Nutrient deficiencies are one of the most common reasons for looking and feeling older than we really are with symptoms like these:
Age spots… Fine lines… Spreading wrinkles… Drooping skin…
Unfortunately, the odds are not in our favor—but not impossible to overcome.
You see, as we age our bodies produce increasingly less of the most important nutrients our skin needs, and modern farming practices have practically stripped our soil of these same nutrients.
Together, these two factors create a 1-2 punch resulting in nutrient deficiencies that rapidly accelerate the appearance of aging skin.
So, what can you do?
To start, by consuming more of the nutrients your body craves, you give your skin the best possible chance at restoring youthful skin from within.
So below I’ve prepared a quick list of the five most important nutrients for healthy, glowing, youthful skin, and where to get them:
Collagen provides support to your skin, helping you retain firm, plump, and moist skin. Without adequate collagen in your body, the inner layers of your skin begin to collapse, causing deep wrinkles and droopy, loose skin.
As a brief aside, collagen is also essential for joint health. So if you’re feeling aches and pains as you move about, supplementing with and consuming collagen-rich foods will benefit both your joints and skin.
Collagen can be found in fish (with the skin on), bone broth, chicken, and virtually every animal protein.
Where collagen supports healthy skin, Vitamin C supports natural collagen production. As a result, if you’re deficient in Vitamin C, you’ll have a hard time maintaining healthy collagen levels.
Not to mention, Vitamin C is also a powerful antioxidant, which can protect your body against skin damage caused by environmental pollution.
You can find Vitamin C in oranges, kiwis, peppers, and nearly every fruit and vegetable you see in the grocery store.
Fatty foods, depending on their type, are high in omega-6s or omega-3s.
Omega-6s are often found in fried or processed foods, and can cause inflammation to spread—and sustain—throughout your body.
High levels of inflammation are terrible for your skin, due to nutrient depletion, your body prioritizing more important matters, and the potential for your immune system response to go haywire—which can lead to more drastic auto-immune issues in some cases.
On the other hand, omega-3s are anti-inflammatory—helping soothe and reduce the inflammation caused by processed foods, stress, and environmental toxins.
Omega-3s can also protect your cells against photoaging, which is DNA damage caused by the sun, and can be easily found in wild-caught fish (or fish oil supplements), nuts, seeds, and avocados.
While not as well-known as Vitamin C, Vitamin A is an essential nutrient that does wonders for your skin:
- Protecting against sun damage
- Reducing the appearance of wrinkles
- Fending off acne breakouts
These are some of the reasons why the most potent prescription skincare products available (retinoids) are derived from Vitamin A.
To get your fix of Vitamin A, look for leafy greens, tomatoes, bell peppers, and dairy products next time you’re at the store.
Zinc loves to support:
- A rapid wound healing response
- Protection against UV rays and pesky sun damage
- The reduction of inflammation and redness
The highest food source of zinc is oysters, which I know not everyone loves… So you can also find zinc in beans, nuts, and dairy products.
All in all, consuming these 5 skin-saving nutrients is the best way of ensuring your skin has everything needed to remain healthy and happy.
Choose a few foods for each nutrient, work them into your diet, and you’ll enjoy youthful, radiant skin for years to come.
To your health!
