Top Foods for Preventing Wrinkles

Top Foods for Preventing Wrinkles

How do you prevent wrinkles? 

One option is to avoid sun exposure. Another is to stop smoking. And another is to apply a variety of moisturisers and skin care products. But skin care goes a lot deeper than just avoiding certain things and doing some proactive moisturizing. Skin care is linked with your general health in a very deep and profound way to the point where nearly everything you do will impact on the appearance of your skin in some way. Exercise for example has a profound impact on the way your skin looks. And the same is also true for your diet. Read on and let’s look at some of the best foods to seek out if you want to minimize the appearance of wrinkles. 

  Antioxidants

You’ve probably heard about antioxidants. These are foods in the diet that protect the cells from oxidative damage and from free radicals. Free radicals meanwhile are substances that roam throughout the body and which react with the cells when they come into contact with them. This can cause visible damage to the outside of the skin cells which together eventually causes the visible appearance of wrinkles on a macro level. More worrying still, is the fact that free radicals can eventually penetrate the outer walls of the cell and make their way to the crucial center called the nucleus. Here, they can cause damage to the DNA itself and this damage is then repeated each time the cell splits and reproduces via mitosis. This is what causes the formation of cancerous tumors. There are countless sources of antioxidants but some excellent examples include berries, tomatoes and fruit juices. Anything high in vitamin C will work, seeing as vitamin C is an antioxidant itself. What’s more, is that vitamin C can help to restore connective tissue making it even more appealing.

  Collagen

Speaking of berries, blueberries in particular are a very good choice if you want to keep your cells looking healthy. The reason for this is that blueberries are high in anthocyanins. These help to improve the health of the collagen matrix, by neutralizing enzymes that can otherwise deteriorate connective tissues. Blueberries are also a good source of vitamin E, which is well known to be beneficial for the skin. Other foods that are good at supporting healthy collagen and therefore improving the skin’s elasticity include cabbage, fish and avocados. Avocados are also high in vitamin E and omega 3 fatty acid and are generally one of those all-round health-panaceas. Garlic is another of the best options though, seeing as it is high in sulfur, lipoic acid and taurine – all of which help to restore damaged collagen fibers. It’s delicious seasoning, and now you have a good reason to add it to more of your cooking!

  Omega 3 Fatty Acid

Omega 3 fatty acid is very good for your skin, for combating wrinkles and for boosting your health in a wide range of other ways too. Omega 3 fatty acid’s main benefit for the skin is in improving the cell membrane permeability. Omega 3 fatty acid can be used to build cell walls in place of other, less suitable fats, and this then improves the flexibility of those cells and also the ability for the cells to receive other nutrients and chemical signals. This can also improve brain function and boost the IQ! For the skin, it means that your cells will be more effectively nourished and less susceptible to damage. Another advantage of omega 3 fatty acid is that it can combat inflammation, which in turn can help to make your skin look less angry and red if you suffer from acne. It does this by reducing the relative omega 6 content – and when omega 6 gets too high, inflammation happens. You can get omega 3 from a supplement but it’s even better coming from oily fish (tuna, salmon), from avocado, or from nuts.

Amino Acids

Amino acids are available from any protein source but some are better than others in terms of the quantity, the type and the ‘bioavailability’. The most bioavailable and complete sources of protein come from eggs, which contain all the essential amino acids as well as many other beneficial nutrients. 

Hydration

One of the worst things for your skin is dehydration, which can cause short term and long term damage. Unfortunately, research suggests that most of us are dehydrated a lot of the time! A solution is to consume chia seeds. These are seeds that absorb and hold onto fluids, which can then be released more slowly into the body keeping it hydrated. Consuming chia seeds just before going to sleep is a great way to ensure that your skin will be well hydrated throughout the night and you’ll look a little more human when you wake up! Beans are also very good for helping to keep your skin well hydrated and plump. This is because they are high in zinc and in hyaluronic acid. What’s equally important is to try and avoid consuming lots of salt before bed. Beans also encourage the proliferation of cells, which can help to keep your skin looking healthy and combat the effects of cells becoming damaged or dying entirely.

  Cocoa

Chocolate is actually good for you! Well, not the very sugary kind, but the dark kind that doesn’t have too much added sugar. This is because it contains mood-boosting endorphins like oxytocin and serotonin. These in turn help to combat cortisol, reducing the effect of stress on the cells.