Healthy Eating for Great Skin - 6 Essential Vitamins and Minerals

Do you suffer from pimples, blackheads, rosacea, dry skin and wrinkles?

Good eating habits are very much linked to great skin and nutrients play an important role in your complexion. Consuming certain vitamins and minerals is one of the most effective ways to improve the look and feel of your skin, preventing pimples, blackheads, rosacea, dry skin and wrinkles.  In this post I will discuss 6 essential vitamins and nutrients that you can consider incorporating into your diet for great skin.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is used widely to treat and prevent acne, in night creams (retinol) and in tablets (roaccutane). It is also advised for some patients with psoriasis. Vitamin A is an essential anti-aging nutrient that is involved in skin repair and maintenance. It promotes epidermal differentiation, modulates dermal growth factors and inhibits sebaceous gland activity. It promotes skin cell turnover and is great at preventing acne. Vitamin A deficiency causes a dry and flaky complexion.

Food Sources: Cod Liver Oil, Fish Oils, Egg Yolks, Milk
Food Sources (V): Broccoli, Carrots, Sweet Potatoes

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is an anti-oxidant which helps prevent ageing. Anti-oxidants are the key to anti-ageing. They counter the damage caused by free radicals which can harm the skin and consume collagen and elastin causing the signs of aging: loose skin, age spots and wrinkles. Anti-oxidants can also prevent the onset of skin cancers. Vitamin C works well against the effects of sun exposure and also stimulates the production of collagen and faster skin healing. This works well when combined with Vitamin E. Vitamin C deficiency causes scurvy, which manifests as rough dry skin and corkscrew hair growth. This is also associated with the skin condition keratosis pilaris.

Food Sources (V): Citrus Fruits, Kiwi, Blackcurrants, Red peppers, Broccoli, Spinach

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a well-known vitamin essential for healthy skin. This is another antioxidant that works well against the effects of smoking, pollution and sun exposure. This reduces the appearance of wrinkles and age spots, making your skin smoother, younger.

Food Sources (V): Olives, Sunflower seeds, almonds, peaches, tomatoes, cabbage, avocados

Vitamin B Complex

Vitamin B provides nourishment and improves skin elasticity, and helps it to retain moisture. Vitamin B1 boots circulation in your body giving your skin a youthful glow. Vitamin B3 helps your skin receive plenty of oxygen and a deficiency of Vitamin B3 causes dermatitis.

Food Sources: Meat, Poultry, Liver, Milk, Eggs

Food Sources (V): Yoghurt, Rice, Avocado

Zinc

Zinc is a mineral which is important for healthy skin. It has been shown to help treat acne. It controls the production of oil in the skin and in the regulation of androgens which can promote acne. This is also an immunomodulatory mineral that helps maintain a good immune system.

Food Sources: Fresh Oysters, Eggs

Food Sources (V): Pumpkin seeds, Ginger, Pecans, Brazil Nuts, Oats

Omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 fatty acids help keep the top layer of skin strong and intact so that external toxins and pollutants are kept out and moisture is kept in.

Food Sources: Fish oils eg. Salmon

Food Sources (V): Chia seeds, Flax Seeds

If you have a busy lifestyle and unbalanced diet, quick alternatives you can take are multivitamins to supplement your intake of these nutrients. I personally love Holland and Barrett Cod Liver Oil with Multivitamins Capsules which contains most of these nutrients to ensure healthy skin!

Livia | The Skin and Beauty Blog


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