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As we age, we shift our focus to expensive wrinkle serums, eye creams, Botox, plastic surgery, and even homemade solutions that make use of baking soda. Even though these things may help you look a few years younger, they cannot help you feel younger. Fortunately, there are several natural anti-aging foods that can make your skin glow and make you feel a decade younger at the same time. Curious to know what they are? Let’s get into it.
1. Blueberries
Blueberries are delicious and refreshing and they are chock-full of antioxidants and flavonoids like myricetin, kaempferol, quercetin, and anthocyanin, which gives blueberries their beautiful rich blue-purple color. They are also rich in Vitamins A and C, which have well-known, age-defying benefits.
These powerful antioxidants protect the skin from both external and internal agents like sunburn, pollution, and stress, by regulating the inflammatory response and preventing the loss of collagen that lends elasticity to the skin.
2. Papaya
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This bright yellow and sweet fruit is also rich in vitamins A, B, C, K, and E and minerals like calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium that help the skin retain its elasticity and minimize wrinkles and laugh lines.
Papaya also contains a wide variety of antioxidants that can prevent the proliferation of free radicals and delay aging. It also contains a potent enzyme called papain, which is one of the best anti-inflammatory agents in nature. Because of this, papain is also found in exfoliating products.
3. Bone Broth
Wrinkles form when your skin loses its elasticity. Hence, you need to support your collagen levels by eating foods that offer collagen directly to your cells. One such superfood is bone broth.
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Bone broth is rich in collagen and has been shown to support the natural levels of collagen in your body, making your skin more hydrated, healthier, and fresh.
4. Omega-3
Not all fats are bad. There are some fats that are not just good for your heart health but also for your skin. One of the most important types of fats that you need to incorporate in your diet is Omega-3 fatty acids. These fats support the walls of the aging skin cells, making them plump and bouncy once again.
Some great sources of omega-3 fatty acids are fatty fish like salmon or walnuts.
5. Fermented Foods
We know that our gut health is directly linked to our overall health and one of the first signs that not all is right with our body comes in the form of skin conditions. If you have good bacteria in your gut, your skin will thrive, but bad bacteria can create inflammation, making your skin look dried out and wrinkly.
To improve your gut health, you can eat fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi, which contain large amounts of healthy bacteria.
6. Green Tea
Green tea is rich in a lot of antioxidants, which means it is incredibly anti-inflammatory. Research shows that green tea can protect the skin against the harmful effects of the sun and prevent your collagen levels from depleting.
7. Avocados
There is a reason why Millennials love avocados so much. This yummy fruit is filled with healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that nourish your skin and keep it moisturized. Research suggests that consuming avocados have a beneficial effect on your skin and the compounds lutein and zeaxanthin can protect the skin from sun damage.
Aside from this, avocados are also nutrient boosters that can help your body absorb vitamin A and other fat-soluble micro- and macronutrients. All of these functions can help boost skin health and your overall health in general.
8. Eggs
No list of anti-aging foods that can make your skin glow is complete without the inclusion of eggs. Eggs are one of the most delicious and versatile foods on the planet. Eggs are a source of high-quality protein which is the building block of collagen. A lot of people just eat the whites and discard the yolks but it is important to eat the yellow part of the egg as well as it contains a lot of nutrients that boost skin health including biotin.
Research shows that biotin is excellent for the promotion of healthy skin, nails, and hair. That’s why it is important to eat your eggs whole.
9. Spinach
Popeye’s favorite food, spinach is packed with a lot of antioxidants that help to provide oxygen to all parts of the body. It is also very hydrating and rich in vitamins A, C, E, and K, as well as minerals and compounds like magnesium, heme iron, and lutein.
Because it has a very high vitamin C content, spinach also promotes collagen production and keeps your skin smooth and firm. Vitamin K also helps reduce cell inflammation while vitamin A promotes smooth, supple skin and shiny, strong hair.
10. Nuts
Nuts like almonds are one of the best sources of Vitamin E. You may have seen anti-wrinkle creams, which contain this ingredient. That’s because it helps mend skin tissues, retain moisture, and protect it from harmful UV rays.
Additionally, nuts like walnuts have Omega-3 fatty acids in them that can strengthen the skin cell membrane and preserve the natural oil barrier in your skin giving it a healthy glow.
11. Yogurt and Kefir
Yogurt and kefir are full of probiotics, which can help get rid of inflammation, redness, irritation, and breakouts. These superfoods can make your skin look youthful as they fight the inflammatory response in the gut, which is the root of many skin problems.
Yogurt can also be applied topically to the skin. The lactic acid in yogurt has anti-aging and exfoliation properties which can get rid of dead cells on your skins, reduce the appearance of wrinkles, and give you a healthy glow.
12. Honey
Honey is super healthy and it is often recommended that you replace your table sugar with this substitute. That’s because honey is high in antioxidants, antibacterial agents, and humectants.
Although a lot of people apply honey on their face to reduce redness and inflammation, moisturize skin and treat acne, eating honey is also very beneficial to your health.
13. Sweet Potatoes
The beautiful orange color of sweet potatoes comes from a potent antioxidant known as beta-carotene. This compound is converted to vitamin A, which helps to promote skin rejuvenation, skin elasticity, and gives you a youthful and natural glow.
This delicious tuber is also a wonderful source of Vitamins C and E, both of which protect the skin from the effects of free radical, keep the complexion bright and the skin supple.
14. Pomegranate Seeds
Pomegranate seeds have been used as traditional medicines for centuries. These seeds may be tiny but they are big on vitamin C and several different kinds of antioxidants. These seeds prevent free radicals from accumulating in the body and reduce inflammation.
Pomegranate also contains a compound called punicalagin, which helps to maintain levels of collagen in the body and delay signs of aging.
When you eat good food, you enrich your body with the essential nutrients to keep it healthy. The first sign of a healthy body is healthy skin. Include all these anti-aging foods that can make your skin glow in your diet and you will never have to resort to wrinkle creams or plastic surgery ever again.
