The
Skin’s Nutritional Requirements
With
the summer holiday season close by it is only natural to want to look your
best. In this case it is good to know that what we eat does not only affect us
on the inside but it also the outside – evident in our skin.
Your
skin is an organ of your body like many others, and to maintain its healthy
look needs three things in particular:
·
Vitamins
for Vitality
Fruit and vegetables
are filled with vitamins and minerals that are have beneficial properties for
your skin. For instance yellow /orange/red fruit and vegetable like carrots,
pumpkins, yellow/red peppers and tomatoes are good sources of carotenoids,
which are the precursor of the vitamin A, an essential vitamin for skin cells
growth. These foods are also rich in vitamin C, which is necessary for the
production of collagen, a protein that gives skin its elasticity. Optimal
Intake of vitamin C has been associated to better skin-aging appearances and
protection from UV rays. Other good sources of vitamin C are leafy green
vegetables (such as spinach, broccoli and rocket), and red fruit (such as
tomatoes and strawberries).
·
Omega
3 for Moisture
Fish such as salmon,
fresh tuna, kippers, pilchards and mackerel are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids.
Omega 3 is a type of unsaturated fat the helps maintain the skin’s suppleness
and moisture. Omega 3 fatty acids are also observed to have a protective effect
against UV rays, which can be the cause of the development of skin cancer.
Additionally there is also some limited evidence that Omega- 3 fatty acids have
anti-inflammatory properties that may reduce inflammation on the skin that
causes redness and acne.
·
Water
for Hydration
Skin cells, like any
other cells in the body are made of water. It is important to drink enough
water to maintain body functions and in the case of skin cells, insufficient
water intake can cause dryness, which makes the skin more prone to wrinkling.
The water you drink reaches your skin only after have reached all the other
vital organs in your body, so it can be easy to have dehydrated skin. Try
sipping water throughout the day to avoid dehydration: the recommendations on
water intake in Ireland are about 8-10 cups/day, while in UK is 6-8 cups a day,
however you might need more if you exercise or if the weather is warm.
Protect your skin
from damaging UV rays
It is now summertime
and the sun is finally shining so it is good to remember to wear your sunscreen
when you are outside. UV rays have been proven to damage skin’s cellular DNA,
causing skin cancer. The regular use of an SPF 15 or higher broad-spectrum
sunscreen can reduces the risk of developing a skin melanoma (a type of skin
cancer) by 50% and the risk of premature skin aging by 24%. Even though the sun
at our latitudes seems less aggressive than in other European countries we are
exposed to UV rays from April to September. Do not let the cloudy weather trick
you: clouds tend to block more visible light rather than the damaging UV rays,
which means we are exposed to the sun even when we do not think we are!
Despite what you just
read, sun is not all bad: it is in fact the best source of vitamin D, which is
fundamental for bone’s heath and for the optimal status of our immune system.
The
World Health Organisation advice is to get 5 - 15 minutes of casual sun
exposure to hands, face and arms two to three times a week during the summer
months, in order to have the optimal intake of vitamin D throughout the all
year. Once you had your 5-15 minute exposure, remember to apply
sunscreen, as being exposed more than that will not increase your vitamin D
production, but only the risk of developing skin cancer.
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