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There are many topical treatments for acne, but did you know what you eat can help with acne too, here are 10 foods that help reduce acne.
Acne is something that I have been struggling with all through my adulthood, its been frustrating to say the least. Trying to figure out what works for my skin and what doesn’t has taken a lot of work.
And sometimes I still get it wrong. My skin may like and respond to a product for a period of time then all of a sudden not respond at all. This gets frustrating because now I have to find something else that works.
So I decided to dig deeper and start to think about the foods that I put into my body and the effects that it might have on my skin.
Now I’m not perfect and I still have slip ups and this shows on my skin, but I try to incorporate healthy, whole foods into my diet and stay away from certain things. That’s a blog post for another day.
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WHAT ARE THE 10 FOODS THAT HELP REDUCE ACNE?
Of course health whole foods are always going to be good for your body but which foods also help reduce acne right?
Here are some of the foods:
- Green Leafy Vegetables
- Berries
- Quiona
- Legumes
- Fatty Fish
- Nuts & Seeds
- Sweet Potatoes
- Probiotics
- Papaya
- Lemons
These are 10 foods that help reduce acne, keep reading to find out more about these foods and why they work.
GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES
Green leafy vegetables such as kale and spinach are really good for your overall health, but these foods are also really good for acne
Kale is packed with magnesum, calcium, copper, potassium and vitamins A, B-6, C and K. These vitamins and minerals help repair acne scarring and reducing hyperpigmentation.
Spinach is rich is folate, vitamin K and Vitamin A, E & B.
Vitamin K and folate help to clear your skin while Vitamin A helps with anti aging. Vitamin E acts like an antioxidant which helps protect the skin from free radicals, and vitamin B improves the health of your skin.
BERRIES
This can be any kind of berries really such as strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and cherries.
Berries are full with antioxidants and vitamin C.
As stated before antioxidants help protect the skin from damaging free radical.
Vitamin C helps in the product of collagen in the skin, which helps the skin’s elasticity. This is what gives you younger looking skin.
QUIONA
Quiona has a lot of fiber in it which helps you to eliminate toxins from the body.
This results on clearer skin and less dark spots.
Quiona is also rich in antioxidants, which we’ve already learned help with free radicals.
The fiber and antioxidants that are in quiona also help with so many other health concerns, so while helping your skin your also helping the rest of your body.
LEGUMES
What are legumes? Legumes are beans like such as chickpeas, lentils, black beans, kidney beans and so many more.
Legumes are a low-glycemic food, this means that it does not spike your blood sugar.
Studies have shown that high-glycemic or foods that spike your blood sugar can cause acne.
So adding some beans to your diet can help reduce blood sugar spikes.
FATTY FISH
Salmon, sardines and mackerel and anchovies are fatty fish. These fish contain a great source of omega 3 fatty acids.
Omega 3 fatty acids help lower inflammation in your body which may helps to lower the inflammation in your skin.
If you don’t like fish or don’t eat fish there are other plant based sources of omega 3. some plant based sources of omega 3 are flaxseeds chia seeds, walnut, beans and edamame.
NUTS & SEEDS
Nuts are high in antioxidants, which we’ve already discussed is good for your skin.
And seeds are high in omega 3 which is great for inflammation.
Inflammation can cause many ailments in our bodies, so keeping it under control is very important.
For more on inflammation check out my blog post What Is Inflammation And How To Get Rid of it.
SWEET POTATOES
Sweet potatoes are high in beta carotene. When we consume beta carotene our body converts it to vitamin A.
Vitamin A then protects your skin from hyperpigmentation or discoloration, clogged pores an inflammation. The vitamin A acts as a skin barrier.
Retinol which is made from vitamin A is a product that is used in many skin products for acne and anti-aging.
PROBIOTICS
Probiotics are beneficial for balancing your gut health. Gut health is important for almost any function in your body. If you have an unhealthy gut you’ll see in in many areas but your skin is on place that it will show.
Balancing your gut helps to keep inflammation down. And we’ve already talked about the benefits of keeping inflammation down.
If you want to learn more about gut health check out Gut Health: How to Improve Yours.
Some probiotic foods include yogurt, kefir, tempeh, sauerkraut, kombucha, kimchi, miso, and pickles.
PAPAYA
Papaya is great for making a topical mask to put on your face, but did you know eating papaya can also help your skin?
This fruit has vitamins A, B, C and K, Potassium, Magnesium & Calcium. Almost all of these vitamins we’ve talked about previously.
Papaya’s vitamins & minerals help with fine lines and wrinkles and also elasticity. It also helps repair damage caused by natural things like pollution.
If your looking to use papaya topically check out DIY Face Mask For Acne Prone Skin.
LEMONS
Lemons are great for skincare when ingested. It’s full of vitamin C which is great for increasing collagen production, lightening acne scarring and blocking free radicals.
The great thing about lemons is that you can add it to almost anything. Water, salads, food pretty much anything
I like adding lemon juice to all of these, water, salads for dressing and foods such as tacos or bowls.
FINAL THOUGHTS
These are 10 foods that help you reduce acne. Eating a whole food diet in general will not only help your skin but your whole body.
And helping your body will only help your skin. Are there foods that you’ve eaten to help your skin?
Have you tried any of these foods or changing your diet for skincare?
I would love to know in the comments below.