Diet to Refresh your Skin

If you are concerned about your physical condition, try a Mediterranean-style diet to refresh your skin because young skin protects your health; Conversely, skin that wears and tears like wrinkles is a sign of other changes going on in your body. As you know, the skin is not only a protective barrier but a very complex organ that performs many other functions: it protects some body organs, removes toxins from the body, and regulates temperature and touch perception in others.

Thus, when your skin begins to wrinkle due to damage, most of the protection provided to the body does not take place and disease occurs. We all want to have baby-soft and smooth skin, but remember that looks aren't the only benefit of youthful skin; It goes beyond that.

Why does your skin age?

There are many reasons why our skin ages. Some, like breathing, cannot be changed, but there are other causes that can be mitigated if you change some of your lifestyle habits. Let's take a look at them:

Oxygen consumption. The progressive loss of biological functions characteristic of aging is partly due to the increased consumption of oxygen necessary to perform such functions. This consumption leads to a substantial production of free radicals, highly harmful molecules that cause more damage to our organs, the skin being no exception.

Excessive sun exposure. Another factor that leads to premature aging of pores and skin is moderate exposure to the sun. This negative influence of the sun is due to ultraviolet rays A and B (UVA and UVB), two types of radiation that trigger changes in the skin. These rays directly affect the genetic material of our skin cells, causing them to malfunction, which favors the formation of carcinogenic cells. Overexposure to these rays leads to inflammation and the formation of free radicals. They cause the degradation of collagen.

Smoking Although many people know that smoking is a major factor in the development of certain chronic diseases, very few know that smoking is a major cause of skin aging. In fact, smokers are 300% more likely to develop wrinkles than non-smokers, which appear ten years after a person starts smoking. Smoking reduces blood circulation in the blood vessels that deliver oxygen and nutrients to the skin, causing skin cells to die.

How to prevent premature skin aging?

Since the aging of the skin is related to the aging of the rest of our organs, it is not surprising that many foods associated with the prevention of chronic diseases can help prevent the appearance of skin wrinkles.

The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, was conducted among people with high sun exposure. The participants were divided into two groups; Those who ate products rich in sugar and saturated fats (butter, whole dairy foods) had more wrinkles than those who followed a Mediterranean diet based on substantial amounts of vegetables, olive oil, nuts, and fish.

Although not many studies have been conducted on the relationship between nutrition and the appearance of our skin, certain anti-aging foods for the skin have been found to be particularly active in preventing skin aging.

Fruit extracts

Pomegranate Extract – High levels of antioxidants in certain fruits can slow skin aging. An example is pomegranate extract, which is used in the Middle East to prevent skin inflammation. This extract blocks inflammation in skin cells caused by UVA and UVB rays and prevents skin lesions produced by these rays. You can make fresh pomegranate juice at home in a juicer.

Grape extract – Scientific studies have shown that adding the grape extract to the diet of laboratory animals can counteract skin damage caused by UV rays. This effect makes resveratrol, found in grapes, one of the most potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Resveratrol molecules have high anti-cancer activity, inhibiting the growth of many carcinogenic cells, including those formed in the skin. I personally love fresh red grape juice, so I take the time to make it at home every day in my juicer.

Vegetables

Carotenoids – Certain compounds found in high amounts in vegetables have the ability to slow skin aging by interfering with the production of free radicals. The best examples are carotenoids, the pigments responsible for the orange, yellow and red colors of many vegetables. Among the foods high in carotenoids, we find carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, corn, green vegetables, spinach, and red peppers.
Research has shown that a higher intake of foods rich in carotenoids is associated with better protection from UV rays. Lycopene found in tomatoes is very effective in neutralizing free radicals produced by the action of UV rays. Identification of other substances in vegetables that may prevent aging caused by sun exposure is just beginning, but the results are more promising.

 Following the best anti-aging diet, such as the Mediterranean-style diet, is important to keep your skin refreshed and healthy because youthful skin is a way to prevent and delay many chronic diseases. Additionally, it makes you look younger, which is not an inconsiderable benefit.