21 foods that make your skin glow

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21 foods that make your skin glow

Top skin creams average about $400 an ounce (and you thought gas was
expensive!), yet most offer little proof that they do half of what they
promise.

Want to save a bundle and improve your skin? Load your shopping cart
with nutrients that research has shown to have skin-hydrating,
sun-protecting, and even wrinkle-preventing powers, says Manhattan
dermatologist Amy Wechsler, MD. Here's her grocery list of best foods for
your skin.

Firm and Bright
You're probably up to your eyebrows (Botoxed or not) with hearing "eat
more fruits and vegetables." But if you have yet to take that advice to
heart, maybe knowing that they prevent wrinkles will do the trick. The
colorful pigments that produce bright orange and red also refill
antioxidant levels in your skin.

The skin doc's 3 top picks: SWEET POTATOES, TOMATOES, CANTALOUPE

What they do: Replenish your skin's supply of antioxidants, so they're
ready to scarf up free radicals whenever they make an appearance. Free
rads are highly reactive oxygen molecules that damage cells and
contribute to just about everything that can go wrong with skin, from
dryness to crinkles.

Fresh and Juicy
Your body can't store much wrinkle-fighting vitamin C, so you need to
keep your supplies stoked. The easiest, simplest way: Have some citrus
every day.

The skin doc's 4 top picks: ORANGES, LEMONS, LIMES, GRAPEFRUIT.
Actually, ounce for ounce, oranges are the top citrus C source but you can
only eat so many, right? For variety, make lemonade, squeeze limes on
melon, add grapefruit to salad, and instead of drinking soda, fizz up OJ
with sparkling water. It all adds up.

What they do: Keep skin's vitamin C levels high. While C's a nifty
antioxidant, that's not the key reason it's here. It helps keeps collagen —
the supportive protein fibers that stop skin from sagging — strong and
resilient. (Flimsy collagen means lines and wrinkles.) Since collagen
breakdown really picks up in your mid-30s, eat citrus early and often to
head off aging.

Smoothing and Soothing
There's a particularly potent antioxidant known as EGCG that does all
kinds of good things for skin. The best place to find it? True teas: black,
green, or white (not herbal). Brew a teapot full every morning, so that
sipping four to six cups throughout the day is a no-brainer.

The skin doc's #1 pick: GREEN TEA.

While all true teas contain EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate), the various
types of green tea have the most. Wechsler's personal favorite is hojicha
green tea (available at http://www.adagio.com/). "The roasting process
that turns this green tea a brownish color also lowers its caffeine
content," she says — handy if you're caffeine sensitive or it's one of those
days when you do not need another stimulant.

What it does: Gives your skin a healthy dose of EGCG, which is a great
multi-tasker. EGCG puts a damper on inflammatory chemicals involved in
acne and sun-related skin aging; it also helps prevent skin cancer; and it
has a lion-tamer effect on tumor cells. What's more, green tea contains
L-theanine, a de-tensing amino acid — and anything you can do to
staunch the flow of the stress hormone cortisol helps keep collagen fibers
intact.

Green and Leafy
Certain dark leafy greens, whether they're fresh, frozen, raw, or steamed,
really deliver on vitamin A, one of the most skin-essential vitamins going.

The skin doc's 3 top picks: SPINACH, TURNIP GREENS, BROCCOLI

What they do: Deliver a hefty supply of vitamin A, which supports skin
cell turnover, the process that keeps cell growth and development
humming along flawlessly. Without enough A, skin becomes dry, tough,
and scaly.

Fisherman's Faves
Several cold-water catches give your skin a double benefit: age-fighting
omega-3 fatty acids plus the restorative powers of protein.

The skin doc's 7 top picks: SALMON, TROUT, TUNA, ATLANTIC MACKEREL,
SARDINES, PACIFIC HERRING, MOST SHELLFISH.

Just don't, uh, go overboard. As good as omega-3s are for skin (and the
rest of you, too), worries about the amount of mercury in many fish mean
it's smart to limit seafood to two meals a week. That's a must for women
who are or might become pregnant or are nursing, and for young
children, too.

What they do: Omega-3s fight inflammation, now considered one of the
top skin-agers, and they also help protect against sunburn, enhancing
the effects of your SPF sunscreen. Protein is required to build and repair
skin cells and to make enzymes and hormones that help keep it glowing.

Fill your weekly grocery cart with all of the above foods and you won't
just look younger, you'll be younger. Eating at least 1 serving of fish a
week and getting the right amount of antioxidants through diet or
supplements lower your biological age. In fact, the antioxidants alone can
make your RealAge up to 6 years younger.