Page 78 - EatingWell Special Edition Superfoods 2019

A L I F E S T Y L E T H A T L A S T S

Foods for

Beautiful Skin

Keep your skin looking younger—and lower
your risk of skin cancer—with these foods.

BY BRIERLEY WRIGHT HORTON, M.S., R.D.

Sunscreen helps keep your skin healthy and beautiful, protecting it from the
outside in, but some foods can shield your skin from damage from the inside
out. In fact, research supports the idea that certain vitamins help protect our skin.
Better yet, many of the same foods that can boost your defenses against skin
cancer (the most common type of cancer) will also help keep your skin looking
younger and smoother and ward off wrinkles.

STRAWBERRIES lesions decreased by skin cancer. In one study
Eating more foods rich almost 30%. Aim to eat of more than 93,000
in vitamin C, such as two servings of fatty fish women, published in
strawberries, may help each week: not only are the European Journal
JUST 1 CUP OF fend off wrinkles and the omega-3s good for of Cancer Prevention,
STRAWBERRIES age-related dryness. your skin, but they’re those who drank one
HAS A HEFTY
3 GRAMS OF FIBER Vitamin C’s skin- good for your heart too. cup of caffeinated cof-
AND MORE THAN smoothing effects may fee every day reduced
A FULL DAY’S be due to its ability to TOMATOES their risk of developing
RECOMMENDED mop up free radicals Consuming more nonmelanoma skin can-
DOSE OF
VITAMIN C. produced from ultra- lycopene—a carotenoid cer by about 10%. Decaf
violet (UV) rays and that makes tomatoes didn’t seem to offer the
to its role in collagen red—may protect your same protection.
synthesis. Collagen is skin from sunburn.
a fibrous protein that Researchers think TOFU
keeps skin firm, and that the natural Tofu may help preserve
vitamin C is essential for compound helps skin-firming collagen
collagen production. protect tomatoes from because it is rich in
the sun—and, in turn, Isoflavones. Isoflavones
SALMON you. Multiple studies are plant-based
The omega-3 fatty acids have linked higher compounds with
DHA and EPA found in tomato consumption estrogenic activity
salmon may shield cell with reduced sunburn that have been shown
walls from free-radical and skin reddening. to potentially reduce
damage caused by Just one bad sunburn the risk of breast and
UV rays, according to can increase your prostate cancers,
a study published in risk for skin cancer. heart disease and
the American Journal Adding olive oil—a osteoporosis. In a study
of Clinical Nutrition. natural culinary pairing published in the Journal
Researchers followed for tomatoes—helps of the American College
the eating habits your body absorb the of Nutrition, mice that
of more than 1,100 beneficial carotenoids. were fed isoflavones and
Australian adults for Cooked tomatoes (a exposed to UV radiation
approximately five pantry staple) have a had fewer wrinkles and
years and found that for higher antioxidant and smoother skin than
those who ate a little lycopene content as well. mice that were exposed
more than 5 ounces to UV light but didn’t
of omega-3-rich fish— COFFEE get isoflavones. The
such as salmon—each Drinking a single cup of researchers believe that
week, the development coffee daily may lower isoflavones help prevent
of precancerous skin your risk of developing collagen breakdown. •

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