The Best Anti-Aging Foods for Healthy Skin

We've previously written about how an Anti-Inflammatory Diet can help your whole body look and feel it's best. Your dietary and lifestyle choices play a big role in how your body (and skin!) ages. Even though you make the effort to exercise and eat right, you should always be looking for ways to fight aging through eating anti-inflammatory foods. Below we complied some of the best anti-aging food for healthy skin.

Among the many benefits of a healthy diet is keeping your skin looking young as you age. Do you remove the peel of apples before eating? Well you shouldn’t, as many of its skin defending nutrients are found there. For example, the compound quercetin protects against sun damage and cancer causing UV rays. An apple a day could very well keep the doctor away!

As we age, collagen levels decrease causing sagging and wrinkles. Pomegranate seeds and their juice have high levels of vitamin C that’s essential for collagen synthesis to improve skin appearance.

Dark chocolate has a host of benefits, including anti aging skin care thanks to the presence of flavonoid compounds that fight free radicals. In addition to exerting an antioxidant effect, they also help remove toxins from the skin and improve blood flow to enhance that radiant glow. Always choose at least 60% cacao chocolate, not processed candy bars.

The lycopene in tomatoes is excellent at preventing UV damage to skin cells and their high vitamin A content supports healthy skin cell production to keep skin firm. While lycopene is present in raw tomatoes, even more is liberated when tomatoes are subjected to mild heat. Tomatoes are also very hydrating thanks to high water content. For best results, eat tomatoes a few times a week at a minimum to enjoy their anti-aging skin benefits.

Sweet potatoes are extremely rich in beta carotene that is converted to vitamin A in the body, and beneficial for healthy cell turnover, prevention of cell oxidation and blocking of UV rays. This is why many skin care products include the Vitamin A derivative retinol in their formulas.

Cold water fish , such as tuna, trout, and salmon are loaded with both protein and omega-3 fatty acids that are important for slowing down the appearance of aging on the skin. Fatty acids help to maintain cell membranes allowing them to keep their structural integrity. As we age, the skin naturally loses hydration, hence the need for moisturizers, but omega 3 fatty acids hydrate your skin from within to keep it soft and supple.

Spinach has high concentrations of B vitamins and folate that help repair abnormalities in DNA and prevent development of skin harming free radicals that cause premature skin aging.

Avocados are rich in vitamin E that blocks age accelerating free radicals to reduce wrinkles and retain a youthful appearance. It inhibits pro-inflammatory processes in the body, and promotes hydration to ease and prevent dryness.