What causes aging of the skin? Essentially three processes, which are oxidation, caused, for example, by the sun's rays, but also by cigarette smoke and pollution, then the chronic inflammation of the tissues, also in this case a role is played by the damage of the UV rays, and finally the glycation, which occurs when an excess of circulating sugar binds to collagen and elastin leaving the skin less elastic. But the good news is that against each of these three processes it is possible to act not only from the outside with creams and serums but also from the inside, with the diet. This is what emerges from a very recent article published in the journal Skin Therapy Letters by an American team (Katta et al, 2020).
Oxidation is counteracted thanks to antioxidant substances such as vitamin C (food sources are, for example, citrus fruits, peppers, strawberries, broccoli, tomatoes), vitamin E (possible food sources are wheat germ oil, dried fruit such as almonds, peanuts or hazelnuts, spinach, broccoli, avocado, kiwifruit), beta carotene (you can find it in leafy greens, carrots, pumpkin, apricots, melon, sweet potato) and selenium (Brazil nuts, whole grains, mollusks). Moreover, a help also comes from the polyphenols of the green tea, from the flavonoids of dark chocolate and cocoa and from pomegranate. As for chronic inflammation, the foods that can help fight it are garlic, turmeric, green and black tea, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, pomegranate and onion. Do not forget, however, also the foods rich in fiber and the sources of prebiotics (leeks, garlic, onion, artichokes, asparagus, oats) and probiotics (yogurt, miso, sauerkraut) for the well-being of the intestinal microbiota. The bacterial flora of our intestine, in fact, plays a key role against inflammation and aging of the skin. Finally, to fight glycation, action should be taken to keep blood sugar under control with foods rich in fiber, fruit and vegetables. Foods such as garlic, onion, nuts and spices such as cinnamon, fenugreek and turmeric have proven to be very useful in this case. In addition to this, there are foods also able to counteract the glycation products, which would then alter the elasticity of the skin. In particular, these foods, herbs and spices are cinnamon, marjoram, sage, cloves, garlic, rosemary, mate, ginger, turmeric, cumin, black pepper and tomato sauce.
What we bring on the table can therefore be an incredible ally not only for your health but also for your beauty!
