The food that we eat has a huge influence on our skin. A wrong diet may trigger skin conditions whereas an appropriate one will help us tackle them. A deficit of vitamins and electrolytes, as well as too much sugar and salt, worsen the state of the skin. A change in a diet may upgrade the skin and gradually eliminate acne, oiliness and inflammation. Find out how your diet affects skin problems and what to eat to avoid them.
The influence of a diet on skin problems
Pigmentation spots, acne pimples, dryness, oiliness, flaking, itching and other skin conditions may or may not be caused by food deficiencies. A chronic disease process is often to be blamed and it must be consulted with a dermatologist.
Skin lesions may be the side effect of some medication or the symptom of serious health problems e.g. disturbed lipid balance, liver diseases, intestinal inflammation and cancers. That is why a healthy diet won’t always be a remedy yet it can support cellular repair processes and therapies at different stages of the treatment.
What to eat to avoid skin problems?
The appearance of our skin is the reflection of our lifestyle. Food deficiencies, nicotine addiction and alcohol abuse surely weaken the state of the skin. To avoid that, we must enrich our diet with the following nutrients:
- iodine – its deficiency causes flaky and coarse skin,
- iron – its deficit may lead to skin dryness,
- copper – speeds up the process of wound healing and the reproduction of collagen (a skin-tightening protein),
- zinc – enhances the treatment of acne and inflammation,
- selenium which has strong antioxidant power,
- vitamin E – also known as a vitamin of youthfulness, it prevents skin xerosis and makes wounds heal more quickly,
- group B vitamins – ensure the balance of moisture and keep skin from being oily; their deficit may lead to skin discoloration,
- vitamin C is an essential antioxidant for the production of collagen,
- vitamin A – protects cellular membrane, enhances the functioning of epithelium and delays processes of skin ageing,
- omega-3 acids which are anti-inflammatory, speed up the wound healing, control the sebum secretion and reduce swellings,
- polyphenols – fight free radicals which cause pre-mature skin ageing.
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