Tips

The Best Foods to Eat for Healthy Skin

Ashley Brooks
Ashley Brooks23 Aug 2022
Reviewed and Fact Checked ✔️

Not only do healthy foods improve your overall health, but those benefits can be seen at the surface of your skin, too! Foods such as avocados, nuts, fish, berries, and leafy greens contain key nutrients to fight off impurities and prevent signs of aging and irritation. Start from the inside out to improve the look and feel of your skin.

Speaking with a doctor can help determine your skincare needs. With Mira, you have access to doctors’ offices and urgent care visits for just $99! Mira even provides up to 80 percent discounted rates on thousands of prescriptions and lab screenings. Try Mira today.

The Best Foods for Healthy Skin

The best foods for our skin, such as fish, leafy greens, fruits, and green tea, contain similar nutrients beneficial to skin health. Nutrients such as omega-3s, vitamin C, beta-carotene, and zinc are found throughout these types of foods, preventing inflammation and protecting our skin’s moisture barrier.

Diet impacts areas of our health we are often overlooked or taken for granted, including aging and skin health. The best foods to eat are closely related to natural and organic materials, such as fruits and veggies. Our skin is the largest organ in our body. Eating a diet poor in nutrients can cause damage from toxins, speed up the again process, and negatively impact our overall health, says Lisa Richards, nutritionist and author of The Candida Diet

Certified Wellness Coach and Creator of Hungry Fit Foodie Erin Cooper suggests treating skin irritation or blemishes from the inside out. According to the CDC, the benefits of healthy eating include having healthy skin. 

Green Tea

Green tea can protect against inflammation and cancer from the antioxidant properties and polyphenols found in green tea. Polyphenols have also been found to protect against cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and neurodegenerative diseases. So, not only does drinking green tea support your skin, but the benefits run far deeper!

Other foods that contain polyphenols and provide similar benefits to green tea include other fruits and vegetables, but even red wine and coffee too! Considering starting your day with a cup of green tea in addition to your skincare routine for healthy-looking skin and protection against chronic diseases. 

Fatty Fish

Fish such as tuna and salmon contain key nutrients to improve your skin’s health. From omega-3s to zinc, and protein, and other vitamins, the skin benefits are plentiful. Registered and Licensed Dietitian Rima Kleiner MS of Dish on Fish says that seafood is rich in omega-3s and collagen, which help retain moisture in the skin. Eating foods such as tuna or salmon at least twice a week can help lower your risk of dry winter skin.

Zinc is an abundant mineral already found in the layers of your skin and fish, helping protect against ultraviolet radiation (UV) damage from the sun and aids in the healing process after an injury. A zinc deficiency can lead to alopecia, diarrhea, and skin lesions. Omega-3’s also protect against the harmful effects of UV exposure, and evidence suggests Omega-3s may reduce the chances of non-melanoma skin cancer.

According to Registered Dietitian, Bianca Tamburello of the Chilean Salmon Marketing Council, Omega-3s from farmed fish decrease the number of harmful substances in the body that trigger inflammation, which contributes to facial redness and acne. 

Health Image

Get affordable doctor copay without paying insurance premiums

Join 39,000 people and get Mira, the best alternative to traditional insurance. Enroll and use immediately. Plans start at only $45/mo.

Ashley Brooks

Ashley Brooks works in Healthcare Consulting and graduates with her MPH in September of 2022 from George Washington University, but graduated with her B.S. in Health Science from James Madison University in 2019. Ashley has been with Mira since June of 2021 and shares the passion for creating affordable healthcare coverage for all!

Get Health BenefitsGet Lab TestsTalk Therapy
Get ObamaCare
> See Plans