Diet for Healthy Skin If you have dry skin, you know that lotions and moisturizers help. But can certain dietary choices combat dry, itchy, scaly skin?
"The most important part of the skin barrier is lipids," "Skin without enough fat in it has a protein predominance and is kind of like a mess made just of twigs with no glue between them." Water easily escapes through a barrier without lipids, allowing skin to become dehydrated.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids are necessary for the production of intercellular lipids — the "glue" between the "twigs" in the stratum corneum, or surface of the skin. They also have an anti-inflammatory effect on irritated skin. Two types of fatty acids that are "essential" — that is, they must be obtained through the diet — are omega-3s, and omega-6s.
Foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids include fatty fish like salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, and sardines, as well as flaxseed oil, some types of eggs, and grass-fed beef. Evening primrose oil and borage seed oil, which are high in omega-6s, help hydrate the skin and prevent water from evaporating. "If you don't like fish or are pregnant and can't eat it, omega-3 supplements are a good option." says Leslie Baumann, director of the University of Miami Cosmetic Medicine and Research Institute. Most Americans get enough omega-6s through their diet because they're contained in corn and safflower oils.
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