Skin is a vital body organ protecting people from harmful external influences. Considering that nutrition is one of the essential factors defining the overall quality of skin maintenance, while an impaired nutritional status can have an adverse effect on skin integrity, as well as its biological and protective functions, the sufficient intake of various micronutrients such as minerals and vitamins can significantly boost skin health. Therefore, this essay will aim to discuss the role of nutrition in skin maintenance, as well as nutritional requirements identified in the literature on the topic.
Such nutrition-related processes as inflammation and glycation take place on the cellular level and have multiple external symptoms. For instance, as Hayse (2015) states, glycation happens when excess sugar in the bloodstream attaches to organic molecules in the tissue. First of all, glycation makes skin molecules stiff and inflexible. Since one of the main affected proteins is collagen, it leads to the loss of skin elasticity. Secondly, the body recognizes glycated proteins and lipids as abnormal substances and, therefore, generates antibodies such as cortisol that provoke inflammatory processes (Hayse, 2015).
With the inflammation, the skin healing can significantly slow down and lead to acne breakouts, as well as visible signs of aging. My experience is consistent with researchers’ evidence. For instance, the day after eating too many sweets and junk food, I frequently observe such signs of inflammation on my face as pimples. It means that since glycation and inflammation are internal processes, the skin effects they have cannot be treated by using external means only.
Sufficient intake of vitamins and other nutritional factors can substantially help preserve skin integrity. According to Dean (2011), vitamin C and vitamin A are among the primary nutritional elements contributing to the skin’s health. For instance, one of the most important effects of vitamin C is the suppression of the production of free radicals due to exposure to ultraviolet light, which, according to Oregon State University (2018), leads to oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is the condition that develops when the body does not have enough antioxidants to counteract free radicals (MitoQ University, 2018).
Lipids are especially susceptible to oxidative stress: it leads to greater permeability of foreign substances into the membrane, which consequently results in cell die-off and skin aging. The sufficient intake of vitamin C helps prevent these adverse effects as it increases the ability of the body to fight free radicals. As for vitamin A, its derivatives, including retinoids and carotenoids, play an essential part in epidermal proliferation, i.e., the growth of epidermis and the overall differentiation of skin cells (Dean, 2011). It means this vitamin is important for the renewal of the skin. Thus, both of the vitamins help delay the skin aging process.
Appropriate nutrition can also improve the overall state of the health and immune system by enhancing the skins protective capacities. The fact is that being the biggest organ of the body, it performs a number of vital functions, including the protection of an individual from multiple threats that are traditionally present in the atmosphere (Bowers, n.d.). In other words, the skin serves as a barrier between internal and external environments and helps a person to avoid mechanical, ultraviolet, or bacterial damage (Bowers, n.d.). The given function is crucial for the survival, functioning, and further evolution of the body.
Thus, in accordance with multiple research works, nutrition plays a fundamental role in strengthening skin and enhancing its ability to struggle against aggressors, bacteria, viruses, and other factors that might cause substantial damage to a person (Bowers, n.d.). Additionally, poor nutrition or significant nutritional differences are associated with complex skin disorders resulting in the deterioration of the overall state of skin, its health, and ability to cope with threats mentioned above (Bowers, n.d.). In such a way, both dermatologists and nutritionists emphasize the direct correlation between skins capacities and products, minerals, and vitamins a person consumes (Bowers, n.d.).
These factors also precondition the increased topicality of new strategies to support patients immune systems by providing appropriate care to their skin which includes healthy nutrition and the constant intake of all needed macro and microelements (Hayse, 2015). Recent clinical data prove these assumptions and illustrate that individuals who adhere to healthy diets have fewer problems with the skin and other diseases (Bowers, n.d.). It becomes apparent that nutrition is an integral element of skincare that impacts its protective functions and improves the overall state of this essential part of the body.
Healthy and adequate nutrition is essential for the maintenance of skin properties and preservation of skin beauty. To improve skincare, not only should people avoid consuming foods with excessive sugar content, but they also need to intake a lot of fruit and vegetables rich in micronutrients. It is important to eat enough citrus fruits, strawberries, and broccoli as they contain a lot of vitamin C. Dark-green and dark-orange vegetables can also help make up for the lack of vitamin A. Overall, a healthy diet may help make the skin more resistant to all possible environmental hazards and favorably affect its overall health and appearance.
References
Bowers, E. (n.d.). Healthy diet, healthy skin. Web.
Dean, J. (2011). Skin health: Prevention and treatment of skin breakdown. Web.
Hayse, M. (2015). Glycation and how it affects the skin. Healthy Cells Magazine. Web.
MitoQ University. (2018). What is oxidative stress? Web.
Oregon State University. (2018). Vitamin C and skin health. Web.