Glossy hair, strong nails and glowing skin are all signs of a great beauty regime – or is it a great diet? Food contains lots of beauty nutrients which people have used for thousands of years. Today we can wash our hair and moisturise our skin with honey, rosemary, rosehip, avocado or olives, to name a few. A French woman I know attributes her beautiful skin to the olive oil she rubs on her face and hands while cooking.
We can use all these super-foods on the outside but what about the inside? There’s no magic food that will keep us looking forever young but our diet (plus lifestyle and attitude) does affect how your skin looks and ages.
Take these eight food steps to healthy skin, hair and nails. In part 1, I discuss protein and seafood; look for the other six steps in Part 2.
1. Protein – the building blocks
Skin, hair and nails are mostly protein. These proteins – keratin, collagen and elastin – ward off wrinkles and provide strength and elasticity. Most of us eat plenty of protein from meat, chicken, fish, legumes, eggs and dairy foods. But remember the movie ‘The Devil Wears Prada’? Miranda Priestly’s assistant is desperately trying to lose weight and proudly describes her new diet: “Well I don’t eat anything and when I feel like I’m about to faint I eat a cube of cheese!” Chances are she was seriously low on protein and eventually her skin, hair and nails, the parts of the body she most wants to look perfect, will suffer.
If protein is so important, is more better? With serious burns or wounds, the body needs extra protein to repair the damage. And athletes in heavy training have higher protein requirements. But huge steaks and protein shakes don’t build bigger muscles or better skin. If we eat more protein than we need, our body converts it to fat and stores it – usually where we don’t want it!
2. Seafood – essential fat
Our body needs fat. Not the greasy pastry and pie type but the essential omega-3 and omega-6 fats. If you have a dry, itchy scalp or skin you may not be eating enough of these essential fats. They are called ‘essential’ because the body can’t make them – you have to eat them.
Both these fats produce hormone-like substances called prostaglandins which then change into other substances that have immune and inflammatory effects. Omega-3 fats suppress inflammation, immune responses and blood clotting. Omega 6 fats are also essential for healthy skin, but too much causes inflammation and allergic responses. For healthy skin we need a balance of both types of fat. Eating some fish each week, especially oily fish such as salmon, sardines and tuna, increases omega-3’s to give you a good balance.
If you can’t eat fish, try flaxseed. Flaxseed (linseed) oil is a rich source of alpha-linolenic acid – an omega-3 fat which converts, not very efficiently, to EPA and DHA (the best types of omega-3 fats). It’s not as potent as fish oil but if you eat enough of it, it will have the same blood thinning effect as fish oil.
What about fish oil tablets? When I took them regularly I noticed how if I had a cut or scratch it would bleed a lot longer so a word of caution about taking fish oil supplements: if on any type of blood thinning medication such as aspirin. It’s like a double blood thinning effect. If you do take fish oil supplements make sure you stop them at least a week before any surgery or dental treatment where you may bleed.
Studies using large doses (3-4 grams) of fish oil found it improved dermatitis and psoriasis in some, but not all, people. It also helped protect skin against sunburn but was not as effective as sunscreen. What’s interesting is that with these mega-doses of fish oil the higher amounts of omega-3 fats in the skin were prone to oxidation – just like oil going rancid when exposed to light. Therefore, rather than mega-dosing on fish oil tablets, eat a few fish and vegetable meals each week – fish for the fat and vegetables for antioxidants.
Fish is fantastic but there’s no need to give up your steak. In fact if you have spoon shaped nails, you may be iron-deficient– and red meat may be just what your body is missing.
Part 2 of this series is to follow on my next post…
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