Skin VitaminsSkin vitamins and minerals are essential elements for good health in general and healthy skin in particular. Called micronutrients, as they are needed in relatively small amounts, both vitamins and minerals come from a variety of sources—vitamins as part of the natural fabric of whole foods, minerals from naturally occurring earth elements that are absorbed by soil microbes and in turn become part of the plants and animals that we eat. Vitamins and minerals participate in a range of processes in the body, predominately as partners with enzymes in initiating ongoing biochemical reactions in a timely and efficient manner.While we require the range of water-soluble vitamins—vitamin C, K and the B complex vitamins—and fat soluble vitamins—vitamin A, D and E—to maintain optimal health, skin vitamins that are most helpful for healthy skin are vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E and B complex, particularly biotin and B6. The range of minerals we need is extensive, but again, those most important in keeping skin healthy are zinc, selenium, copper and silica. Below is a little more explanation as to the specific benefits of each of the skin vitamins and minerals, as well as good food sources of those nutrients. Remember, however, if you are facing a particular skin challenge, such as rosacea, acne, psoriasis, eczema, dry skin, oily skin, cradle cap, herpes, athlete's foot, sunburn, age spots or cellulite, or are of a particular skin type such as sensitive skin, pregnancy skin care or baby skin care, there will be a unique set of nutritional deficiencies and imbalances that contribute to that unique skin ailment or that best support that skin type. Be sure to check out individual links on the Begin Within Natural Skincare site for more personalized skin vitamin and mineral information for many of the different skin situations. Vitamin A Vitamin A plays a role in the healthy maintenance, repair and restoration of skin tissue and supports the skin in its "barrier" function with regard to viruses and bacteria. 
When there is sufficient vitamin A intake, skin looks and feels supple and healthy, while deficiency can lead to dry, flaky skin. Another skin indication of Vitamin A deficiency is hyperkeratosis, "goose-bump" like, rough, dry, and scaly skin, often first found on the thighs and forearms. Hyperkeratosis is caused by an excess production of the protein found in skin—keratin—that then blocks hair follicles. Those follicles in turn become dry, raised bumps. Preformed vitamin A—found in animal products like liver, whole milk and eggs—and the vitamin A found in orange, yellow, red and some green vegetable sources—provitamin A carotenoid—both serve to fill the body's daily requirement for this vitamin, but as the animal source is generally more easily absorbed, your vitamins for healthy skin menu plan could certainly include a tasty supper of natural-source liver and eggs on a regular basis. Vitamin B While the whole complex of B vitamins are important skin vitamins, of particular note are biotin and B6. Biotin, arguably the most important B skin vitamin for healthy skin, is a compound that forms the foundations of not only our skin, but hair and nails as well. Biotin deficiencies can contribute to a host of skin challenges but among the most common are cradle cap in babies and seborrheic dermatitis in adults. Some of the best food sources for the biotin skin vitamin are Swiss chard, cauliflower, carrots, liver, salmon, bananas, soy flour, whole grain cereals, and brewer's and nutritional yeast. B6 plays a significant role in the way cells form and regenerate, thus this skin vitamin's huge impact on skin health—body tissue that replicates itself quickly. Skin, therefore, is among the first body systems to exhibit challenges when there is a B6 deficiency. Mild B6 deficiencies can lead to scaly, itchy skin, with ailments such as eczema and seborrheic dermatitis often making an appearance next. Good B6 skin vitamin food sources include bell peppers, turnip greens, spinach, yellowfish tuna, chicken breast, natural-source liver, wild salmon, cod, snapper, beef, halibut and banana. Vitamin C Essential for collagen production, a substance that helps hold cells together and supports their structure to give a healthy and youthful skin appearance, vitamin C is also helpful in balancing any negative impact of sun exposure. Along with natural body processes such as oxygen metabolism (i.e. as part of exercise), excess time in the sun, pollution and smoke all produce free radicals, elements that can rapidly destroy collagen and elastin. 
With fewer of these important fibres, our skin structure has less support, and wrinkles or other signs of aging can then more easily occur. Vitamin C's antioxidant properties help deal with free radical damage and provide the means for skin to achieve and maintain a healthy, youthful appearance.Vitamin C is found in a wide range of fruits and vegetables with excellent skin vitamin sources being broccoli, spinach, bell peppers, tomatoes, darker-colored berries (i.e. raspberries, strawberries), kiwi and citrus fruits. Vitamin E Like vitamin C, vitamin E also plays an antioxidant role that helps protect our bodies from damage at a cellular level. Like other antioxidant skin vitamins and minerals, vitamin E helps protect our body, including our skin, from free radical damage that can lead to inaccurate cellular replication, premature aging and more challenging situations such as skin cancer. Food sources of vitamin E include vegetable oils, nuts, and green leafy vegetables. Avocados, wheat germ, and whole grains are also good sources. Minerals Often we think of skin vitamins as the first line of skin healthy supplement defense. Minerals too, however, are extremely important. While generally only very minute amounts of minerals are needed to meet our daily requirements, because the mineral content of our food is dependent upon the mineral content of the soil or, subsequently, of the plants on which animals are grazed, deficiencies of some minerals are becoming increasingly common today.
Skin vitamins and minerals truly play an essential role in our overall health and in our skin health in particular. And while you may want to pay special attention to foods that meet nutritional needs of a particular skin problem, in general, by eating a variety of foods from the Healthy Foods List, supplementing with a whole food such as an organic greens or bee pollen product, and topping up with the specific skin vitamins and minerals needed for your own skin challenge, you can rest assured that you will be covering pretty much all the bases for skin healthy nutrients. Check out other Begin Within Natural Skincare Nutrition pages: Start with Food for Healthy Skin then Diet for Good Skin and Nutrition for Healthy Skin Next Benefits of Drinking Water Why you need Essential Fatty Acids Soon there will be additional Nutrition information on topics like Probiotics and Antioxidants. Interested? Sign up for the RSS feed and be notified when new website content is posted. Want more information? Check out a great article on recent studies showing increased evidence of strong links between vitamin and mineral intake and healthy skin. Return from Skin Vitamins to Food for Healthy Skin |
Food for Healthy Skin
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