Top foods for glowing skin that are vegan friendly

We have heard so much about beauty begins from within and there’s definitely a notion about what we consume will directly affects our skin health. Many research papers have proven that oral consumption is more effective compared to topical application as our body requires nutrients for the cells to repair and rejuvenate. Therefore, in order to achieve optimal results for a flawless skin, we need to target the root cause of the issue from within.

A healthy balanced diet will provide a good source of nutrients to our body to be used as fuel as a building block for a healthy glowing skin. In this article, we will explore the top nutritious foods that are better than the others that we should focus on eating in order to have a radiant skin.

Omega 3

There is emerging evidence that Omega 3 supports the overall skin health. Omega 3 is an essential fatty acid (polyunsaturated fatty acid) that our body cannot produce on its own which we must obtain it from our diet. Omega 3 fatty acids can help to combat signs of ageing by decreasing the inflammatory compounds that cause ageing. Foods that are high in omega 3 are flax seeds, chia seeds and walnuts

Antioxidants

Antioxidants can neutralise the free radicals and help to protect our cells from free radical damage. As our body ages, it loses its ability to fight the effect of free radicals which results in more free radicals in our body that causes damage to our normal healthy cells. Two major antioxidant vitamins are Vitamin C and E which are essential to support collagen production in our body for a healthy glowing skin. Berries such as blueberries, blackberries and strawberries are a good source of antioxidant and are also low in sugar content which are good to be added into our daily diet. Meanwhile food that are high in Vitamin E include avocado, almonds and sunflower seeds. These ingredients are perfect for a healthy breakfast and can easily be incorporated into our daily smoothie drink.

Healthy Oils

Healthy oils such as olive oil and avocado oil contain high concentration of monounsaturated fats, which is a type of essential fatty acids that our body requires. Research found that the consumption of monounsaturated fatty acids has been proven to reduce oxidative stress and inflammatory processes that cause skin ageing. In particular, extra virgin olive oil has been linked to be beneficial in slowing down the natural ageing process.

Zinc

Zinc is one of the most important nutrients when it comes to healing. Zinc supports skin healing through membrane repair, control of inflammation and renewal of cells. Vegan friendly food that contain a good source of Zinc are legumes (beans, lentils and chickpeas), seeds (hemp and pumpkin seeds), nuts (pine nuts, cashews and peanuts) and wholegrains such as wheat, quinoa and oats.

Anti- inflammatory

Inflammation is a condition when foreign substances are causing harm to our body which in return triggers our immune system to heal our body. There is a direct correlation between our immune system and how it affects our gut health which can cause skin inflammation that leads to various skin conditions such as acne, eczema and rashes. Some of popular anti- inflammatory foods are turmeric, green tea, tomatoes and green leafy vegetables.

Written by Maeraki team