Best Superfoods for Healthy Skin and Age-Defying Beauty
Everybody wants to look beautiful well into their golden years. And beautiful skin comes with healthy diet. Research shows that diet has a huge impact on your inner health and outward appearance. While there’s no magical diet that will get rid of wrinkles or fix imperfections, there are some superfoods that contains essential nutrients for a healthy and glowing skin. This article will explore the world’s best 6 superfoods for skin health and beauty that you can get at your local supermarket!
Goji Berries
Goji berries, Hollywood’s hottest new food, are one of the most nutritionally dense foods on Earth. These tiny superfoods house a staggering number of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, phytochemicals, and fatty acids. With such an awesome constitution, it’s no surprise that they have strong anti-aging effects.
Originating in Tibet, Goji berries have been used in traditional Eastern medicine for centuries. The dried berries have numerous benefits, including promoting immune health, lowering cholesterol, enhancing vision, fighting cancer, relieving depression, and aiding weight loss.
Goji berries contain 500 times more vitamin C than oranges by weight and more beta-carotene than carrots, making them a great source of vitamin A. With high amounts of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and fatty acids, these berries are one of the best superfoods for skin and anti-aging.
A study cited in Dr. Mindell’s book, Goji: The Himalayan Health Secret, observed that 67 percent of elderly people who were given a daily dose of Goji berries for 3 weeks experienced dramatic immune system enhancement and a significant improvement in spirit and optimism.
Aloe Vera
You can forget about Botox because Aloe Vera increases collagen production naturally for a youthful, wrinkle-free complexion and plump, beautiful skin. It is the ultimate Botox alternative and one of the best foods for skin repair! The inner gel of the Aloe Vera leaf contains around 200 active compounds with over 75 nutrients. These include 20 minerals, 18 amino acids, and 12 vitamins (even vitamin B12 – one of the very few plant sources of this vitamin).
Aloe Vera has anti-microbial properties and houses anti-inflammatory enzymes that also make it a great superfood for skin. It is also known to aid digestion, boost the immune system, and effectively heal, moisturize, and rejuvenate the skin. In addition, Aloe Vera naturally stimulates the production of collagen.
Aloe Vera is best eaten fresh (you can order large Aloe Vera leaves which last a few weeks if refrigerated). Scrape out the inside gel, avoiding the outside of the leaf (as it is a strong laxative), and blend the gel with fruit for the ultimate beautifying smoothie. Aloe Vera has a mild flavor with just a hint of bitterness, hence the need for something sweet with which to wash it down!
Avocados
The avocado is proven to be the best food for skin glow. Avocados produce smooth and soft skin, in part because they are easily absorbed. Compared with almond, corn, olive, and soybean oils, avocado oil has the highest skin penetration rate.
Avocado also contains vitamin E (excellent for the skin), antioxidant carotenoids, and the master antioxidant glutathione. The latter antioxidant is exceptionally powerful and has anti-carcinogenic potential. High levels of glutathione are found in the liver where the elimination of toxins takes place. As you can imagine, avocados are some of the best superfoods for skin health.
Additionally, glutathione is effective against pollutants such as cigarette smoke, car exhaust fumes, and ultra-violet radiation. Research is currently exploring the benefits of glutathione for numerous conditions, including cancer, heart disease, memory loss, arthritis, Parkinson’s, eczema, liver disorders, and AIDS.
Chlorella
You might not know a lot about Chlorella since it’s not a common food. It’s a kind of algae that you wouldn’t want to eat food on a good day, but it’s loaded with nutrients, antioxidants, minerals and vitamins. The nucleic acids (RNA and DNA) in Chlorella direct cellular growth and enable our bodies to utilize nutrients more effectively. The production of nucleic acids in the body declines progressively as we age, which is no doubt why their intake is recommended by Dr. Benjamin Frank in The No-Aging Diet.
In Healing with Whole Foods, Paul Pitchford writes that “insufficient nucleic acid causes premature aging, as well as weakened immunity.” Research at the Medical College of Kanazawa in Japan also found that mice that were fed chlorella had a 30 percent increase in life span.
Replenishing RNA and DNA can be key to overall health, immunity, and longevity. In addition to nucleic acids, chlorella is jam-packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, enzymes, and amino acids. This makes it a rejuvenating and health-promoting superfood.
Bee Pollen
If you add bee pollen to your skin regimen, you can throw out your ineffective face mask. When it comes to young and beautiful skin, bee pollen has dozens of benefits. But don’t take our word for it!
Swedish dermatologist Dr. Lars-Erik Essen uses bee pollen to successfully treat acne and other skin conditions. He even reports that bee pollen “seems to prevent premature aging of the cells and stimulate the growth of new skin tissue. It offers effective protection against dehydration and injects new life into dry cells. It smoothes away wrinkles and stimulates a life-giving blood supply to all skin cells.”
Dr. Essen believes that bee pollen’s skin rejuvenation properties come from its high concentration of nucleic acids, as well as its natural antibiotic properties. Bee pollen is also known to fight infections, lower cholesterol, strengthen the blood, boost the immune system, increase stamina, and enhance libido! It has even been called a “perfect food” because it is so nutritionally complete.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil speeds up your metabolism and can actually help you lose weight. It also helps moisturize the skin. The antioxidant properties that occur naturally in the oil help protect against free-radical damage, keeping the skin youthful and healthy for the long-term. Taken internally or externally, coconut oil is a great ally for any skincare regime. It even contains lauric acid, an anti-microbial fatty acid that kills bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
Bottom Line
Superfoods don’t need to be a fad that only the rich and famous use. In fact, superfoods are highly accessible and a necessity for proper skin and beauty care. So, the next time you’re at the supermarket, grab some superfoods for skin, hair, and your overall health! We promise you won’t regret it!
For more information on the benefits of superfoods, check out the next post in our superfoods series, Superfoods: The Best Superfoods For Stress Relief and Longevity!
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