumed. Not only do these products cause diseases like diabetes, but they also tear down the collagen of your skin, thus promoting aging. Having an unhealthy body will eventually reflect on the outside of the body, so it is best to eat as healthy as possible.

Some of the worst foods that people tend to consume include French fries, hot dogs and bacon. These foods are bad because they are high in fat and often contribute to inflammation. Other foods that people should not eat include pastries, cakes and anything in that category. The reason for this is because these foods tend to not only cause inflammation, but they also produce advanced glycation end products which speed up aging. As you can see from this short list, many of the foods that people love to enjoy for dessert or celebrations can also make us age faster, so it is vital to limit these foods whenever possible.

There are foods, however, that help to preserve our skin and slow down aging. One of the best foods to eat is the tomato because this fruit is high in the antioxidant known as lycopene. Other foods that have this antioxidant include grapefruit, watermelon, asparagus and red cabbage. One food that is known for fighting inflammation is salmon, which is very high in omega-3 fatty acids. Oatmeal is great to eat as well because it helps to reduce inflammation, as well as brown rice, whole wheat products, quinoa and couscous. A final food that would be a good idea to eat more of includes romaine lettuce, which happens to be an excellent source of vitamins C and A.

As you can see, when the body is fed with nutritious foods, it is reflected in the skin. Although you may not see immediate changes, it is important to know that eating healthy food will greatly benefit you in the long run, and also slow the process of aging.

See: Can the food you eat affect your skin? Especially its role in acne, blemishes and breakouts.