Achieving glowing, healthy skin isn't just about the creams and serums you apply; it's deeply influenced by your lifestyle and diet. Nutrition habits can significantly enhance are reduce the health and appearance of your skin.Â
We curated the most essential and influential nutrition habits you can implement to boost skin health with actionable tips to incorporate them into your daily routine.
1. Protein and collagen
Collagen is a crucial protein that constitutes 70-80% of our skin. With age, collagen production declines by about 1% per year after age 20. In women, this loss accelerates in the 5 years post-menopause, decreasing by up to 30%.1 Consuming a diet adequate in protein or even taking a hydrolyzed collagen supplements, can improve skin hydration and elasticity.2
2. Vitamin C
Vitamin C is vital for collagen biosynthesis, helping to maintain skin strength and prevent sagging. It also protects against UV damage, inhibits skin darkening, and speeds up wound healing. Incorporating Vitamin C through diet or topical products can reduce wrinkles and enhance skin elasticity.
3. Phytonutrients and eating the rainbow
Phytonutrients are natural compounds found in plants that have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.3 Eating a diverse range of colorful fruits and vegetables ensures that you consume a variety of these beneficial compounds. Different colors indicate the presence of different phytonutrients, each contributing uniquely to skin health. For instance:
-
Red: Lycopene in tomatoes helps protect against UV damage.
-
Orange: Beta-carotene in carrots and sweet potatoes converts to Vitamin A, promoting skin cell production.
-
Yellow: Vitamin C-rich yellow peppers support collagen synthesis.
-
Green: Chlorophyll in leafy greens detoxifies the skin and reduces inflammation.
-
Blue/Purple: Anthocyanins in blueberries have strong antioxidant properties that protect skin cells from damage.
4. Blood sugar balance
Advanced Glycation End-products (AGEs) are compounds that can accelerate skin aging by affecting collagen.4 A high-sugar diet increases AGEs, leading to stiffer, less elastic skin prone to damage.5 Adopting a low-glycemic diet and water-based cooking methods, like boiling, steaming, and blanching, can help reduce AGEs.
5. Gut health
A healthy gut significantly impacts skin health. Microbial metabolites like short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) from soluble fiber maintain gut barrier integrity, reducing inflammation, boosting detox and supporting overall skin health.6 Gut imbalances can lead to inflammation and accelerated skin aging.
6. Fasting and caloric restriction
Fasting-mimicking diets (FMD) have shown promising results in improving skin health. FMD induces antioxidative stress, reduces mTOR-S6K signaling (associated with cell aging), activates autophagy (cell regeneration), and promotes stem cell-based regeneration, all contributing to healthier, more youthful skin.7
Get started now
Incorporate 1 scoop Hydrolyzed Collagen Supplements per day
-
Help counteract natural and menopause-related collagen loss.
-
Improve skin hydration and elasticity over time.
Boost your Vitamin C intake
-
Consume citrus fruits, strawberries, broccoli, and tomatoes.
-
Use topical Vitamin C products to enhance collagen production and protect against environmental damage.
- Take 1-2g liposomal vitamin C per day
Eat the rainbow
-
Include a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables in your diet.
-
Aim for 30 different plant foods a week to ensure a wide range of phytonutrients.
-
Focus on eating 5 different color groups a day to get a variety of skin-boosting benefits.
Adopt a low glycemic diet
-
Choose beans, lentils and starchy vegetables over refined grains and high-sugar foods.
-
Maintain tight glycemic control to reduce the formation of glycated collagen.
Stay hydrated
- Eat vegetables to boost natural electrolytes
- Take a trace minerals supplement to maintain skin hydration
Choose water-based cooking methods
-
Opt for boiling, poaching, or steaming over grilling, frying, or roasting.
-
Water-based methods significantly reduce the formation of AGEs in food that lead to oxidative stress in your body.
Monitor blood sugar levels
-
Use tools like Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGM) to maintain blood sugar balance.
-
Use soluble fiber to keep glucose balanced while pulling toxins from the body.
Incorporate anti-AGE foods
-
Include herbs like cinnamon, cloves, oregano, and allspice in your diet.
-
Consume beneficial compounds like ginger, garlic, and green tea, along with nutrients like α-lipoic acid, zinc, and selenium.
Support gut health
-
Eat a diverse range of plants to feed your microbiome.
-
Incorporate probiotics (fermented foods), prebiotics (fiber), and polyphenols (plants) regularly.
Consider fasting-mimicking diets
-
Try Prolon (FMD) or similar diets to induce autophagy and promote skin cell regeneration.
-
FMD can improve skin barrier function and reduce wrinkles.
Takeaways
Maintaining optimal skin health requires a balanced intake of essential nutrients and healthy lifestyle habits. Tracking your glucose levels using apps like CGMs and getting an intracellular micronutrient test can provide insights into your specific nutrient levels, allowing for a more personalized approach to skincare. By incorporating these key components into your daily routine, you can achieve and maintain a vibrant, youthful complexion.
Â
References: