The right nutrients also give healthy skin

Your skin is a great indicator of your health. The consumption of unhealthy foods and avoiding skin-healthy nutrients can lead to wrinkles, acne, inflammation and dry or oily skin which are all indications of poor internal health.

Most people use mainstream topical cosmetics like scrubs, toners and lotions to treat skin problems. However this actually does little to treating the root of the problem which is poor nutrition and exposure to toxins.

Research has proven that skin reacts well to the following minerals and antioxidants which nourish the skin and make it look young and healthy.

• Silica is the trace mineral which strengthens the body’s connective tissues like muscles, bone and cartilage and is important for healthy skin. Its deficiency leads to reduced skin elasticity and reduces the body’s healing capacity. Its food sources include green beans, strawberries, mango, cucumber, rhubarb, celery and asparagus.

• Zinc is an important mineral for healthy skin, especially acne sufferers as zinc deficiency is a symptom of acne. Zinc controls the skin’s oil production and acne inducing hormones and is also important for improved body immunity and maintenance of taste, smell and vision. Zinc rich foods include ginger, pumpkin seeds, fresh oysters, Brazil nuts, eggs, oats and pecans. Zinc supplements in both tablets and liquid concentrates are also available.

• Omega-3 fatty acids are responsible for skin moisture content, repair and overall flexibility. As the body cannot produce its own essential fatty acids (EFA) s, they have to be obtained through the diet. The typical American diet lacks omega-3s, found in cold-water fish like salmon and mackerel, safflower oil and flaxseeds but is rich in omega-6 fatty acids found in baked goods and grains.

You can get younger looking and smother skin just by balancing your consumption of omega-3s and omega-6s. Fish capsules or evening primrose oil are great EPA supplements which effectively treat various disorders ranging from depression to heart disease. Chia seeds, flax seeds and fish oils are great sources of omega-3 oils.

• Selenium is an antioxidant responsible for tissue elasticity is known to prevent cell damage by free radicals. It is also related at reducing the risk of breast cancer and plays an important role at preventing skin cancer.

The dietary sources of selenium include tuna, salmon, whole-wheat bread, garlic, Brazil nuts, brown rice, eggs and whole-wheat bread. As Brazil nuts are its best source, eating as few as 3-4 Brazil nuts provides sufficient selenium to most people.