Healthful Foods For Good And Glowing Skin

Written by Taisiia Dobrozorova

Written by Taisiia Dobrozorova

Taisiia Dobrozorova is a nutrition and fitness writer at Unimeal and a healthy lifestyle devotee. She has accomplished several courses on health, nutrition, dietology.

on June 28, 2022

Fact checked by Stephanie Beaudette, M.Ed., RDN

Fact checked by Stephanie Beaudette, M.Ed., RDN

Stephanie Beaudette is a dietitian and nutritionist accredited by the Commission of Dietetic Registration. She is a BS in Dietetics and an ME in Nutrition.

The Unimeal team works to give you the most accurate and up-to-date information. All texts are reviewed by a panel of experts and editors and updated according to the latest research. Only evidenced-based and verified sources of leading medical publications and universities get into the article materials.

You should avoid harmful factors and eat well to look good and wholesome. Some products are designed by nature to make your skin healthy and young. What are they? This article will discuss beneficial tips for healthy and beautiful skin and give you a list of superfoods to make it glow.

What affect to your skin condition

Before we go to the core, let's analyze the outer aspects that worsen our skin condition.

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• According to dermatologists, oxidative stress plays a significant role in skin aging¹Christina L. Mitchell. (2016, January 29). Oxidative stress and the skin. Wiley Online Library. DOI:10.1002/9781118832431.ch11. It's a process that occurs when free radicals cause damage to your cells. Free radicals are natural products of human metabolism, sun exposure, and lifestyle factors like a highly-processed diet, alcohol intake, and smoking.
• Stress significantly affects your health and can worsen the skin's condition, even causing eczema or psoriasis²Decho Surangsrirat, et al. (2019). Heart Rate, Skin Temperature and Skin Humidity and their Relationship to Accumulated Fatigue. IEEE Xplore. Retrieved from https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8734230. So, avoid it as much as possible. Regular rest and sleep reduce the level of stress. Try to relax your mind by walking, practicing yoga, meditating, or reading a good book over a cup of tea. Proper nutrition can be the most helpful addition to these treatments.
• Problems with the gastrointestinal tract also can influence skin conditions. Disorders of the intestines or stomach contribute to the "stagnation" of undigested food. By turning into toxins, leftovers become an absolute poison to the body. The skin performs the secretion function, which means fighting the gastrointestinal tract's problems. But the body is not designed for such loads. So the skin's ducts are clogged with harmful substances, resulting in foci of inflammation³Danilo Brizi, et al. (2022, February 16). A Conformal and Wearable Metasurface for Non-invasive Skin Inflammation Monitoring. IEEE Xplore. Retrieved from https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9704315.
• Your skin becomes dry when your cells are badly hydrated. It causes skin cells to get smaller⁴Sylvie Verdier-Sévrain, Frédéric Bonté. (2007, June). Skin hydration: a review on its molecular mechanisms. J Cosmet Dermatol. DOI:10.1111/j.1473-2165.2007.00300.x. Dry or cold weather, certain soaps, and excessive sunlight can cause this problem.
• Pollution is one of the critical external factors that negatively affect your skin. Grease and dust penetrate the pores and upset the balance of fine-tuned biochemical reactions that support skin health. This negative effect on the skin can cause it to darken, collagen degradation, lipid oxidation, and DNA damage. What to expect? Occurrence of symptoms of premature aging⁵Poonam Puri, et al. (2017, July-August). Effects of air pollution on the skin: A review. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. DOI:10.4103/0378-6323.199579. The solution to this problem is сare and proper nutrition.

What nutrients are beneficial for your skin

Your skin needs the proper balance of nutrients to do its primary job: protecting the rest of your body from things outside it. So, remember to help keep your skin looking, working, and feeling good. Feed it well from the inside.

Protein

is involved in cell growth and repair function. Your body transforms the proteins you get from food into building blocks called amino acids. They help to slough off old skin. Some amino acids are antioxidants. Their task is to protect skin cells against UV rays and "free radicals" when your body breaks down unhealthy foods⁶Rebecca Widmer, Isabella Ziaja, Tilman Grune. (2006, December). Protein oxidation and degradation during aging: role in skin aging and neurodegeneration. Free Radic Res. DOI:10.1080/10715760600911154.

Foods with protein: eggs, almonds, chicken breast, dairy, lean beef, salmon, quinoa, peanuts, turkey breast; protein shakes that are good not only for skin but also for Gaining Weight And Building Muscles.

Healthy fats

in your diet prevent skin from dryness and wrinkles and make it "glow." Omega-3 fatty acids belong to healthy fats. It is a polyunsaturated fat that your body can't make but needs to build cell walls. Eating healthy fats help your skin stay moist, firm, and flexible⁷Bryce J Thomsen, Eunice Y Chow, Mariusz J Sapijaszko. (2020, May 28). The Potential Uses of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Dermatology: A Review. J Cutan Med Surg. DOI:10.1177/1203475420929925.

Foods to eat: fish/seafood, walnuts, flaxseed and avocados.

Vitamin A/Beta-Carotene

influences synthesizing epithelial tissue enzymes that prevent skin cell death. It also accelerates skin regeneration in wounds, burns, and other injuries⁸Fritzlaine C Roche, Tamia A Harris-Tryon. (2021, January 21). Illuminating the Role of Vitamin A in Skin Innate Immunity and the Skin Microbiome: A Narrative Review. Nutrients. DOI:10.3390/nu13020302.

Foods to eat: dark green leafy vegetables like kale, spinach, broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash. bell pepper, mango and cantaloupe, eggs and beef liver.

Vitamin C/L-ascorbic acid

provides an antioxidant effect, helps fight free radicals, slows down premature skin aging, and can repair damaged cell DNA. It also regulates pH and strengthens local immunity. Vitamin C prolongs youth, stimulating the production of collagen, which is responsible for the elastic and beautiful skin and the absence of wrinkles⁹Juliet M Pullar, Anitra C Carr, Margreet C M Vissers. (2017, August 12). The Roles of Vitamin C in Skin Health. Nutrients. DOI:10.3390/nu9080866.

Include food to your diet: lemon, orange, kiwi, grapefruit, bell/chili peppers, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage, parsley, spinach and black current.

Vitamin E

stimulates cell renewal, has a lifting effect, and prevents skin aging. It traps free radicals, preventing them from spreading. Also, the vitamin is famous for its anti-inflammatory properties, retaining moisture in the epidermis, normalizing sebum production, and promoting collagen production¹⁰F Nachbar, H C Korting. (1995, January). The role of vitamin E in normal and damaged skin. J Mol Med (Berl). DOI:10.1007/BF00203614.

Food to eat: wheat germ oil, sunflower seeds, nuts, greens, pumpkin, peppers, asparagus, mango, avocado.

Selenium

belongs to one of the vital trace elements that can only be obtained by following a proper diet. It is an antioxidant that allows you to control the number of free radicals, reduces their volume if necessary, and protects cells from damage¹¹R C McKenzie. (2000, November). Selenium, ultraviolet radiation and the skin. Clin Exp Dermatol. DOI:10.1046/j.1365-2230.2000.00725.x.

Food to eat: brazil nuts, yellowfin tuna, halibut, sardines, chicken, eggs.

Zinc

is involved in processing fatty acids and stimulates skin cell repair. It makes skin clearer, promotes regeneration, and slows down the formation of free radicals that cause aging. Zinc also prevents the formation of pimples and acne. If you have oily skin and the face begins to glow after a while after cleansing, zinc will help eliminate skin impurities that lead to the formation of comedones¹²Piyush Kumar, et al. (2012, March 15). Zinc and skin: a brief summary. Dermatol Online J. PMID:22483512.

Food with zinc: oysters, beef, crab, lobster, pork chop, baked beans, fortified cereals, pumpkin seeds, cashews.

Niacin/vitamin B3

improves skin health, eliminating acne, making it clearer, and reducing the appearance of infection. It also helps shorten the other skin problems such as skin damage and redness, allowing the skin to breathe¹³Donald L Bissett, John E Oblong, Cynthia A Berge. (2005, July). Niacinamide: A B vitamin that improves aging facial skin appearance. Dermatol Surg. DOI:10.1111/j.1524-4725.2005.31732.

Foods that include zinc: chicken/turkey breast, salmon, tuna, pork, beef, brown rice, peanuts, fortified breakfast cereals, rice, seeds.

More skin care tips

• Take care of your gut flora, avoiding sugar and processed food. Unhealthy nutrition can lead to microbial imbalance; trigger oxidative stress and inflammatory processes, not just in the gut but throughout the body¹⁴Bridget Myers, et al. (2019, December). The gut microbiome in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. DOI:10.1016/j.berh.2020.101494. 
• Stay hydrated. This well-known recommendation is scientifically proven. While eight glasses per day are the general recommendation, water intake isn't one-size-fits-all, so feel what your body needs¹⁵A V Rawlings, C R Harding. (2004). Moisturization and skin barrier function. Dermatol Ther. DOI:10.1111/j.1396-0296.2004.04s1005.x. 
• Workout to increase blood flow throughout the body. It will help bring vital oxygen, nutrients, and minerals to the skin¹⁶Ryosuke O, Yoshie S, Hiromi A. 2021 Mar 18. The association between activity levels and skin moisturising function in adults Dermatol Reports. DOI:10.4081/dr.2021.8811. For this point, we recommend reading 5 Simple Facial Exercises To Remove Face Fat and 5-Day Full Body Routine: The Complete Guide 
• Protect the skin from the sun using sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. Remember to hide from the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun's rays are the most intense¹⁷Dheeraj Mohania, et al. (2017). Ultraviolet Radiations: Skin Defense-Damage Mechanism. Adv Exp Med Biol. DOI:10.1007/978-3-319-56017-5_7. 
• Don't touch your face so as not to spread bacteria and cause breakouts. It can lead to an increase in wrinkles, scarring, and even the flu or other viruses¹⁸P Dykes. (1998, February). Surfactants and the skin. Int J Cosmet Sci. DOI:10.1046/j.1467-2494.1998.171735.x.  

Let's summarize all of the above

Your lifestyle and food choices can significantly impact your skin health and beauty. Try to get as many necessary nutrients to protect your skin as possible. The foods and tips above are great options to keep your skin glowing, strong, and attractive.