UV rays, poor skincare habits, pollution and other factors damage your skin and cause it to age faster. These days, women have started noticing fine lines and wrinkles sooner than they anticipated. While environmental aggressors are to be blamed for the premature ageing, your lifestyle and eating habits also have a lot to do with how your skin appears. There’s only so much that creams, masks, serums and other beauty products can do. If you want clear, glowing and younger looking skin, it is important that you also include anti-ageing foods in your diet. After all, you are what you eat, so drinking a lot of water and including foods that fight ageing is super important to the health of your skin.
We contacted celebrity dermatologist Dr. Rashmi Shetty to tell us about seven such anti-ageing foods that work wonders in keeping skin healthy and youthful. But before we move on to that, it is also important that you learn about other lifestyle habits that contribute to premature ageing. Here are a few dos and don’ts you need to follow if you want to keep wrinkles and those crow's feet at bay.
- Do and don't for younger looking skin:
- Tomatoes
- Nuts
- Blueberries
- Sweet potatoes
- Spinach
- Dark chocolate
- FAQs About Anti Ageing Foods:
Do and don't for younger looking skin:
Do
- Reapply sunscreen every few hours
- Exercise regularly and do yoga when possible
- Use retinol-based products
- Drink 8-10 glasses of water
- Go for regular facials
Don’t
- Drink too much alcohol
- Smoke
- Go to bed wearing makeup
- Skip your skincare routine
- Binge on processed food
Tomatoes
Dr. Shetty says, "Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, which is one of the strongest anti-oxidants so that is quite beneficial for the skin." It wards off UV-induced damage like wrinkles and dark spots. It is considered to be an anti-ageing superfood as it helps in preventing several age-related diseases. There are many ways to include this anti-aging food in your diet. Add cherry tomatoes to your salad, make tomato puree to add to your curries and gravies or eat it raw. Topical application of fresh tomato pulp to your skin is also beneficial, apply as is or mix some honey to make a natural face mask. Leave it on your skin for 10-15 minutes and wash to get smooth skin instantly.
Nuts
Nuts of all kinds, especially almonds, are loaded with vitamin E. This vitamin helps repair damaged skin tissues, retains moisture in the skin as well as forms a barrier to protect skin from the harmful rays of the sun. "Nuts are rich in Omega 3 and Omega 6 both helps in repairing the skin's barrier as well as provide healthy fats that is essential to retain moisture into the skin," says Dr. Shetty. No matter what your favourite one is, each one is an anti-ageing food that will keep your skin healthy and youthful. Have a handful of mixed nuts everyday to get more than just anti-ageing benefits. Sprinkle some on your salad, add to your smoothies or eat as a healthy evening snack.
Blueberries
There are so many anti-ageing foods, but when it comes to getting benefits from fruits, blueberries win. According to Dr. Shetty, "Blueberries contain the highest level of antioxidants among fruits, which makes it an excellent food to include in your diet for younger looking skin." Loaded with vitamin C, it can also protect skin from skin-damaging free radicals, stress and pollution. If you can get your hands on fresh blueberries, there are numerous ways to add it to your diet. Mix this low sugar fruit in your morning smoothie or add it to your fruit bowl to get all the beauty benefits. Added benefit - it can also protect skin from collagen loss, too!
Sweet potatoes
Next Dr. Shetty talks about sweet potatoes, "they are loaded with an antioxidant called beta-carotene that gets converted into vitamin A. It promotes skin cell turnover, restores elasticity and protects skin from free radical damage." Adding sweet potatoes to your diet is not only beneficial for your skin, but this anti-ageing food is also rich in fibre that keeps you feeling full for a longer time, thereby aiding weight loss. Replace regular starchy potatoes with sweet potatoes. Roast a few slices in the oven and drizzle some seasoning and honey on top.
Spinach
Green leafy vegetables are healthy in general, but spinach in particular, has truckloads of skin benefits. It is super hydrating and loaded with antioxidants which help fight the signs of premature ageing. The high level of vitamin C in spinach enhances collagen production and keeps skin smooth and supple. Additionally Dr. Shetty says "spinach also contains Vitamin A that helps in rebuildingand repairing skin cells." Spinach is a popular smoothie ingredient, but if you can’t have it raw, saute it in a pan and serve with chicken or fish.
Dark chocolate
Yes, we saved the best for the last. We offer you the best reason yet, to eat chocolates without feeling guilty! Now that’s something every woman wishes for! Dark chocolate according to Dr. Shetty "contains antioxidants and endorphins which create feeelings of pleasure in the brain, happy body means healthy and glowing skin!" Did you know dark chocolate is loaded with flavonoids, which increase blood flow to the skin and improve its appearance? It also protects your skin from the damaging effects of the sun. Milk chocolate, on the other hand, will simply add unwanted calories in your body.
FAQs About Anti Ageing Foods:
1) How do I slow down my skin from ageing?
A. Ageing is an inevitable part of life, but there are different ways and habits through which you can slow down the process of ageing. Follow good skincare habits, exercise regularly and eat fruits and vegetables everyday to slow down ageing and maintain younger looking skin.
2) Which foods should I avoid to prevent my skin from ageing?
A. While certain foods can slow down the effects of ageing, there are several others that can also invite wrinkles and fine lines. Avoid processed foods, processed meats, saturated fat, alcohol and caffeine to keep ageing at bay.
3) Does consuming milk cause ageing?
A. Research shows that women who went on a dairy-free diet saw positive changes in their skin. This is because milk may cause inflammation in the body that causes oxidative stress, which is linked to premature ageing.
Written by Sanya Hamdani on Jun 30, 2020
Sanya Hamdani is a skincare enthusiast and lipstick hoarder, she truly believes no two red lipsticks look exactly alike. With a Master's degree in Communication & Journalism and 5+ years of digital writing experience up her sleeve, Sanya has some of the biggest beauty experts in the country on her speed dial. When she's not swatching products or writing about the latest trends in beauty, you will find her watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S. or cooking up a storm in the kitchen.