Makanan utama bagi kulit sentiasa sihat dan cantik

Semua orang inginkan kulit yang sihat, cantik, licin, menarik dan segar, tidak kira perempuan atau laki-laki, terutamanya bagi remaja dan orang yang di ambang warga emas di mana kadar proses penuaan dirasakan amat cepat.

Bagi mereka yang berminat untuk menjaga kulit supaya kelihatan sentiasa cantik atau sekurang-kurangnya melambatkan proses penuaan, berikut dipanjangkan perincian beberapa maklumat/petua tentang jenis masalah kulit beserta jenis dan sumber makanan/nutrien yang diperlukan untuk mengatasi masalah tersebut. Di antaranya, masalah jerawat boleh diperbaiki dengan memakan bahan yang mengandungi banyak vitamin A, zink dan omega-3. Bagi kulit yang kering dan kusam, makanan yang mengandungi omega-3, niacin (vitamin B) dan biotin (vitamin B) juga boleh membantu. Bagi kulit yang menunjukkan tanda-tanda penuaan di mana kulit semakin kendur dan berkedut dengan garis-garis yang mula kelihatan, makanan yang mengandungi vitamin A, vitamin C dan polifenol tumbuhan (seperti teh hijau, coklat) insya Allah dapat mengurangkannya atau melambatkannya.

Semoga bermanfaat….

Superfoods for Amazing Skin

By Lucy Danziger and the staff at SELF

Sep 27, 2011

Check out the labels on your favorite skin-care products and potions and you’ll probably see that many of the beautifiers contain ingredients you’ll find in your fridge. Which made us think: Why not get more of the good-for-you stuff to enhance your complexion from the inside out? So we scoured the science and spent face-time with top experts to develop three diets—one each to tackle acne, aging and dry, dull skin—that basically involve filling up on delicious foods rich in skin-saving nutrients. Give them a try—and don’t be afraid to pile your plate high: It’s practically impossible to OD on nutrients through whole foods alone. All you have to do is identify your top skin woe and dish up a gorgeous future.

The problem: Acne

Sadly, embarrassing breakouts don’t always disappear after high school, but getting plenty of these three nutrients can help you banish blemishes whatever your age.

Vitamin A

“This antioxidant thins the epidermis, or outer layer of skin, which produces dead cells that can clog pores,” explains Jody Levine, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City. It also dries up sebum, the gross, oily, waxy stuff your skin glands produce that mixes with dead skin cells to create clogs and transport you to Zitville. The daily value (DV) of A is 5,000 international units (IUs), so get at least that much, and pair it with healthy fats such as olive oil or avocado: A is a fat-soluble vitamin, so your body will absorb it better.

GOOD SOURCES Sweet potatoes (28,000 IUs each); leafy greens such as spinach (23,000 IUs per chopped, cooked cup), kale (19,000 IUs per cooked cup) and broccoli (2,400 IUs per cooked cup); bright red, yellow and orange produce such as carrots (27,000 IUs per cooked cup), cantaloupe (5,400 IUs per cup), red bell peppers (4,700 IUs per cup) and red chile peppers (428 IUs each); asparagus (600 IUs per four spears)

Zinc

The mineral helps tame skin’s oil production; less oil (if you have an excess of the stuff) means less sebum—and fewer pimples, according to Dr. Levine. The RDA for zinc is 8 milligrams.

GOOD SOURCES Raw oysters (76 mg per six oysters), fortified breakfast cereals such as Total (15 mg per ¾ cup), canned blue crab (5 mg per cup), turkey (4 mg per cup), beef sirloin (4 mg per 3 ounces), part-skim ricotta (3 mg per cup)

Omega-3 fatty acids

They help maintain the body’s essential oils, the healthy, non-pore-clogging kind that keep skin cells from drying out, flaking and congesting pores, Dr. Levine says. They also have anti-inflammatory properties that aid with healing. “Acne is a teeny little wound on your face,” says Kristin Kirkpatrick, R.D., nutrition advisor to YouBeauty.com. There’s no RDA for omega-3s; Kirkpatrick suggests aiming for 600 mg daily.

GOOD SOURCES Flaxseed (1,600 mg per 1 tablespoon), canola oil (1,300 mg per 1 tbsp), soybean oil (900 mg per 1 tbsp)

The problem: Dry, dull skin

You already know that drinking plenty of liquids helps rejuvenate flaky, flat-looking skin, so keep the water flowing—then add these vital nutrients to your freshen-up arsenal.

Omega-3 fatty acids

“As we get older, our oil glands produce less oil, so you see more flaking and scaling,” says dermatologist Valori Treloar, M.D., coauthor of The Clear Skin Diet. Omega-3s may help lubricate skin to keep it looking dewy. Try to consume 600 mg a day.

GOOD SOURCES Flaxseed (1,600 mg per 1 tbsp), canola oil (1,300 mg per 1 tbsp), soybean oil (900 mg per 1 tbsp)

Niacin

“When skin cells dry out, their barrier to the environment breaks down,” Dr. Levine says. “Bacteria and other things from the outside can then penetrate more easily and cause an inflammatory reaction.” And that means you can add redness and irritation to your list of complaints. Niacin, a B vitamin, appears to help strengthen the skin’s barrier, by both hydrating cells and acting as an anti-inflammatory, Dr. Levine says. The RDA for niacin is 14 mg.

GOOD SOURCES Chicken (12 mg per ½ breast), canned light tuna (11 mg per 3 oz), wheat flour (9 mg per cup), beef sirloin (6 mg per 3 oz), cornmeal (4 mg per cup)

Biotin

This is another B vitamin, and although its mechanisms aren’t yet well understood, biotin has been shown to help hair and nails grow, and it may also aid skin-cell turnover, which keeps your complexion looking fresh. There’s no RDA, but doctors consider 30 micrograms adequate.

GOOD SOURCES Eggs (up to 25 mcg each), avocado (up to 6 mcg each), salmon (up to 5 mcg per 3 oz)

The problem: Signs of aging

Getting older is fine (wisdom, respect, all that good stuff). Looking older, not so much. Thankfully, we can help stall the process by eating strawberries, pineapple and other delish foods.

Vitamin A

Of skin’s several layers, the dermis—which lies right below the surface layer of skin (or epidermis)—contains all the collagen, a protein that gives skin plumpness and elasticity. “Vitamin A helps increase collagen production and thickens the dermis,” Dr. Levine explains. The result: Skin looks fuller and bounces back more readily. And because it’s an antioxidant, A also helps repair the free radical damage to skin cells that leads to wrinkling and sagging. The DV is 5,000 IUs.

GOOD SOURCES Sweet potatoes (28,000 IUs each); leafy greens such as spinach (23,000 IUs per chopped, cooked cup), kale (19,000 per cooked cup) and broccoli (2,400 IUs per cooked cup); bright red, yellow and orange produce such as carrots (27,000 IUs per cooked cup ), cantaloupe (5,400 IUs per cup), sweet red bell peppers (4,700 IUs per cup) and red chile peppers (428 IUs each); asparagus (600 IUs per four spears)

Vitamin C

Also an antioxidant, “vitamin C basically helps mop up free radicals before they do any damage,” Dr. Levine says. You’ll hit your mark at 75 mg.

GOOD SOURCES Red bell peppers (152 mg each), broccoli (101 mg per cooked cup), strawberries (98 mg per cup), papaya (87 mg per cup), pineapple (74 mg per cup), kiwifruit (70 mg each), cantaloupe (59 mg per cup), cauliflower (46 mg per cup)

Plant polyphenols

These organic plant chemicals seem to do double dermis duty. For starters, polyphenols in green tea significantly increased circulation to skin in a recent study at the University of Witten-Herdeck in Germany. “We don’t know the mechanism, but if you’re getting more blood flow to the skin, the cells are getting increased nutrients, which can help support their health,” says study author Carolyn Moore, Ph.D. Participants drank the equivalent of 8 cups of decaffeinated green tea a day; Dr. Moore can’t speculate on the effect of drinking less, but it couldn’t hurt to start with 1 or 2 cups a day. People who drank water mixed with cocoa powder high in flavonols, another type of polyphenol, experienced a similar increase in hydration and blood flow to their skin, as well as less roughness and scaling, a study in The Journal of Nutrition shows. What’s more, cocoa’s flavonols seem to offer some UV ray protection: The skin of cocoa sippers showed less redness after sun exposure.

GOOD SOURCES Green tea, chocolate (a few ounces a day should do the trick)

Now you know what to eat for gorgeous, glowy skin—but there are also some foods you should steer clear of if you want to prevent acne and aging. Discover the top troublemakers at Self.com/fooddiet.

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