Healthy Diet: Healthy Skin

1. Healthy Diet: Healthy Skin By: Kylee Bessine

2. Your Diet affects your skin • Antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E as well as minerals zinc and selenium can help keep skin healthy • Carotenoids can help protect from the damaging effects of UV rays • Some carotenoid-rich foods include cantaloupe, apricots, carrots, sweet potatoes, and spinach • Carotenoids also protect from cancer and support immune system function

3. Vitamins play a large role • Vitamin E protects cell membranes from free radicals • Vitamin C is not only an antioxidant but also assists in the formation of collagen which is very important in healthy skin • Vitamin C also promotes fast healing of wounds

4. Vitamins play a large role • Vitamin A is necessary for growth an repair of skin • Deficiency in Vitamin A can cause skin to be dry • Toxicity of Vitamin A can also cause dry, itchy skin (problem with some acne treatments)

5. Foods that your skin will love • Blueberries and Pomegranates • Antioxidants that fight free radicals • Salmon • Rich in omega-3 fatty acids • Linolenic acid decreases dryness and keeps skin soft • Linolenic acid maintains skin and coat condition • Reduces inflammation

6. Foods that your skin will love • Eggs • Source of choline, biotin, and lutein • Choline makes up fatty part of cell membranes that are essential for skin-cell functioning • Biotin forms the basis of skin, hair, and nail cells and aids in the utilization of protein • Lutein helps preserve elasticity of the skin

7. References • http://www.christianpost.com/news/eating-for-better-skin-49451/ • http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/features/skin-food • http://www.iams.co.uk/cat/Food-Nutrition-4/Healthy-Skin-Coat-Cat-97.html • http://www.iams.co.uk/dog/Food-Nutrition-7/Nutrition-Healthy-Skin-Coat-233.html

8. Bonus Questions • Name one food that can contribute to healthy skin • Name one vitamin that has antioxidant properties • Name one carotenoid-rich food