Skin food
When it comes to looking good, what happens on the inside is just as important as what you put on the outside. We reveal how you can eat your way to healthier skin.
An ACE solution
Lots of foods can give you the anti-oxidants needed to combat the free radicals that age your skin and cause cancer. Vitamins A, C and E can help to boost your skin's ability to rejuvenate and fight off the ravages of ultra-violet light. So tucking in regularly to meals rich in these vitamins – and make sure you consume them together.
Vitamin A
Margarine and chicken livers are rich in Vitamin A, which can stimulate skin repair. Margarine brand Flora/Becel can also help to lower your blood cholesterol. Other foods rich in Vitamin A include eggs, milk, carrots, apricots, nectarines, sweet potatoes and spinach.
Vitamin C
Tomatoes are a fabulous source of lycopene, a powerful anti-oxidant.
To get the maximum effect, eat products made from cooked tomatoes, especially tomato paste, as the process of cooking makes it easier for your body to absorb the lycopene. You need around 10mg a day. It will take around 2–3 weeks before your body starts feeling the benefits. Other foods rich in Vitamin C include citrus fruits, like oranges, strawberries, broccoli and cabbage. Vitamin C is also essential for your body to produce collagen, the material that keeps your skin firm and wrinkle-free.
Vitamin E
Whole grains, such as wheat and oats have an abundance of this hard-working vitamin. E maintains a lot of your body's tissues, like the ones in your eyes, skin, and liver. It protects your lungs from becoming damaged by polluted air. And it is important for the formation of red blood cells. Other foods rich in Vitamin E include wheat germ, leafy green vegetables, oily fish such as sardines or mackerel and nuts.
