Dietary Supplements for The Skin to Protect & Repair
© Michelle Howard Smith - All Rights Reserved
Good quality vitamins and minerals are beneficial for your overall
health. They help to supplement what your body is lacking. There are
certain types of dietary supplements for the skin
that protect and repair damage.
Below is a list of some of the recommended dietary supplements for the skin along with a brief description of their benefits.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is one of the dietary supplements for the skin to maintain
and repair the tissues. If you notice you have dull, dry skin, begin
taking Vitamin A. If you eat correctly, you won't need to take this
supplement. Natural sources of Vitamin A are dark green vegetables,
yellow vegetables, liver, and dairy products.
Note: Topical Vitamin A helps reduce wrinkles and fine lines in the skin.
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
B2 is beneficial for healthy skin, hair and nails. It helps skin conditions like Rosacea
and burns. B complex includes B2. Sources of Vitamin B2 are dairy
products, lean meats, poultry, fish, grains, broccoli, turnip greens,
asparagus, and spinach.
Vitamin C
This
antioxidant helps protect the skin from sun damage and free radicals.
Free radicals destroy collagen and damage the skin's elasticity. The
result is premature skin aging. Natural sources of Vitamin C are
tomatoes, strawberries and citrus fruits.
Vitamin E
This dietary supplement is an antioxidant that helps protect the body's cells from oxidative stress. Natural sources of Vitamin E are vegetable oils (especially sunflower), whole grains, nuts, dairy products and meats.
Vitamin K
You may not need to supplement with this vitamin if you eat enough from
natural sources. Vitamin K is one of the dietary supplements for the
skin used in topical products. It treats dark circles under the eyes.
Natural sources of Vitamin K are spinach, greens, cabbage, turnips, and
green tea.
Copper
When Copper is consumed
with Vitamin C and Zinc, it helps the body to produce and combine
collagen and skin elastin. A separate supplement is not usually
required. It's best to take as part of a multivitamin to prevent
overdose. Multivitamins have the appropriate balance of Copper.
Natural sources of Copper are seafood, nuts, legumes, and green leafy
vegetables.
Essential Fatty Acids (Linoleic Acid- Omega 6, Alpha Linolenic Acid-Omega 3)
Found
naturally in skin cell membranes, essential fatty acids help decrease
white heads and black heads. They are also used to treat eczema and
psoriasis. Natural sources of essential fatty acids are fish oil and
evening primrose oil.
Selenium
An antioxidant
that helps protect against skin cancer, Selenium also protects skin
elasticity. It slows down the visible signs of aging. Natural sources
of Selenium are whole grain cereal, garlic, eggs and seafood (high in
toxins)
Zinc
Zinc nourishes the skin and
calms the oil glands. This helps control acne. Natural sources of Zinc
are shellfish, corned beef, liver, nuts, whole grains, and cheese.
This is in no way an exhaustive list of the daily supplements for the skin. However, this is a good list to work with. It's also helpful if you are experiencing symptoms of deficiency.
Each
of these supplements have other benefits besides protecting and
maintaining healthy skin. They are also beneficial for healthy hair
and nails.
