If you’re struggling with your skin, you might feel like there’s nothing you can do to fix it. You’ve probably tried all kinds of fancy cleansers, serums, and lotions with no avail. You might have even tried prescription medications or topicals with no results!
Have you ever considered how your diet might affect your skin? What you eat is directly linked to your skin clarity, tone, and texture. Let’s take a look at how a plant-based diet affects your skin.
Plant-Based Diets
A plant-based diet consists mostly or entirely of foods derived from plants, including fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Plant-based diets include very few or no animal products at all. Those who follow plant-based diets may also identify as vegan or vegetarian diet followers, but some that follow the plant-based diet also eat small amounts of animal products.
The typical American diet is very different from a plant-based diet. The typical American diet is very high in proteins, fats, and sugar. Meat and dairy make up the bulk of the average American meal.
Plant-Based Diets and Skin
Hydration
Plant-based diets are beneficial for the skin for several reasons. Those who follow plant-based diets consume higher quantities of fruits and vegetables, which are high in water. Those who eat lots of fruits and vegetables get more hydration through their food. Hydration is so important to keep the skin looking healthy and moisturized.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants such as Vitamins A, C, and E make the biggest difference to your skin.
Vitamin A helps reverse the effects of aging, reduce wrinkles, protect your skin from the sun, and heal wounds. Foods rich in Vitamin A include carrots, spinach, cantaloupes, broccoli, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash. Vitamin C rejuvenates skin and improves collagen production to tighten skin. Foods rich in Vitamin C include citrus fruits, cauliflower, kale, kiwi, papaya, strawberries, and tomatoes. Vitamin E protects the skin against free radicals and prevents damage from the sun. Foods rich in Vitamin E include sunflower seeds, almonds, spinach, avocado, squash, kiwi, trout, and shrimp.
Carbohydrates
Some who go vegan end up eating only simple carbohydrates and not enough protein. Those who eat simple carbohydrates might overconsume sugar! Sugar-induced acne is a big problem for many people and can even plague those who don’t eat a lot of sweets or candy!
Dairy
For some, dairy is a big factor in blemishes and acne-prone skin. An article in Business Insider said, “Studies have shown that removing dairy from patients’ diets improves their acne,” Sarkar said. “This relationship is especially strong with dairy and lower fat milks. In my experience, I’ve found that if patients go off dairy for a month, a significant number of them with mild to moderate acne see improvement.”
Conclusion
Your skin can be greatly influenced by what you eat! Try out a plant-based diet if you want to improve the tone and texture of your skin!
