Your skin cells need a constant supply of vital nutrients to repair itself, form new cells, and stay soft, supply, and radiant. If you truly want to help your skin heal faster after a damage, then your nutrition is key. And in this article, we shall be discussing the best six types of nutrients you need to include in your diet to repair your skin cells.
Without further ado, let’s dive in:
1- Vitamin C
Vitamin C is essential for healthy skin because it helps boost collagen production, which is a protein that helps strengthen your skin and capillaries that help supply nutrients to this organ.
Some good sources of vitamin C include oranges, strawberries, kiwi fruits, blackcurrants, papaya, guava, blueberries, broccoli, lemons, tomatoes, yellow and green capsicum, and blueberries. Try eating these fruits and veggies raw or lightly cooked. Heating them makes them less effective.
Unfortunately, many of us do not get enough vitamin C in our diets daily and this may affect collagen production. But you can take collagen supplements to help boost your body’s collagen production to repair and strengthen your skin cells, as well as reduce wrinkles and lift dark spots.
2- Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s)
Your skin needs essential fatty acids to repair itself and create an effective barrier against different microbes and bacteria. Omega-3 fatty acids and omega6 fatty acids are two EFA’s that are major building blocks of cell membranes. They are needed to keep your skin hydrated and prevent dryness.
You can get enough of these fatty acids in avocados, nuts, seeds, and oily fish. Make sure you avoid eating unhealthy fats, and replace them with the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
3 – Vitamin A
You need to constantly load up on vitamin A to protect your skin cells from damage. When you’re deficient in this vitamin, your skin becomes scaly and dry, and it triggers many other skin conditions.
Vitamin A is needed for building and repair of skin cells, and it helps in fighting inflammation.
Some good food sources of vitamin A include carrots, romaine lettuce, squash, apricots, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, and dark leafy greens such as spinach and kale.
Taking enough vitamin A in your diet helps reduce sun sensitivity and prevent damage. It is an essential vitamin to support the healing of cuts and scrapes on the skin.
4 -Vitamin E
Vitamin E has strong antioxidant properties, which helps in reducing damages of UV rays on the skin. You need a good amount of vitamin E to clear conditions such as psoriasis, acne, and aging effects arising from sunburn and dark spots.
You can get enough of vitamin E in healthy food options, including salmon, spinach, broccoli, seeds, nuts, and vegetable oils such as wheat germ, sunflower, and safflower oil.
5 – Selenium
Selenium is a strong antioxidant that neutralizes free-radicals and other damaging compounds that affect skin health. This nutrient helps in safeguarding cell membranes and slowing down signs of aging. It also relieves inflammation and fights skin infection.
You can get enough selenium from foods such as bananas, Brazil nuts, milk, lentils, spinach, yogurt, mushrooms, brown rice, cottage cheese, oatmeal, and sunflower seeds.
6 – Zinc
Zinc is an essential nutrient that supports your skin healing process. It has strong anti-inflammatory effects and helps in treatment of acne, dermatitis, and psoriasis.
You can get zinc from high-protein foods such as fish, meat, and nuts. However, if you’re a vegetarian, you can get a good amount of zinc from foods such as mushrooms, beans, and spinach.
When you load up on zinc, it helps heal and rejuvenate your skin. This nutrient also boosts new cell formation and supports the functioning of the cell membrane.
Some top sources of zinc include oysters, lobsters, crabs, but you can also get your daily requirement of this nutrient from chicken, eggs, seeds, whole grains, and fortified cereals.
You can actually support your skin health and boost its healing process by loading up on these essential nutrients. Add foods rich in these nutrients to your diet daily if you’d love to have radiant, lovely, smooth, and healthy skin, and reduce signs of aging.
