Do you know what foods you need to consume for healthy skin? This week’s Nutrition News looks at the latest research and articles on the subjects of health and nutrition.
Read more here and also find out the many benefits of vitamin C beyond immune support.
The best foods for maintaining healthy skin
The skin relies on all sorts of vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. As the largest organ in the body, keeping the skin healthy is important for maintaining overall health.
A recent article by Healthline has listed several foods that are important for maintaining good skin health. These foods include:
- Fatty fish, where the omega-3 fatty acids in the fish contribute towards the suppleness of the skin as well as reducing inflammation.
- Avocados are a good source of vitamin E, which is a vitamin responsible for protecting the skin from oxidative damage.
- Sweet potatoes are a source of beta-carotene, which can be converted into vitamin A in the body and help protect skin cells from sun exposure.
- Red and yellow bell peppers are also a great source of vitamin A as well as providing a amount of vitamin C, which is important for creating the protein collagen that keeps skin firm and strong.
- Walnuts are another food source that can provide excellent benefits for maintaining healthy skin. They’re a good source of essential fatty acids, containing more omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids than most other types of nuts. They also contain a good amount if zinc, which is important for skin health in warding off bacteria and inflammation.
How walnuts can support healthy ageing
As well as being important for skin health, a recent study has found that walnuts could have benefits in supporting healthy ageing in women.
Healthy ageing is defined in the article as “longevity with sound mental health and no major chronic diseases, cognitive issues or physical impairments” after the age of 65. The study looked at data from 33,931 women in the Nurses’ Health Study and evaluated the association between their nut consumption and overall health and wellbeing in ageing.
The researchers stripped out the data points that impact health in older adults, such as education and physical activity levels, and found that walnuts were the only nuts associated with significantly better odds of healthy ageing.
It is worth noting that the study was supported by the California Walnut Commission and that this was an observational study that does not prove cause and effect; that being said, walnuts are a great source of vitamins and minerals that are linked to healthy ageing and the maintenance of good health in general.
The health benefits of vitamin C
It is widely known and accepted that vitamin C is important for maintaining a healthy, functioning immune system but a recent article by Healthline, titled “7 Impressive Ways Vitamin C Benefits Your Body” looks to raise awareness of the countless other bodily functions vitamin C, ascorbic acid, supports.
Vitamin C is well known to support immunity as it is involved in many parts of the immune system through encouraging the production of white blood cells that help protect against infection and helping them function more effectively as well as strengthening the skin’s defence system and helping wounds heal at a quicker rate.
As well as supporting the immune system, vitamin C is important for the absorption of iron, which is essential for the production of red blood cells and transportation of oxygen around the body.
As a powerful antioxidant, vitamin C also has a role in strengthening the body’s natural defences against free radicals and oxidative stress.
These are just a few of the important bodily functions vitamin C is involved with. As vitamin C is an essential water-soluble vitamin, it means that the body can’t produce it and it needs to be replenished daily through the diet.
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Alison is Director and Founder of Metabolics who writes about Metabolics updates, events and natural healthcare. Her experience and passion for natural supplements and healthcare comes from her years of experience as a practising osteopath, having founded Metabolics in her search for high quality, natural products in her own work. Alison has been a qualified and practising Osteopath since 1981 and regularly gives seminars on a range of healthcare subjects to the wider practitioner community helping share her knowledge and experience.