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Farmers Market and Skin Health
If you are anything like us, you are counting down the days when your local farmers market opens for the season! Obviously, you cannot beat the flavors of locally grown produce, but did you know that eating whole foods including lots of fruits and vegetables has the ability to prevent and repair damage to the skin?
We might be biased, but we think the skin is pretty amazing; As the largest organ in the human body, it protects us from infections, UV radiation, helps regulate our temperature, and acts as a shield to your entire body. Our skin is under constant stress from both internal and external factors (ex. sun damage) that leads to DNA damage and breakdown of the collagen and elastin but our skin has its own repair system to combat these assaults. What if I told you that we can help our skins own defense mechanism by choosing the right foods? It’s well established that the food choices we make are important for overall good health, which also includes skin health.
The right foods can support the skin by:
- supplying a renewable source of antioxidants to sop up those damaging free radicals
- blocking the enzymes that constantly ‘cut’ our collagen and elastin
- turn on the DNA repair system in our skin
- strengthen the quality of the skin which naturally thins with age and sun damage
- creating a healthy gut that supports good microbes that will naturally strengthens the skin barrier
Whichever fruits and veggies you love, more than likely they are going to have a positive benefit for the skin. Here is a list of a few staples that we can always find at the farmers markets that are great for the skin!
- tomatoes contain lycopene, which can decrease sun damage and increase collagen synthesis
- apples are high in polyphenols inhibit AGE (advanced glycation end-products) formation, which can prematurely age the skin. They have been implicated in other chronic health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. The old “apple a day” adage is as true as true can be!
- cantaloupes have high levels of vitamin C, which aids in collagen synthesis
- zucchini is low in calories and high in vitamin C, again great for collagen synthesis
- carrots are rich in beta-carotene, a potent antioxidant
- berries are a skin fan favorite for their high vitamin C and powerful antioxidants
And the list goes on!
Small every day changes in our diet can lead to HUGE benefits for our skin and overall health.
For more information on the research surrounding food and skin health visit skinanddiet.com or pick up Glow - The Dermatologist’s Guide To a Whole Foods Younger Skin Diet by Rajani Katta MD - an award winning educator and accomplished dermatologist with a special interest in how food affects our skin.
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