Whether you have acne, wrinkles or brown spots, traditional treatments have emphasized topical remedies and devices, but aesthetic professionals can help patients achieve optimal outcomes—and improve their overall health—by also understanding the role that certain foods play in reducing or exacerbating common skin concerns. The notion that nutrition is important to skin health is gaining traction. Just like diet affects your heart, kidneys and immune system, it plays a role in keeping your skin healthy. We need a balanced diet rich in antioxidants and healthy fats to maintain barrier function, normalize keratinocyte (the outermost layer of the skin) proliferation and preserve our extracellular matrix.
Nutrition for Aging Skin
At Defy Nature in New London, they recommend their clients follow a diet high in vegetables, legumes and olive oil. Studies show that most folks who follow this diet had the least amount of sun damage, while those who reported a high intake of meat, dairy and butter had the most severe skin wrinkling.
Low-fat diets are no longer recommended instead, patients of all ages should consume “good fats.” Walnuts, avocado, and salmon are good fats that maintain healthy skin and help heal dry, sensitive skin. It’s also important to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables because each one comes with a different profile of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients (natural chemicals that are found in a variety of plant foods.)
Because many aesthetic patients take part in detox or juicing diets, Defy Nature reminds their patients that juice is not as beneficial as whole fruits and vegetables which contain fiber—important for a healthy diet.
Diet and Skin Health
In addition to understanding the health benefits of fruits, vegetables, and good fats, patients also should be aware that food preparation may affect skin aging. Charring food through grilling or roasting at high temperatures could lead to higher levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which adversely affect collagen and elastin in the skin.
Benefits in a Bottle
Using topical protection daily to fight against skin aging and photodamage (damage caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation) is also crucial to maintaining youthful skin. At Defy Nature they sell medical grade skincare products that are suitable for all skin types and age groups. Their best seller NeoCutis brand, that is only available in physicians’ offices, offers several products that are a result of cutting-edge research and technologies. They deliver powerful peptides and proteins that energize, protect and rejuvenate aging skin.
With proper nutrition for your skin, along with practicing moderate exercise and the use of good skin care products, your skin will show significant improvement and be beautiful over time.
Call Defy Nature in New London for a complimentary consultation with their skin care professional all done in a safe, medical environment at (860) 271-0039.
