SPECIFIC NUTRIENTS FOR GOOD SKIN

SPECIFIC NUTRIENTS FOR GOOD SKIN

Vitamins A and C and the mineral zinc are all strongly linked with good skin. They are considered part of a healthy balanced diet, and there is usually no need to take them in supplement form. Both vitamins should be provided from your regular intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. Foods rich in Vitamin A include carrots, spinach, watercress, broccoli, yellow-fleshed sweet potato and melons such as cantaloupe. Good sources of Vitamin C are peppers, green leafy vegetables, strawberries, kiwi fruit, oranges and grapefruit.

Zinc is excellent for problem skin. It helps reduce the inflammatory processes within the body and aids healing. The body is more efficient at absorbing the zinc from foods such as beans and other pulses, shellfish and fish, wholegrain foods, nuts and dairy foods, rather than from tablets. If you feel your diet does not include some of these foods most days, you may wish to take a daily 15 mg supplement. Do not exceed this dose as high zinc levels make your body more susceptible to bacterial and viral infections.

Another nutrient that seems to be perfect "skin food" is biotin, a member of the vitamin B complex (although it is also known as vitamin H). It is mainly synthesized by bacteria in your gut, but is also found in some foods. Women who are on long-term antibiotics, which adversely affect the bacteria within the gut, or who suffer from any sort of gut mal-absorption condition such as Cohn's disease or severe irritable bowel syndrome, could be rather low in biotin. A deficiency of this vitamin causes, dermatitis (inflammation of the skin), loss of hair and, in my experience, brittle nails.

Biotin-rich foods include eggs, peanut butter, wholegrain foods (especially oats) and liver. Note ,that raw eggs bind biotin in the gut and therefore will not help if you are looking to boost your biotin intake.

Warning Although some doctors prescribe Vitamin A based creams for skin complaints such as acne, there is no benefit to be gained from taking additional vitamin A in the form of a supplement . It is potentially dangerous to take a Vitamin A in the form of a supplement without the supervision of your doctor, as it is stored in the liver and an excess can cause severe liver damage. Vitamin A supplements taken while a woman is pregnant may lead to birth defects.