Essential Nutrients for a healthy skin and its sources.

Skin, one of the best gifts from nature to us, and it is our duty to take proper care of it. But in the present environment, it is a hard nut to crack, and pollution is one of the major factors in that. Apart from that, the lifestyle of people doesn’t permit a person to have a healthy skin. Means one can say that skin is the organ which is least taken care of.

The lifestyle also includes the things we eat, which plays a very important role for taking care of our skin. So, we must keep an eye on whatever food we’re eating, but for that it would be required to know the essential nutrients that are necessary for keeping the skin healthy.

So here is a list of all the nutrients necessary for the growth and maintenance of skin, and along with that, the rich sources of the nutrients required is also mentioned.

Vitamin A: It has got great antioxidant properties, which gives an effective protection against pollution, it assists sense of taste and it is believed that it helps in slowing of aging as well.

Source: Eggs, milk, liver and oily fish are a very good source of vitamin A along with fortified cereals and margarines.

Vitamin B: Two variants of vitamin B are most useful in skin and that is,

Vitamin B3 (niacin amide): It is effective on swollenness, wrinkling, red blotchiness and hyper pigmented spots in aging skin.

Source: Oily fish is an excellent source of omega3 fatty acids, and if you’re vegetarian then linseeds and flax oil are best option for you.

Vitamin B12: It helps in DNA and RNA synthesis and cell reproduction, our skin grows constantly hence needs it for a healthy growth.

Source: Clams, Oysters, and Mussels, fish eggs, liver, octopus, fish, beef, eggs, cheese are excellent source of Vitamin B12.

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid): It is a very powerful antioxidant, which prevents skin damage and wrinkles due to sun, smoke and other chemical pollutants.

Source: vitamin C is present in blackcurrants, blueberries, broccoli, guava, kiwi fruits, oranges, papaya, strawberries and sweet potatoes.

Vitamin D: It is used for the treatment of psoriasis in the skin.

Source: Our skin is the best source to generate vitamin D, with the help of sunlight.

Vitamin E: Vitamin E is very effective for curing various skin diseases as, regulating vitamin A in the body, anti-aging, sun protection and sun burn treatment for the skin.

Source: Almonds, avocado, hazelnuts, pine nuts and sunflower and corn oils are very good source of vitamin E.

Vitamin K: It helps in the healing of skin discolorations and also skin imperfections.

Source: Vitamin K is present in avocados, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach, watercress, Brussels sprouts, blackberries, mangoes, corn oil, olive oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, mackerel, salmon, nuts and wholegrain products.

Zinc: Zinc is very helpful in healing wounds, acne and also dandruff.

Source: wheat germ, liver, pumpkin seeds, sardines and oysters, are an excellent source of zinc which is helpful in repairing of damaged skin and keep it soft and supple.

Sulfur: It is essential for the synthesis of VitaminB1, it is believed to remove toxic material from the body and give a glossy look.

Source: Garlic and Onion are ideal source of sulfur.

Silica: Silica promotes and maintains healthy skin tissue, stimulates the growth of damaged tissue for repairing.

Source: Apples, Beer, Beets, Cherries, Corn, Cucumbers, Dandelion, Dried beans Eggplant

On thing that should be kept in mind is to drink plenty of water, as it helps to keep the body hydrated, and also to flush out toxic materials out from our body.

Not only these nutrients should be included in our diet but also in our body care products also, such as body scrub, cleanser, moisturizer etc. The bottom line is those products must be natural and should contain ingredients rich in above mentioned minerals.

And yes in order to get a glowing and shiny skin just eating and using a good body care product is not sufficient, so better exercise at least for 30 minutes each day and don’t be disheartened with the results as it is not a overnight stuff and takes some time. So have a healthy and glowing life.