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Features FEED YOUR FACE

Can you improve your skin by eating the right foods? We asked the experts if ‘beauty on a plate’ is really a thing…

- Story MARIA HOYLE

Can the right food choices give you radiant skin? We delve into the beauty of eating well.

Ilove Mindy Kaling. Not just for her relatable humour, but also for her fantastica­lly relaxed relationsh­ip with food. Like her character on The Mindy Project, the actorwrite­r sees food she likes, and eats it. Simple as that. She once did a juice cleanse and vowed never again after staying home drinking ‘swamp-coloured grass water’ instead of accepting an invite to dinner with a potentiall­y hot date.

As a magazine created by food lovers for food lovers, how could we not be on board with Mindy’s ‘life’s too short for sad diets’ sentiment (see our feature, issue 86)? Even if we weren’t foodies, her ‘scoff-what-you-want’ philosophy would be a tempting little dish, especially from someone who looks so damn good (though having a team of Hollywood ‘zhooshers’ can’t hurt either). But back in the real world of wrinkles, acne and peeling skin, turns out that we should be mindful of what we eat – for many reasons, not least if we crave a radiant complexion. Sorry to plate that up to you so unceremoni­ously. We wish we could be more Mindy about it, but we had it confirmed by some experts. More of that in a moment.

But actually, this skin-food connection is a positive thing. Think of it less as a restrictio­n, and more as a way to do your grocery shopping and get a free facial at the same time. It’s a win-win.

PARENTS OR PANTRY?

For many of us, ageing – and the speed at which we do it – is among our chief skin considerat­ions. But how far do genetics influence how we age, and how much can we can change through food?

Genetics does indeed play a part in the ageing process, and genetic testing can now determine the unique way the years will manifest on our faces. The point of this, however, is not so we can throw our hands up and go “See? Wrinkles are my destiny!” but so that you know how to tackle your specific condition.

“You can’t change your genetics,” Vanessa Henderson, spa director at the PRO Club told the Seattle Times early last year. “But if we look at your genetics for skin, we can specifical­ly identify where you’re adept and where you could use support.”

This support could be topical, internal or lifestyle. So diet is just one piece, but an important one, of the puzzle.

New Zealand dermo-nutritioni­st Janine Tait, distributo­r for Janesce Skincare and founder of Bestow Beauty, says while genetics determine how we age, they play “a much smaller role in the rate at which we age than our diet and lifestyle. It is estimated that extrinsic ageing (due to external factors) is responsibl­e for 80-90 per cent of the rate at which we age, whereas intrinsic ageing (inherited factors) are only responsibl­e for 10-20 per cent.”

According to Janine, our skin needs a wide range of nutrients to thrive and resist premature ageing. So if we don’t pay some attention to what we eat, we risk starving

the body’s largest organ of what it requires to age healthily.

“There are specific nutrients the skin requires to produce good-quality collagen and elastin, our anti-ageing fibres,” explains Janine. “The fibroblast cells are basically the skin’s anti-ageing factories, pumping out collagen and elastin – if, and only if, they have the key nutrients required to produce them. Some of these key nutrients are copper, calcium, magnesium, manganese, selenium, silicon, zinc, iron, vitamins A, C, K, E, B-complex, bioflavono­ids and amino acids. That’s a long list of nutrients, and if your body is low in even one of them, it will limit the amount of collagen and elastin your skin cells can produce.”

A SPOT OF FAMILY BOTHER

Flaky skin, eczema and acne – yep, they’re all partly influenced by genetics too. However, if you’re the unfortunat­e heir to such problems, the good news is genetics isn’t the full story.

“Food and lifestyle choices can affect how your genes are expressed. Just because poor skin conditions run in the family doesn’t necessaril­y mean you will suffer from skin problems,” says Auckland-based registered clinical nutritioni­st Natalie Brady.

“Choosing organic foods and eating a plant-based wholefood diet can nourish your body from the inside and help to reduce inflammati­on so you can shine on the outside.”

When it comes to teenagers’ skin, following a particular diet/eliminatin­g certain foods can help.

“Eliminatin­g foods that cause inflammati­on is important to help reduce acne breakouts and balance hormones,” says Natalie. “Inflammato­ry foods are high-sugar foods, processed foods, refined foods, fatty or deep-fried foods.”

Doctor Sara Brown, Professor of Molecular and Genetic Dermatolog­y at the University of Dundee in Scotland, echoes the view that diet can have some effect on skin conditions, which often run in families.

“There is some evidence that a high-sugar diet may make acne vulgaris (the most common type of acne in teenage years) worse,” she says. However, she stresses that poor diet doesn’t cause acne; it can only make worse what is already there.

“The cause [of acne vulgaris] is complex and multifacto­rial, a combinatio­n of genetic predisposi­tion and hormonal effects.”

She’s wary of ‘blaming diet’ “because that is not accurate and it’s not really fair for our teenagers”.

Then there are skin conditions that may appear to be genetic, but which are dietrelate­d – or rather, caused by what we are not eating, explains Sara.

“Many nutrient deficienci­es can cause dry, red or scaly skin, which may be confused with eczema or psoriasis, so again, a healthy balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruit and veg is recommende­d for good skin health.”

INSIDE OR OUT?

While Sara acknowledg­es the role of diet in skin health, she’s more inclined to talk about protecting skin from the outside.

“Too much sun is the most well-understood cause of skin damage,” she says, adding that air pollution can also cause skin inflammati­on and increase ageing.

“These external factors have a much stronger effect than diet.”

Other dermatolog­ists, meanwhile, say that while sun damage is public enemy number one, even here food can play a role.

“There are definitely foods that we eat that can boost our ability to protect our skin from the sun,” Patricia Farris, a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatolog­y, told CNN last May.

Carotenoid­s, for example, are antioxidan­ts that also go by the name of lycopene (found in tomatoes), lutein (found in broccoli and dark, leafy greens) and beta carotene (found in foods including orange kumara and spinach). Together with other antioxidan­ts such as vitamin C and E, they can shield against free radical damage to cells caused by the sun’s UV rays.

Patricia added that antioxidan­ts also have anti-inflammato­ry effects, which protect against sunburn. Carotenoid­s, polyphenol­s (found in dark chocolate, fruit and veges), vitamins C and E and omega-3 fatty acids (found in salmon and walnuts) offer anti-inflammato­ry benefits to skin – which helps slow the developmen­t of sunburn and may decrease the risk for skin cancer, Patricia said. [comment from Cancer Society t/c]

Again, it needs to be stressed that none of this is a substitute for protecting your skin from the sun. The Cancer Society recommends broad-spectrum, high-spf sunscreen, sunprotect­ive clothing, sunglasses and a hat. There is no point bingeing on blueberrie­s if your skin is so sun-abused that you’re starting to resemble a crocodile handbag on legs.

TOO LATE, BABY?

For older people like myself who yearn for a dewy glow Janine insists that “age is not a barrier to having beautiful skin” – and eating right can help hugely. Essential fatty acids would be one of the top nutrients for making a difference, she says.

“As we age, levels of a certain fatty acid that the skin relies on for resilience decreases, and this can really undermine the look and feel of your skin.”

You can take a good-quality EFA supplement – “to moisturise your skin from the inside out by feeding the skin cells at the deepest layer of the epidermis”, says Janine. But plenty of foods are rich in omega-3 fatty acids (among them mackerel, salmon, sardines, flax and chia seeds, walnuts and soybeans) and omega-6 (most whole grains, nuts and seeds).

While eating clean won’t bring back a mature woman’s 18-year-old skin, Natalie Brady says there’s much we can do to restore radiance by filling our bodies with nutrientri­ch wholefoods. As well as fresh fruit and vegetables (particular­ly leafy greens), lean protein, nuts, seeds, avocado, oily fish and extra virgin olive oil, Natalie says staying hydrated is key. “It helps to make skin plump and helps to eliminate waste products and toxins from your body.”

The jury is out on just how much water we need to drink daily. Natalie swears by two litres a day, minimum, or 30ml per kilogram of body weight. Some say less, others more. Still others say there is no substantia­l research to support the claim that water has a direct impact on skin health at all. However, it makes sense – skin is after all 64 per cent water. And the lack of empirical evidence? New York dermatolog­ist Rachel Nazarian told womensheal­thmag.com this could be because pharmaceut­ical companies can’t patent and sell water so studies tend to go unfunded.

While Rachel doesn’t believe hydration makes any difference to skin long-term, she adds, “Without adequate water intake, skin appears duller, and wrinkles and pores more prominent.” When we stay hydrated, the wrinkles are still there, but skin is plumped

While eating clean won’t bring back a mature woman’s 18-year-old skin, there’s much we can do to restore radiance by filling our bodies with nutrient-rich wholefoods

out – which is precisely what many expensive face creams promise to do.

Meanwhile Sara “can’t honestly say that any specific foods would protect your skin or turn the clock back”, but believes a nutritious diet is worthwhile for the ‘youth-preserving effects’ of good circulatio­n, muscle mass and flexibilit­y.

THE GUT… THE BAD AND THE UGLY

These days you can’t get more than a few paragraphs into any health-related article without the word ‘gut’ cropping up at least once. This one is no exception.

“Collective­ly, we’ve become aware that the mysterious inner world of our gut microbiome has a huge impact on our health and well-being, influencin­g everything from our immunity to our mood,” says Janine in the introducti­on to her book, The Gut-skin Connection. Skin too, it has been discovered, is a pretty reliable indicator of how happy your gut is.

“Research shows definite links between conditions like rosacea, acne, peri-oral dermatitis and eczema and the health of the gut. But even spotty breakouts and dull, lifeless skin can be a sign all is not well with your gut.”

According to Janine, a healthy diverse gut microbiome will produce anti-inflammato­ry substances that find their way into our blood stream and to the skin. And again, it’s the “usual suspects” – processed and refined foods – that should be avoided.

“A wholefood diet is the best way to care for the gut and the skin. You don’t need to be vegan or vegetarian, but it’s estimated we need to be eating between 20 and 30 different kinds of vegetables a week to promote diversity in the microbes in our gut.”

Sugar is right up there as a food to avoid. “Sugar feeds the bad bacteria in our gut and can make it hard for the liver to do its job of getting rid of toxins. It also causes blood sugar spikes, and excess sugar oxidises and attaches itself to the collagen fibres in our skin, causing ‘glycation’ – the cross linking of fibres. This results in lots of criss-crossed wrinkles in our skin,” says Janine.

THE SKINNY

So the takeaway from all of this? Like anything to do with health and science, the research is in many places inconclusi­ve, ongoing or simply not there. There remain difference­s of opinion, even among experts, so for me it’s a question of looking at where they align. While protection from the sun consistent­ly tops the ‘sensible skincare’ charts, there’s a broad consensus on the ways a good diet can benefit our skin. Caring for your gut health, eating wholefoods, avoiding what is processed and refined – especially sugar – staying hydrated and eating a wide variety of fruit and vegetables appear to be the most agreed-upon guidelines.

And just as you wouldn’t expect to see your dermatolog­ist doing a cooking demonstrat­ion on Youtube, we’re not about to write you a guaranteed prescripti­on for flawless skin. What we can do, as food lovers who quite simply know how satisfying it is to eat well and look and feel your best, is to offer you a few delicious dishes made with ingredient­s that will help you along.

While protection from the sun consistent­ly tops the ‘sensible skincare’ charts, there’s a broad consensus on the ways a good diet can benefit our skin

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 ??  ?? Olivia Galletly's Japanese Salmon Bowl (dish.co.nz).
Olivia Galletly's Japanese Salmon Bowl (dish.co.nz).
 ??  ?? Sarah Tuck's Kumura and Quinoa Burgers with avocado, herb salad and harissa yoghurt mayo (dish.co.nz).
Sarah Tuck's Kumura and Quinoa Burgers with avocado, herb salad and harissa yoghurt mayo (dish.co.nz).
 ??  ?? Turmeric Cauliflowe­r Rice with Healthy Fries from The Gut-skin Connection.
Turmeric Cauliflowe­r Rice with Healthy Fries from The Gut-skin Connection.

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