Eat Antioxidant Rich Foods for Beautiful Skin

Kelly Gonzalez
Busy Bodies
Health and Fitness
Date Published: June 10, 2009

Eat Antioxidant Rich Foods for Beautiful Skin

Creams, powders, gels, lotions, the cosmetic aisle offers so many options. Who can keep track of all the products designed to keep you looking your best?

The best beauty secret doesn’t come in a bottle. It comes from the earth. Receiving appropriate amounts of antioxidants from a balanced diet can keep you looking and feeling great, add years to your life, and even give you smooth beautiful skin just in time for summer.

What are antioxidants?

Antioxidants are nutrients in the foods we eat. They aid in the protection of our cells from free radicals. Free radicals are molecules created by environmental pollution, the natural aging process, and mainly, metabolism, the use of oxygen to produce energy.

Free radicals are caused by the process of oxidation- the loss of an electron. When this occurs the molecule missing an electron attacks other stable molecules, making that molecule into a free radical as well, and the reaction continues, which eventually disrupts the normal activity of the cell allowing disease and illness to occur. Antioxidants are powerful agents that are capable of stabilizing the free radicals and prevent numerous illnesses including cancer and heart disease from occurring. Antioxidants are friendly givers. They stabilize the free radical by giving one of their own electrons. How kind, now don’t you want to be kind enough to give your body the necessary antioxidants it needs?
Antioxidant substances include beta carotene, lutein, lycopene, selenium, Vitamin A, C, and E. These can be found in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and lean protein sources.

The level of antioxidants in a particular food is measured by an Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) score- the higher the score the higher the level of antioxidants.

The United States Department of Agriculture ranks foods according to their ORAC levels. Winning foods that are bursting with antioxidants include prunes, berries-blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, strawberries, plums, oranges, cherries, kale, spinach, brussels sprouts, broccoli florets, and beets. While these top the list, mostly all fruits and vegetables provide a hefty amount of antioxidants.

Glow from the Inside Out

Those nasty free radicals are the cause of premature skin aging and cell damage. There’s no skin cream that can fight free radicals like antioxidants. Antioxidants from a diet rich in top ORAC scoring foods can help you keep your youthful glow.

Here’s the skinny on some of the best foods for your skin:

Berries: You can’t go wrong with berries. Try cranberries, blackberries, blackcurrants, raspberries, strawberries, whatever you like. Berries are rich in vitamin C and E, and also help keep skin smooth and youthful by aiding in the manufacturing process of collagen.

Nuts: Nuts are an excellent source of vitamin E and fatty acids; both keep skin from becoming dry and dull. Nuts also contain a significant amount of zinc that helps skin cells grow, prevents inflammation, and helps maintain skin elasticity.

Sweet potatoes: Sweet potatoes are rich in beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A in the body, which is important for skin collagen formation, and the development of skin cells. Sweet potatoes also contain vitamin E and vitamin C. Vitamin E helps stimulate the powerful effects of vitamin C, which helps rid the body of free radicals from over exposure to the sun.

Salmon: Salmon contains a high amount of omega-3 fatty acids, which helps decrease inflammation, clogged pores, and dry skin. Omega-3 fatty acids keep the cells in the body healthy by strengthening the cell membrane, keeping harmful agents out, letting healthy nutrients in, and keeping water in the cells for smooth soft skin.

This Summer, shed your layers and reveal beautiful skin that is nourished from the inside out instead of out of a bottle. Thank nature and a balanced diet for smooth, soft skin.