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Isabella Nguyen
3 min read

The Power of Diet for Healthy Glowing Skin

Introduction 

How do influencers get such radiant skin? That is a question many social media users ask while scrolling on their feed. While influencers may post videos showing their extravagant 10-step skincare routines, there is another factor that they fail to bring light to: diet. The food you eat plays a major role in skin health. For instance, foods with protein can strengthen the skin’s metabolism and improve the production of collagen which plumpens, maintains, and heals the skin. On the other hand, is it possible for the food you eat to worsen your skin? 


Essential Nutrients for Skin Health 

In order to get that “glow” in your skin, healthy fats are essential. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can aid in maintaining moisture, firmness, and bounciness and preventing wrinkles and dryness. 


Another essential nutrient is protein. Your body breaks down the proteins you eat into the building blocks of proteins, amino acids, reusing them to build other proteins such as those that the skin is made of, collagen and keratin. Again, collagen helps plump, maintain, and heal the skin. Additionally, amino acids help slough off old skin and some are even antioxidants that protect skin cells against UV radiation.


Vitamins are also vital for skin health. One of these vitamins is vitamin A which can prevent skin damage from the sun’s rays, protecting it against sunburns. It can even stimulate oil gland activity around the hair follicles and heal the skin. Vitamin C aids in holding proteins together and serving as an antioxidant, potentially reducing the risk of skin cancer and protecting the body from free radicals. The last vitamin is vitamin E, an antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties that protects against UV radiation.

 

Dietary Strategies for Common Skin Concerns 

There is little evidence that diet can treat skin conditions, and diet may not be able to cure them. However, incorporating skin-friendly foods into your diet can still alleviate some skin concerns. In fact, according to dermatologist Dr. Lauren Ploch, getting your nutrients from your diet rather than supplements—unless you have been diagnosed with a deficiency—is recommended because supplements aren’t well regulated.


  • Dry skin: A fatty, sugary diet as well as alcohol and smoking can worsen skin dryness. Foods that are high in water content such as fruits and vegetables or increasing fluid intake can alleviate dry skin. 

  • Eczema: Foods with anti-inflammatory properties, such as vitamin E, can alleviate symptoms of eczema given that it can be triggered by allergies for some people.

  • Rosacea: To minimize the frequency and severity of flare-ups, avoid drinking alcohol or hot drinks and eating spicy food.

  • Acne: Research suggests that avoiding soda, sweets, white bread, pasta, or any sugary and starchy foods can help with acne. Although, it is important to note that these research trials were mostly conducted on teen boys and young men.


Conclusion 

Foods, especially ones with crucial nutrients including vitamins A, C, and E, proteins, and healthy fats, can help you maintain healthy skin. It can even alleviate several skin concerns such as acne, rosacea, eczema, and dry skin. Some examples of foods you can incorporate into your diet for healthy skin are fruits and vegetables, fatty fish, nuts and beans, eggs, legumes, extra virgin olive oil, and flax seeds. However, other foods, such as sweets, alcohol, and starchy foods, can also worsen your skin. However, research regarding diet’s effect on skin is limited, and more research must be done in the future, including research on different age groups and genders.


References 


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