Metro Plus
Chennai
Hyderabad
Glow with vitamins
|
A balanced diet with vitamins and minerals is necessary for good health and beautiful skin
|
I ENJOYED your feedback and several readers this week have written to me about the difficulties in nurturing a glowing skin and are confused with all types of advise from friends and family on what kind of food helps maintain good skin texture. So, today, I will discuss the importance of eating right to keep your skin aglow.
Diet for good skin
YOUR SKIN is a true reflection of your inner health and this depends on the food you consume. Extensive research has revealed that a well-balanced, well planned menu ranks foremost in the skin-care regime.
Some vitamins and minerals are of utmost importance for keeping your skin healthy and glowing.
The table given below will help you know what a deficient intake can do to your skin. It also gives the food sources of various vitamins and minerals.
Protein: The deficiency of protein can cause loss of skin rejuvenation. Connective tissue under the skin degenerates leaving the upper layer with a dull appearance and sag. Remember proteins are the building blocks of the body/tissue/skin.
Foods that contain the nutrient: Veggies have to eat at least one legume like channa, rajmah, karamani or dal once a day. Include a soya product in your diet. Drink at least two cups of skimmed milk or take in the form of curd.
Non-vegetarians, could include fish or chicken once a day. Drink two cups of skimmed milk or take it in the form of curd.
Vitamin A: This is required to keep several epithelial tissues in the body intact. A deficient intake causes thickening of the skin and the texture gets rough and you are more prone to wrinkles.
Vitamin A is present in butter and ghee, whole milk, curds, egg yolk, liver and liver oils of certain fish like Cod, Halibut and Shark. Fish liver oils are the richest sources of Vitamin-A. Remember when you were a kid, how your grandmother made you swallow a tsp. of Cod liver oil?
Vitamin A is not present in vegetables as such; but, these foods contain substances known as Carotene which is converted to Vitamin A. Red, yellow, orange and green leafy fruits contain carotene. Eg. Ripe fruits such as mangoes, papaya, tomatoes, carrots, pumpkin are good sources. Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, drumstick leaves or keerai are good sources. To have a smooth skin, eat one keerai a day and take a glass of carrot/tomato juice.
Vitamin B Complex: If your diet does not contain enough Vitamin B Complex, you are likely to be prone to pigmentation. Your skin will not have a healthy glow; but, have skin pallor. Dark circles are also increased if your diet is deficient in Vitamin B Complex, especially folic acid which plays a role in anaemia.
B Complex is a group of Vitamin B, present in whole cereals like wheat, bajra, millets and pulses (dals) especially whole dals. Rice is a poor source.
Vitamin C: Keeps your skin free from infection. If you have acne, increase your intake of Vitamin C.
It is usually found in fresh fruits, vegetables, particularly green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits like lemon, orange, sweet lime and guava. Amla (gooseberry) is the richest source of Vitamin C. One berry contains nearly eight times the amount of Vitamin C as compared to orange. Sprouted moong dal (whole green gram ) is a very good source. If you include one tablespoon of sprouted gram in your breakfast, your requirement of Vitamin C for the whole day is met.
Vitamin E: A deficient intake of Vitamin E leads to appearance of pigmentation on the face especially during pregnancy, lactation and menopause.
Vitamin E is an oil soluble vitamin. It also has very good antioxidant properties. It is present in sunflower oil, palm oil and margarine.
Minerals: Iron, Zinc and Calcium
Iron is an important constituent of blood. If your diet is deficient in iron, you could suffer from anaemia and this will result in a yellowish skin pallor. Under eye circles can also be a result of iron deficiency.
Good sources of iron are liver, eggs, pulses and green leafy vegetables like spinach.
The deficiency of calcium, another important nutrient, can sometimes lead to spot discolouration on the face. Calcium is present in cheese, milk and various nuts. It is winter-time and now you could make it a habit of eating a few nuts daily and have two cups of milk or milk products.
Finally, if you want a healthy skin, it is important for you to have a healthy diet - a diet which contains adequate amounts of vitamins, minerals and proteins. Balance is the key word. No single diet is responsible for building up or maintaining the skin. So, fad diets which over-emphasise one food preference to the other can actually deprive you of essential nutrients and may in turn, harm your body and skin.
Queries answered
Jay wants to know
* How to get rid of white marks extending from the corner of the lips
* If it is okay to consume vitamin tablets daily for skin care
* If tea is really good for hair as a conditioner
Jay - I do not know what your white marks are - could be a fungal infection. So, do go and see a skin specialist. Sometimes it could be due to calcium deficiency; hence, drink at least two glasses of milk, eat one keerai daily and take a supplement of calcium tablets.
It is always good to supplement your diet with a multi-vitamin tablet. For skin care, I recommend you take one capsule of Spirulina - this is a natural form of vitamin and mineral and is easily absorbed. Tea is an excellent conditioner for hair. Use boiled tea water with water in the last rinse. Your hair will be soft and silky.
LILY MADHOK
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Chennai
Hyderabad
|
