Your largest organ is your skin, so it is important to take good care if it. Your skin is always at risk from the damaging rays of the sun as well as the harmful effects of pollution, toxins, smoke, stress and a poor diet. Compared to sunscreens and moisturizers that protect you from the outside, antioxidants nourish your skin from within by guarding your cells from damage.
Antioxidants are nutrients (vitamins and minerals) and enzymes (proteins in your body) that can help to prevent or repair damage to your body tissues by slowing or preventing the effect of free radicals. Free radicals, a major contributor to skin aging, cause damage by oxidation, a process which can lead to cell dysfunction, causing age spots, wrinkles, sagging and more.
Antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, E and the selenium mineral are thought to be particularly helpful in skincare. Other than fortifying cells against free radicals, these vitamins also help the body to repair itself by encouraging cell and tissue growth. This is important as the skin is constantly shedding and growing cells. As such, any antioxidant that protects cells and encourages cell growth could be helpful in an anti-aging regimen, as they may help fight fine lines and wrinkles, tighten and tone and calm inflamed skin.
Eat antioxidants
Antioxidants taken both internally and externally have the ability to neutralize free radicals and stop them from their tracks. So, just by eating a diet rich in antioxidants and using skin care products rich in them, you will notice improvements in your skin. Foods such as mangosteen, tomatoes, red peppers, strawberries, nuts, seeds, eggs and green leafy vegetables are good choices to be incorporated in your diet as they are rich in the vitamins A, C and E. Another powerful antioxidant that helps to prevent ultraviolet (UV) sun damage is astaxanthin found in krill (a type of crustacean) oil. Those on a diet rich in astaxanthin can spend more time in the sun without suffering from sunburn.
Pack Those Antioxidants In!
