Skin Care – Antioxidant Rich Foods

If you want smooth, soft, glowing and young looking skin, remember to add antioxidant rich foods to your diet. It has been shown in many studies that the vitamins and minerals found in antioxidant rich foods can help speed cell turnover and protect skin from the sun’s damaging rays.

 
Here are ten power foods that feed your skin in beautiful ways:

1. Broccoli is a great source of good-for-your-skin vitamins including vitamin A (a retinoid), C and K. Vitamin C is a fantastic antioxidant that supports collagen production. Vitamin K speeds bruise healing and may even help improve dark under-eye circles.
2. According to nutritionists, six leaves of lettuce provide more than 100% of your daily value of vitamin A. This vitamin plays an important role in stimulating skin cell turnover, which rejuvenates skin. In addition, the mineral potassium in romaine lettuce gives skin a refreshing boost of nutrients and oxygen by improving circulation.
3. Blueberries are loaded with vitamin C, vitamin E, fibre and riboflavin. This fruit is considered by many experts to be the best supplier of antioxidants, which destroy free radicals that can wreak havoc on skin cells. Moreover, the antioxidants in blueberries are effective in healing skin damage. Thus, blueberries are a food that helps fight the ageing process.
4. Apples not only protect you from various diseases such as cancer, but also keep the wrinkles away. Apples contain a substance called quercetin which provides hefty protection from the “burning” UVB rays that trigger skin cancer. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that you should eat 2-3 organic apples a day to have better skin.
5. Salmon is rich in anti-aging ingredients, including omega-3 fatty which has beauty benefits for your skin. Omega-3s contain alpha-linolenic acid, which decreases dryness and keeps skin smooth, soft and supple.
6. Soybeans are full of beneficial compounds that are perfect for anti-aging such as amino acids and anti-oxidants. In addition, they help the skin retain moisture and helps with skin elasticity.
7. Milk contains lots of vitamin D, which is important in skin development as well as helps destroy free radicals that cause the skin to age. Getting your daily dose of “D” from milk also means you don’t have to get it from sun exposure that results in wrinkles and increases your risk of skin cancer.
8. Green tea – Researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong found that the antioxidants and natural properties of green tea had effects on the function of telomeres and the normal aging process. People who drank, on average, three cups of tea per day had longer telomeres than those who drank an average of a quarter cup of tea daily. This difference corresponded to an additional five years of life.
9. Cocoa made with dark chocolate – Women in one study positively glowed after drinking 1/2 cup of cocoa thanks to a significant increase in circulation that lasted 2 hours. As shown by the study result, women who drank 1/2 cup of cocoa high in flavonoids (as is dark chocolate) every day for 12 weeks had significantly softer, smoother, and better hydrated skin.
10. Sunflower oil has the good taste; besides, it’s rich in linoleic acid which can work wonders for your skin. Linoleic acid helps your skin hold onto water (by helping your skin produce ceramides). This oil type is great to eat or use topically for those with dry skin.