Foods for clear skin should include first and foremost, low-glycemic ingredients.
Certain foods raise your blood sugar more quickly than others and cause blood sugar spikes, as for example pasta, white bread, white rice, sugary foods and drinks. When blood sugar rises rapidly, the body releases IGF-1, a hormone that regulates the effects of growth. Having excessive IGF-1 in the blood can cause hormonal changes, increase inflammation, and can lead to acne as the sebaceous glands produce more sebum. (Ref 1)
Like foods with a high glycemic index, a daily intake of fried, spicy, oily, and fast food, which contains lots of saturated fatty acids and trans fatty acids are also responsible for an increase in inflammation and excessive IGF-1. (Ref 2 & Ref 3) That doesn’t mean you should exclude completely the fat from your diet, but you need to know how to choose. Fat is actually very important for the health of your skin and your overall health, but it must be from the right sources, like fish, nuts, seeds, and pulses.
In our previous post, Considering Coconut Oil? we mentioned the importance of some fat from the diet like medium-chain fatty acid to increase body’s metabolism and improve thyroid functionality.
Overall eating the proper fat will help you to whiten your teeth, hydrate your skin, reinforce your hair, and can help prevent heart disease. Nevertheless, lauric acid which the body converts into monolaurin can contribute to healthy skin flora, and reduce potential viruses, fungi, and bacteria skin infections.
What foods for clear skin do we recommend at Nutripanda?
Whole grains like quinoa, amaranth, pearl barley, buckwheat, black or red rice, oats
rye, maize (corn), millet, spelt freekeh, kamut and sorghum, along with our favourites, black beans and edamame. More extra virgin olive oil, olives and capers are highly recommended by our experts in nutrition.
Let us take care of your skin with a diet rich in healthy food.