The Best Vegan Food for Healthy Skin

Guess which organ of the body is the biggest? The title may be a dead giveaway, or you knew it all along. But maybe you didn’t know that the skin is actually an organ. The entire human body is not just protectively sheathed in an external layer of skin and tissues. Just as important, it’s our body’s first line of defense against bacteria, germs, infections, and others. It also protects our internal organs. That’s why we must take utmost care of our skin.  And that includes having meals with more vegan food for healthy skin.

Besides, it’s not only wanting your skin to feel and look good. You want it to be in tip-top healthy condition, too. And to make sure that you do, you have to have a diet that’s balanced, nutritious, and enjoyable. So, start including plant-based foods in your meals, preferably daily.  And include all the required vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and antioxidants to make your skin healthier, stronger, and great-looking.

Now, we know all the reasons to want to keep our skin glowing, young-looking, and most of all healthy. So, we’ve rounded up the best vegan foods to keep our skin that way.

 

Illustration of the Skin’s 3 Layers 

 

NUTRIENTS TO MAKE YOUR SKIN HEALTHY

Stay youthful-looking and slow down the effects of aging

 VITAMIN C: Ascorbic Acid and Ascorbate

When talking about skin care and maintenance, vitamin C is the first nutrient that comes to mind. And the foods we get vitamin C from are mostly fruits and vegetables. And it is also a powerful antioxidant that fights skin aging and makes the skin fairer. So, take vitamin C as a supplement daily. And have vitamin C-rich food, particularly vegetables and fruits, that will synthesize collagen production in the body. Also, heeding all those suggestions would protect the skin from damage coming from UV radiation exposure.

Vegetables high in vitamin C 12mg and more:

• Bell Peppers
• Broccoli
• Brussel Sprouts
• Cabbage Green
• Cauliflower
• Collard Greens
• Kale
• Spinach

 

Recommended fruits high in vitamin C, 6mg to less than 12mg

• Apricots
• Cantaloupe
• Grapefruit
• Guavas
• Kiwi Fruit
• Lemon
• Lime

 

Vegetables good source of vitamin C, 6 mg to less than 12 mg

• Artichoke
• Asparagus
• Carrot
• Celery
• Cucumber
• Green Beans

 

Fruits good source of vitamin C, 6 mg to less than 12 mg

• Banana
• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Cantaloupes
• Cherries
• Corn
• Mango\
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pear
• Plums

 

 

To make skin healthy and prevent skin cancer

 

ANTIOXIDANT: Beta-Carotene

Fruits and vegetables that are yellow, orange, and red contain beta-carotene that is converted into vitamin A when consumed. And vitamin A is made up of two kinds of retinoids called carotenoids and retinol. Moreover, carotenoids provide more vitamin A found in some vegetables like carrots and fruits such as papaya and oranges. So, they are an important source of antioxidants and essential vitamins.

Hence, plant foods that are loaded with antioxidants such as beta-carotene can prevent the onset of cancer. And it is recommended that we get them from vegetables and fruits that contain them. Also, doing so is much better as they are natural and not processed or artificially made.

 

Vegetables rich in beta-carotene recommended

• Bell Peppers
• Carrots
• Kale
• Romaine Lettuce
• Spinach
• Squash

 

Fruits loaded with beta-carotene recommended

• Mangoes
• Oranges
• Papaya

 

 

To protect, repair, and heal the skin

ANTIOXIDANT: Vitamins A and B, Lycopene, Proanthocyanidin

You may have heard or read about nasty skin conditions that make you instinctively check out your skin. It could be a skin rash, blisters, pimples, acne, or eczema, Or a case of hyperpigmentation such as dark spots. Then it’s time to beef up your daily meals with antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants are not only great for the skin but also for the hair. These two also have a great impact on your looks and your self-confidence.

Therefore, the importance of antioxidants in our diet is that it helps prevent the skin from undergoing what’s called oxidative stress. And that means the body’s antioxidants and free radicals are out of proportion or imbalanced. And that condition leads to any of those skin maladies mentioned above, and there are more. So, to have healthier, stronger skin, you have to eat more vegetables and fruits loaded with antioxidants. Because they not only prevent skin damage from sun exposure and dark spots. Hyperpigmentation in the skin can be minimized as well.

In conclusion, antioxidants not only have anti-aging benefits. They significantly prevent premature aging due to stress brought on by environmental factors. Growing old biologically and physically can’t be arrested nor slowed down. Therefore, proper and regular maintenance of the skin should be maintained. It can delay and minimize the sagging, lines, and wrinkles on the skin.

Antioxidants that can be sourced from vegetables and fruits:

1 Vitamin A: contained in cabbage, carrots, collards, kales, potatoes, romaine lettuce, spinach, sweet potatoes, sweet red pepper, turnip greens, winter squash

 2 B-Complex Vitamin: asparagus, black beans, chickpeas, collards, edamame, green peas, lentils, mushrooms, pinto beans, roasted soy nuts, romaine lettuce, spinach, squash, and turnips

 3 Vitamin C: acerola cherries, chili peppers, guavas, Kakadu plums, rose hips, sweet yellow peppers,

 4 Tocopherol or Vitamin E: almonds, avocado, hazelnuts, mamey sapote, peanuts, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, wheat germ oil,

 5 Lycopene: contained in asparagus, bell peppers, black currants, Brazil nuts, cantaloupe, kiwi fruit, mango, mustard spinach, parsley, red cabbage, red sweet, pepper, tomatoes, turnip greens

6  Proanthocyanidins: PAC for short, sourced from apples, bilberries, black currants, blueberries, cranberries, grapes, hazelnuts, okra, pecans, pistachios

 

 

Other nutrients for healthy skin

 

Protein

The body converts the protein consumed not only into amino acids but also to produce collagen and elastin. These two are responsible for making the skin firm, supple, and young-looking. The skin benefits from collagen by strengthening the muscles, thus preventing sagging. Elastin’s role is to make the muscle elastic or flexible. Also, Amino acids protect the skin from being damaged by too much build-up of free radicals in the body.

  

Selenium

Selenium’s antioxidant property is its ability to cut down or regulate the injurious effects of oxidation. It helps in curbing inflammation and provides immunity as well. Besides its skin benefits such as preventing acne, it helps the thyroid gland function well, and in controlling metabolism.

 

Vitamin D 

Getting vitamin D by consuming plant-based foods will contribute to arresting premature skin aging. It is said that basking in the morning sun or late afternoon for a few minutes is the most effective way. However, some people may have skin that is vulnerable to premature aging. So, find out for yourself how long you can stay under the sun without hurting your skin. Or just do it for a few minutes. And consume more vitamin D-rich fruits and vegetables.

  

Vitamin E 

Here’s more about vitamin E. The combination of vitamin C and vitamin E is proven to work well in making the walls of the cells more robust. And vitamin E has many benefits for the skin. It fights inflammation, has adequate antioxidant properties, heals, and moisturizes. On top of that, it protects skin from sun damage and contributes to curing scars and burns. Lastly, vitamin E and selenium are antioxidants that are included in enhancing the survival of stem cells.

 

Zinc 

Vital minerals make the body function well and smoothly. Therefore, zinc plays an important role in strengthening the body’s immune system and in healing wounds. It heals and dries up acne while reducing the discomfort, itchiness, and redness. Acne pitted scars, raised scars, indentation, and discoloration can diminish one’s self-confidence. Over time though the skin regenerates and the scars disappear. So, do remember to get an adequate amount of zinc to keep healthy and new skin cells to grow.

 

Takeaway

The skin is the biggest organ of the human body. And it ticks all of what makes it a human organ. But unlike all the rest of the organs, the skin is not hidden inside our body. It’s like a protective armor all over the body that helps us stay healthy and whole.

For total health and wellness, and equally great for healthy-looking skin, vegan food for healthy skin is a must. And they’re delicious and satisfying, and most are great for juicing. Since many vegetables and fruits can also be eaten raw, some are recommended to be cooked to bring out more nutrients.  And explore more ways of preparing and cooking them and adding organic spices to make them healthier and more enjoyable to eat.

So, plant-based foods in your meals make you feel full. They are full of flavor, easy to prepare and provide you with nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants.  So, protect your skin, your good looks, and build up your self-confidence by choosing nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables.

 

 

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