Although age is only a number, it can take a toll on your appearance and normal body functions. Fortunately, some of these symptoms can be taken care of naturally by maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly.
Your skin, the largest organ on the body, may be the first to show the visible signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkled skin. But, the good news is with certain foods you can keep your skin looking healthy.
Healthy foods can keep your skin healthy and may even slow down the aging symptoms. So, here is a list of foods that you may want to keep close at hand to make yourself feeling younger inside and out as you age.
1. Blueberries
Blueberries are rich sources of antioxidants. Antioxidants can keep your skin looking young and retain the skin’s elasticity by preventing it from oxidative damage. Oxidative damage is damage caused to the cells due to the presence of free radicals.
If your skin shows aging signs because of sun exposure, then antioxidants may be the best way to fight them.1
Other anti-oxidant rich foods include strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, plums, oranges, etc.
2. Turmeric
The Indian spice turmeric has been known to ward off a number of diseases. It has yet again proved its importance in protecting the skin from the visible signs of aging.
Curcumin present in turmeric has antioxidant properties that, as mentioned earlier, benefit the skin health. Both ingestion and topical application of turmeric can keep you healthy on the inside and out.2
Other spices that may contribute to good skin health as you age include basil, fennel seeds, cumin, etc.
3. Green Tea
Green tea, the Oriental beverage, is another effective way to manage your skin troubles of aging. Components in green tea like catechins and polyphenols can prevent hyperpigmentation from sun damage that can make your skin look old.
Green tea works both inside and out; so, you can have a cup of green tea every day. You can double its effects by using it on your skin. Studies have found that topical application of green tea extracts can prevent photoaging (aging due to ultraviolet (UV) exposure).3
4. Kiwi
Kiwi fruit is rich in antioxidants and vitamins C and E that are important for good skin. 100 grams of this fruit contains 92.7 grams of vitamin C and 1.46 grams of vitamin E.4
Vitamin C can limit the skin damage due to ultraviolet light exposure from the sun, thereby preventing changes in skin structure that may lead to photoaging.
A high intake of vitamin C-rich foods is also linked to a reduced risk of skin dryness.5
5. Nuts And Seeds
Nuts and seeds may go well in trail mixes but they can also keep your skin looking young and healthy even as you age. Having nuts and seeds like pecans, walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds, for snacks can give an energy boost.
They are filling because of their richness in fiber and good fats and can keep your weight under control by curbing your hunger in between meals.
Vitamin E present in almonds has antioxidant properties that can fight free radicals that can cause damage to the cells and, in turn, skin.
Apart from these foods, it is also important to drink enough water to keep yourself hydrated. This is because not drinking enough water can cause dehydration.
This, in turn, can cause wrinkled skin. In fact, not drinking water and replacing what you lose from your body can speed up the aging process as well.
So, the bottom line is to look healthy on the inside and outside, it is important to follow a healthy diet. Make sure you do not stick to just one kind of food, have different fruits and vegetables of varying colors and have a healthy mix of them every day.
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