Most people understand that eating healthy foods provides anti-aging benefits. When you’re healthy, you look years younger than a person who is the same age as you but has been seriously ill. Living longer and looking younger is a goal of many people. It’s why so many skin care products and nutritional supplements are on the market. You can save money on skin creams and get more benefits from eating a healthy diet and increasing your consumption of specific foods.
A youthful appearance comes from healthy skin.
There may be some benefits to skin creams but what you put on your skin will never be able to compete with what you put into your body. Looking good begins at a cellular level. Every day, your skin is exposed to toxins that can lead to damaged cells and oxidation. While sunscreen can help prevent damage from the sun, eating food containing lycopene can provide additional natural protection. It should never replace SPF blockers but can help if sunscreen isn’t available or sweat or water washes it away. Foods high in lycopene include tomatoes, watermelon, and pink grapefruit.
Antioxidants fight free radicals that cause cell damage.
Environmental toxins, water, and food can make you look older. They damage the DNA, and cells don’t replicate, or they reproduce weaker, damaged cells. If too many cells die, it causes aging, not just on the skin but throughout the body. Eating food that contains antioxidants can help prevent that from occurring. Food high in vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, selenium, manganese, polyphenols, and flavonoids, such as anthocyanin, quercetin, and catechin, are common antioxidant nutrients. Red beans, wild blueberries, pinto beans, cranberries, and brightly colored fruits and vegetables. Eating a rainbow of colors at every meal is important to remain youthful looking and feeling.
Looking younger isn’t enough.
Keeping your brain fit is also important if you want to remain youthful. Food that contains omega-3 essential fatty acids can help do that. It also is good for your skin. It’s anti-inflammatory to help protect your brain, skin, and overall health. What foods contain omega-3 fatty acids? Walnuts, flaxseed, chia seeds, fatty fish, and eggs are good sources of omega 3. Foods containing other types of healthy fat include olive oil and avocado.
- Drinking green tea several times a day can help maintain your youth. Animal studies show green tea reduces skin damage caused by UV rays. It protected the skin and helped reduce the loss of collagen.
- Sometimes it’s not what you eat that keeps you young, but what you don’t. Eating food high in sugar can lead to high AGEs—advanced glycation end products. They destroy elastin and collagen, leading to wrinkles and loose skin.
- Eating red bell peppers can boost your vitamin C. It promotes collagen production. The more collagen you have, the smoother and firmer your skin looks.
- Adding herbs to your diet or drinking herbal tea can keep you younger-looking. Ginger helps prevent age spots, and eating hot peppers can slow age-related changes to the skin.
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