How diet affects your skin health

Eat Your Way To Better Complexion

Your diet has a profound effect on the health of your skin. Feed your stomach right, keep your skin happy! 

Elasticity

Not drinking enough fluid can have a dramatic effect on skin because water increases skin’s density and turgor -- meaning properly hydrated skin has more elasticity, which supports the barrier function of the skin and helps skin repair itself, explains Mary Hartley, RD, MPH and director of nutrition for Calorie Count.
Adds Joanne Vargas, skin care expert and esthetician, “Your body’s health and well being depend on your water intake.” She explains that the lymphatic system -- which removes waste and brings nutrients to every cell in your body -- depends on proper water consumption. Without it, you’re hindering the waste disposal from happening. "The result is puffiness, a dull sallow complexion and toxins getting stuck in the skin cells. You won't look healthy, and your elasticity and complexion will suffer,” she says.

Texture

Skin health can be supported by the adequate intake of many different nutrients, Hartley says. She puts a few nutrients on a short list for being especially beneficial. Vitamin A (found in dairy products, egg yolks, organ meats, and dark orange and dark green fruits and vegetables) can prevent the skin from becoming dry, scaly and rough. Essential fatty acids found in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds and fatty fish support cell membrane health. She adds that the mineral selenium, found in mushrooms, nuts, whole grains, onions and many fish, also supports skin health.

Brightness

Vargas blames the lack of greens (think spinach, kale, Swiss Chard) in many people’s diet for making skin look dull, dry and lifeless. "I always recommend juicing to get a client back on track. No one wants her skin to look dead!” she says. The worst things you can eat for your skin, she says, include sodium-packed junk foods, refined carbohydrates (white bread) and sugary soda. Surprisingly, though, she says it’s more about what you don't eat that ends up being even worse for skin health. “You need fruits and vegetables with every meal without fail,” she says, and gives her clients juicing recipes (packed with colorful fruits and vegetables) so they can have one a day. "It's great for elasticity and looking glowing all day,” she says.

Clarity

The skin serves as a backup filter for your digestive system, Vargas explains. If you eat something your body can't digest properly, the first thing it does is try to push out the offending food via the skin. This can lead to skin eruptions (blemishes, rashes, etc.). She recommends apples and applesauce (try it in your yogurt or oatmeal for breakfast) to help you digest. Otherwise, the key is to avoid overprocessed foods, which have the most potential to irritate your body and skin.
 source by sheknows