Top Anti-Ageing Foods You Need For Healthy Flawless Skin

The Good & Bad About Food You Must Know

We are aware that the food we eat delivers nutrients to our body. Some of these nutrients protect the skin cells from the sun’s rays, keep the skin hydrated, limit skin damage from harmful molecules known as free radicals, increase cell turnover to reveal healthier skin underneath and build strong cell walls for smooth, firm, supple-looking skin. On the other hand, some add to inflammation in the body, and also fuel inflammation on the skin. This skin inflammation can cause redness, acne, and a breakdown of structure that leads to skin sagging. Some can also spike the blood sugar, fueling acne and wrinkles through a process called glycation, which also causes the formation of free radicals.

This shouldn’t scare you though. In this post, I’ll explain how to filter out the bad food from your diet plan so we don’t use food to cause harm to the skin. There are very good anti-ageing foods you can consume to get healthy flawless skin, and it will interest you to know that these aren’t new or big foods. They are actually something you find around can get easily.

What Are Free Radicals & How Can They Affect The Skin

I bet you have come across this term at least twice in all your health and beauty research, especially when reading about ageing/anti-ageing. Free radicals are simply molecules that have an odd number of electrons on their outer layer. It usually has a negative charge and is always looking out to have a balanced charge. For it to do this, it steals an electron from a balanced atom thereby making another free radical. It may also interest you to know that free radicals are a key driver of the ageing process. They can also damage the skin by grabbing electrons from atoms in the skin. Free radical damage occurs when there is more free-radical creation than there is antioxidant activity in the body. Take note of this as it will greatly influence how you choose what you eat

Two of the most visible effects of free radicals are wrinkles and the breakdown of collagen – which in turn causes saggy-looking skin. Yes, ageing and wrinkling are a natural part of life, it’s still possible to slow down the process by limiting your exposure to too much sun, unnecessary free radicals and through a diet rich in antioxidants.

Using Antioxidants To Fight Free Radicals

First off, you can avoid free radicals by staying clear of processed foods and limiting your exposure to cigarette smoke, alcohol, environmental pollutants, and industrial chemicals or solvents. The best way to fight it is by using the foods we eat. How? The simple answer is to consume more foods that contain antioxidants. Antioxidants create a buffer between the body and the dangerous free radical. They lend electrons to free radicals, so they don’t damage other cells while searching for their balance. Antioxidants also help revitalize our natural ability to heal our body and remove oxidized cells that aren’t useful to our body anymore.

If you are wondering where to get antioxidants from, natural antioxidants are just as readily available as free radicals. Every organ works to combat oxidation in its own way, so you need a lot of different antioxidants to get the job done. Our body can create them naturally within the cells, and we can get them in our diet. Our body doesn’t make some of the best antioxidants, such as vitamin C, and that is why we must eat foods that can complement the ones created by the body. Getting optimal vitamin and mineral intake from a balanced diet that’s rich in antioxidant properties is a fabulous way to support your body and also feel and look great too. After going through this list of anti-ageing foods that can get you that flawless skin, you will definitely change your diet for the better.

15 Anti-Ageing Foods For Healthy Flawless Skin

1. Mango:

2. Oranges:

Oranges are packed with water (which helps keep your skin hydrated) and vitamin C. Our body needs vitamin C to produce collagen, a protein that keeps skin firm and fights the appearance of ageing. A single medium orange has more than 100% of the daily recommended intake of vitamin C. One orange a day should keep skin ageing at bay!

3. Pomegranates:

Pomegranates are another excellent source of vitamin C, as well as other antioxidants that fight free radicals and promote healthy skin tone. Put pomegranate on your list as this will help you more than you can think of. When applied topically, this antioxidant-rich fruit will help skin create more collagen, while speeding healing.

4. Tomatoes:

A German study found that lycopene-rich tomato paste helped participants prevent sunburn when they combined it with olive oil, daily for ten weeks. Besides being a great source of the antioxidant lycopene, tomatoes are considered a high-carotenoid fruit. These nutrients may help slow down cellular damage from free radicals. Reach for tomatoes each time you can and throw into your mouth even for no reason.

5. Edamame:

6. Avocadoes:

Avocados are a good source of biotin. They contain antioxidants, vitamins A and E, which guard against UV rays and keep skin moisturized. Also, Glutathione, which is a powerful antioxidant, and NMN, a compound that has anti-ageing effects. When applied topically, avocadoes can even hydrate parched skin.  Simply create a moisturizing mask. open the fruit, puree the pulp, and pat it on your face before rinsing off after a while.

7. Kale:

Kale is high in potassium, which keeps skin cells hydrated and firm. It also has the antioxidant vitamin K, which helps with blood clotting and may help with spider veins, scars, and circles under the eyes. It can also aid in making skin smoother and younger-looking. Kale, just like broccoli is one of the most nutrient-rich foods you can get, which can also help your skin look its best. It is loaded with potent antioxidants like vitamins A, C, and carotenoids to help combat the stress of sun exposure and other environmental pollutants that can leave skin wrinkled and sallow.

9. Salmon:

10. Tea:

Tea contains compounds known as polyphenols that have potent antioxidant properties. According to some studies, polyphenols may help prevent sun-related skin cancers. Especially green tea which is rich in a compound known as EGCG that may keep skin looking youthful. Potential beauty benefits aside, unsweetened tea is always a good, calorie-free hydration choice. Hydration is essential for healthy skin. And green tea is among the best ways to stay hydrated. It contains vitamin B3, and a chemical that helps skin cells stay healthy.

11. Blueberries:

Blueberries are on almost everyone’s list of superfoods and this is for good reason. They’re among the most antioxidant-rich foods on earth. Blueberries’ relatively mild flavour means they are as adaptable as they are good for you: enjoy with breakfast, afternoon smoothies, dinner salads, or eat them straight as a delicious snack. If you want to switch it up, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries — all berries, really — are excellent, nutritious food choices which can give your skin a good boost. And they taste pretty good, too!

12. Watermelons:

These juicy summer fruits are about 92% water, which helps your skin stay hydrated. Watermelons are also packed with lycopene, so consuming them can help protect your skin from ageing, wrinkles, and skin cancer. In fact, an average watermelon has about 40% more lycopene than raw tomatoes so it is an amazing choice.

13. Sweet Potatoes:

Sweet potatoes are both better tasting and better for your skin. They are rich in vitamin C and beta-carotene, which your body converts into vitamin A and antioxidants to keep your body protected and healthy.

14. Eggs:

Protein helps repair cells that have suffered free radical damage. Eggs, which is a complete source of protein, also contain biotin, an essential vitamin that protects against dry skin.

15. Beans:

This is like my favourite and I can’t have the list without it, lol. Build better skin with beans which is another protein source. Legumes help repair cells that have suffered free radical damage. During digestion, protein breaks down into amino acids, the building blocks of cells. Amino acids then help to speed the repair and regeneration of skin cells and collagen.

You’ve probably noticed that most of these foods are fresh fruits and vegetables This is because, it is where most of the health, beauty and antioxidants are.

8. High-Fat Proteins:

Bacon and sausage maybe classic breakfast foods, but they are super high in saturated fats and have trace amounts of trans fats. Here’s what that means for your body: When you eat these foods, your cholesterol and blood lipids are negatively impacted, contributing to weight gain and inflammation. This is very taxing on your body—and your skin. High-fat proteins require significant time, energy, and resources to digest and absorb, which ultimately takes resources away from the rest of your body.

9. Spicy foods:

It’s important to enjoy salt and spice in moderation, since it can have a negative impact on your body, particularly on your skin. After eating a dinner that’s high in sodium, you’ll likely wake up the next morning looking puffy-faced and even a tad swollen since having an overdose of salt causes you to retain water.

10. Deep-Fried Foods:

They’re delicious, sure, but these foods should be off-limits to those in search of the fountain of youth. They offer little-to-no nutritional value, and most of the time are prepared in frying oil that could be packed with trans-fat. Deep-fried foods cause weight gain and since nearly all are high in calories, the added pounds won’t do much for your skin’s longevity and could make you age sooner than you’d think.

11. Sugary Drinks:

There are countless reasons to avoid soda, powdered drink mixes, and other beverages that are filled with sugar. These aren’t only bad for your health, but they also do damage to your teeth. Bad teeth will make you appear older than you are, and all those empty calories aren’t doing you any favours either.

12. Popcorn:

This movie theatre favourite that looks unharmful is heavy with salt and trans-fat, especially if you go for the extra butter or the microwave kind. This is not in any way good for your health and so you have to cut down on it if you want that healthy clear skin.