5 Food You Must Eat To Keep Your Skin Healthy

No matter how dedicated you are to your daily skin care routine, clear, healthy, radiant skin actually begins from within. In fact, there are some foods that are especially good for your skin. There’s nothing scarier than that one pimple on your cheek that can potentially scar your skin for life! Given the unhealthy diet and lifestyle habits we have, add to that the pollution and Sun radiation, our skin is more prone to infections, dark spots, acne, pigmentation, and wrinkles. So, how can you protect your skin? Well, what you need is foods that will help make your skin healthy and glowing from within. Loaded with nutrients, these foods have amazing healing properties that will work great for your skin.

* Tomato

Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, a carotenoid that acts as an antioxidant and also gives tomatoes the luscious red color. It helps scavenge the harmful oxygen radicals that cause toxic buildup resulting in skin rashes, acne, and aging. Scientists at the National School for Healthcare Science (NHS), examined to see if tomato paste can protect human skin from UV radiation-induced erythema. It was found that tomato paste can actually protect your skin against photodamage. You can include tomato in curries, salads, grilled veggies, etc. to enhance the flavor, color, and nutritional value of the food and protect your skin.

* Green Tea

Green tea offers myriad health benefits. The epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a polyphenol, possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor properties. Scientists have reported that EGCG in green tea helps protect the skin from harmful UV radiation and also nullifies the oxygen radicals. This helps prevent skin rashes, sunburn, skin cancer, and photoaging. Have a cup of green tea in the morning or in the evening to make your skin healthy and glowing.

* Salmon

Wild-caught salmon is a rich source of omega-3-fatty acids and astaxanthin, a red carotenoid pigment responsible for salmon’s pink colored flesh. Omega-3-fatty acids are healthy fats that help prevent melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and basal cell carcinoma. Astaxanthin is used as an essential ingredient in cosmetics, and that’s because it helps protect the skin from sun radiation and improves skin elasticity, thereby slowing down aging. Have grilled or baked salmon for lunch or dinner with veggies to improve your skin health.

* Carrot

Carrot is rich in beta-carotene, a carotenoid that gives the carrots their red or orange color. Beta-carotene has antioxidant properties that prevent cell and DNA damage. However, you must avoid overconsumption of carrots as it may cause discoloration of the skin. Add carrots to your stew, bake a carrot cake, add it to stir-fried veggies or to your salad to get the best benefits of carrot for your skin.

* Papaya

Papayas are not only sweet and delicious they also contain enzymes papain and chymopapain, vitamins A, C, and B, and dietary fiber. The fruit improves bowel movement and digestion and also regulates blood pressure. This, in turn, can help you get a fresh and infection-free skin as better digestion means you will be flushing out toxins that can prevent acne and pigmentation. As stress can lead to high blood pressure and toxic buildup, papaya can help lower blood pressure thereby slowing aging. It has antimicrobial activity and helps to treat burns in children.