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Feed Your Face
There has long been a debate about whether what you eat affects the health of your skin. Hmmmmm… I've often wondered how anyone can think it doesn't! The food we consume affects every other organ of our body, so why not our skin (our largest organ!).
Today, the controversy is fading and the focus is more on which foods are good for your skin and which are not. What you put in your mouth makes a difference. The response is not always immediate (eat a french fry and break out — doesn't quite work that way). While people with rosacea can eat spicy foods or drink a glass of wine and have an instant reaction (their skin turns red), for most people it's more delayed and generally cumulative.
Inflammation is the most common symptom of many irritating skin conditions. This includes acne, acne rosacea, psoriasis, and eczema/dermatitis. It makes sense, then, that if you avoid foods that cause or exacerbate inflammation, it can be helpful.
Inflammation is not always visible as in general swelling, it's often more subtle or deeper than that. (Inflammation is also a symptom of diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and crohns disease — a serious form of irritable bowel — among many others.)
An inflammatory response on the skin also affects what we perceive as the aging process.— your skin looking more lined and lackluster as well as causing your pores to appear larger and, of course, creating various discolorations in the skin (for example, the sun causes inflammation and ultimately discoloration). That all sounds like something worth avoiding, wouldn't you say?
Here are just a few things to consider the next time you prepare a meal.
Foods to Avoid:
- Fatty, Greasy foods — We're not talking about good fats like olive oil, omega-3's, etc. We're talking french fries and buffalo chicken wings, for example. Unhealthy oils contribute to inflammation in the skin. Avoiding or significantly reducing them, while not always easy, can make a difference.
- Alcohol — While red wine does offer some health benefits in the way of healthy antioxidants, alcohol in generally creates an inflammatory response in the skin. Rosacea sufferers know within a few minutes when they are having a response.
- Dairy — Dairy is one of the most common food allergens and can wreak havoc on your skin. It can exacerbate acne, rosacea, eczema and psoriasis as well as contribute to more benign skin issues such as milia (little, hard white bumps on your skin). If you want to experiment with just one food group, this is the one! Many people are not willing to go this route since dairy is such a mainstay of many diets. If you are up for the task, eliminate all dairy for a month and see what happens. (Besides the fact that it tastes good, there's really no reason we need it in our diets. Kale, Broccoli and Bok Choy are actually better sources of calcium than dairy.)
- Sugar — Along with dairy, eating refined sugar contributes to the inflammatory response in your skin. Although for many people, it's not an immediate response, in excess it certainly does not contribute to healthy tissue.
Food to Eat:
- No surprise! Vegetables top the list, especially dark leafy greens and orange vegetables. They are powerful sources of antioxidants, and antioxidants help fight inflammation.
- For anyone with dry, itchy skin, fatty fish (e.g., salmon) and flaxseed offer the benefits of essential fatty acids that hydrate the skin and help keep dead skin cells from clogging pores. (Crushed flaxseed can be sprinkled on cereal or salad.)
- The Sun — I know this newsletter is about food and nutrition but it's also about inflammation. (And, you know I take every opportunity I can to talk about sun protection.) Excessive sun exposure contributes to inflammation in the skin. Burning and tanning are the skin's natural protective (inflammatory) response to the damaging effects of the sun. When skin (like any tissue) becomes inflamed (even mildly) it begins to age. That's all I'll say!
Healthy skin and nutrition are two of my passions in life. I've included a couple of websites (there are many more) that might be helpful along with two of my favorite nutrition books.
(Please note that this information is designed to be helpful in guiding you to make wise choices in the foods you eat. It is not a replacement for medical care. It is also extremely simplified since there are volumes that can be written on each of these topics. I've added a few links to helpful information below.)
Websites:
www.NVPerriconeMD.com
www.drnorthrup.com
Books:
"The China Study:, the most comprehensive study of nutrition ever conducted and the startling implications for diet, weight loss and long-term health" by T. Colin Campbell — click here for more details.
"If the Buddha Came To Dinner: how to nourish your body to awaken your spirit" by Hale Sofia Schatz — click here for more details.
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