If you want to feel and look younger, you HAVE TO start eating more of these age-defying foods. They contain SECRET ingredients that protect us from premature aging. 

You Are What You Eat

They say, “we are what we eat,” and that statement couldn’t be more accurate. The nutrients we eat are absorbed and directly incorporated into our tissues, either molecular or cellular. 

Each nutrient serves a purpose, many of them having multiple roles in everyday biological functions. If we make poor dietary choices, over time, our bodies will become deficient, and our cells won’t be able to function correctly. The results can be minor (low energy or delayed healing) or major (conditions like scurvy or triggering a heart attack).

Of course, there are exceptions to this rule. Many conditions impact how our body absorbs or utilizes, and no matter how healthy we eat, our cells still don’t function properly. These conditions won’t be addressed here and if you have one of them, please work with your doctor and/or a Registered Dietitian to make a plan to stay healthy.

For otherwise healthy people, including these age-defying foods can help you feel and look your best.

Age-defying foods

All foods are different. They provide us with all sorts of nutrients, micro or macro. They can be high in one thing and low in another. That’s why it’s essential to include a variety of foods in your diet regularly. Variety ensures you’ve gotten all your body needs to function optimally.

For our skin, certain nutrients can have a profound effect. These include:

Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Antioxidants
Healthy fats
Water 

You will find all these nutrients in these six age-defying foods you need to start eating more each week. 

1. Avocado
2. Cranberries
3. Tea
4. Tumeric
5. Sunflower Oil
6. Kefir 

Disclaimer: This post contains links to products that don’t actually pay me any money yet (but I’d like them to help a sister out and consider purchasing the product using the links contained in this article).

Avocado

Avocados are our first age-defying superfood! They are the perfect vessel for those anti-aging vitamins and antioxidants.

Avocados are high in Vitamin A, Beta-Carotene, Lutein, Zeathanin, healthy fats, and fiber. All of which are known to be beneficial to our skin.

Vitamin A and its precursors

Vitamin A (also known as its derivative Retinol), is involved in collagen production, hydration, and damage repair.

Beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, precursors of vitamin A, are all antioxidants that scavenge free radicals and assist in repairing any UV damage from sun exposure.

Healthy Fats

Healthy fats, specifically mono- and poly-unsaturated fatty acids, are necessary for fat-soluble Vitamin A and its precursors, to be absorbed and mobilized to our tissues. The fats contained within avocados make them the perfect delivery system for these age-defying nutrients.

Lastly, the fiber found within avocados helps regulate our bowels; believe it or not, healthy bowels can positively impact all our body systems, including our skin. 

In my blog post, Avocados: The Secret Proven to Make You Look Younger, you can read more about avocados’ effect on skin health.

Cranberries

Although most families in the US include cranberries at Thanksgiving in the form of cranberry sauce, these little powerhouses are often forgotten about the remainder of the year. 

Sometimes tart (raw), sometimes sweet (dried), these little red berries offer us a boatload of antioxidants and Vitamin C, two key players in preventing premature aging.

Potent Antioxidants

Resveratrol, one antioxidant found in the skin of cranberries (and also found in red wine), is known for its potential cardioprotective, antioxidant, and anti-aging activity. More research is needed to confirm, but using resveratrol as a treatment for specific skin conditions, like wound healing, is promising. 

Vitamin C

Cranberries also contain a healthy dose of vitamin C. In fact, a cup of fresh cranberries can have up to 14 mg of vitamin C, that’s 20% of our daily needs! 

Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant found in higher concentrations in our skin. It also stimulates collagen production, protects against UV damage from the sun, and aids in wound healing (Nutrients. 2017 Aug; 9(8): 866).

In addition to positively impacting our skin, cranberries can prevent and treat urinary tract infections (UTIs), something women are prone to as they age. This double benefit sounds like a win-win to me! 

Cranberries can be purchased fresh, frozen, or dried, making them versatile players in meal prep. They can be eaten plain, made into a sauce, juiced, or thrown into a cold salad for a burst of sweet flavor. 

However, antioxidant and vitamin C content varies between the various forms of cranberry you consume. For example, as cranberries are dried, vitamin C is lost, and the high antioxidant concentration is lost during juicing. 

Cranberry juice offers many of the same benefits but can be high in overall sugar, which will contribute to the total daily calorie intake. However, it is possible to work cranberry juice into a healthy diet. Choosev100%, no sugar added cranberry juice (like this one), and limit your portion to 4-6 oz per day. 

I’m currently in love with these cherry-flavored craisins https://amzn.to/3zK5jLA

Tea

Get this – It was once believed that drinking lots of tea would darken your skin over time.

While there is some evidence that tea may induce rosacea if suddenly consumed in high amounts, tea drinking does not darken the skin (Acta Derm Venereol 2021; 101: adv00488).

There is also another myth about tea that’s been debunked. 

Tea was once thought to be dehydrating due to the diuretic effect of caffeine. However, tea is 99% water, and the diuretic effect does cause you to lose all that water plus some. Therefore, tea is more hydrating than not.

Keeping skin hydrated is one of the most important things you can do to continue feeling and looking your best. 

Water is necessary for all biological functions, which is why it is our number one nutrient for life. Without it, we die.  

In our skin, water status can impact the accumulation of certain water-soluble nutrients and cell production/turnover. Insufficient water intake will ultimately affect your skin’s elasticity and result in a skin texture that is the opposite of a baby’s bottom if you know what I’m saying.

Tea, all types including herbal, contains so. many. antioxidants.

As we’ve established already, these little things scavenge free radicals and can repair UV damage to our skin and other cells throughout our body. They protect us from cancer and help reduce inflammation and metabolic stress. 

If you don’t already drink tea, consider purchasing some. It’s sold loose or in bags, caffeinated or decaffeinated, flavored or fermented. There’s something for everyone. Here are some of my personal favorites

Here are some of my favorites!

Tumeric

Tumeric is a spice made from the root of Curcuma Longa, a plant similar to ginger. Turmeric is made mainly of curcumin, a compound with many known biological benefits.

Curcumin has been studied for its potential use in treating and preventing cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. It has also shown anti-fungal and anti-bacterial activity.

Regarding skin, curcumin exhibits antioxidant behavior and promotes collagen production and cell regeneration. If that isn’t age-defying, I don’t know what is!

A recent literature review looking at curcumin and its benefits to specific skin conditions found that topical application worked best due to bioavailability issues (poor absorption and rapid metabolism of curcumin). 

Curcumin isn’t well absorbed, and, what does get in, is quickly metabolized (broken down). However, absorption is improved when consumed with fat. A simple google search on Tumeric recipes turned up a plethora of good recipes that include oils and fats from both animals and plants (avocado!). 

Bon appetite magazine describes the flavor of turmeric as “overwhelmingly earthy and bitter, almost musky, with a bit of peppery spice.”  It will also turn any dish into the most beautiful orange color! 

Try this Tumeric in your next recipe!

Sunflower Oil

Made from the tiny seeds found in sunflowers, this oil packs a punch! 

It’s high in Vitamin E, a fat-soluble vitamin that is a critical ‘age-defying’ player in protecting cells from UV damage and helps maintain moisture balance in our skin. You can read more about how Vitamin E helps your skin stay youthful in my other blog post, Avocados: The Secret Proven to Make You Look Younger.

Sunflower oil has a slightly nutty flavor and high smoke point, making it an excellent ingredient in salad dressings, pesto sauce, or sauteed veggies.  Try it with spinach or collard greens for a super nutrient-packed side dish!

You can buy sunflower oil at most grocers and online. 

Buy this Sunflower Oil

Kefir

Kefir is a fermented, drinkable, yogurt-like product. To make kefir, add kefir grains (a starter mixture of bacteria and yeast that resembles grains) to milk, and after 24 hours, voila, you will have kefir milk!

Kefir is high in protein, calcium, vitamin B12, riboflavin, phosphorus, vitamin D, and magnesium. It can be low in fat depending on the % milk used and often comes flavored with sweeteners like sugar. However, lactose is significantly reduced due to its breakdown by bacteria. 

Probiotics

It’s also packed full of probiotics, more so than yogurt. And as a result of fermentation by the particular strains of bacteria within kefir, lactic and hyaluronic acids are produced, major components found within our skin which are involved in maintaining our skin’s water balance. 

Evidence from a recent clinical study suggests regular kefir consumption improves skin’s moisture barrier and overall hydration, making it a good food with age-defying potential. Properly hydrated skin appears more youthful, with a reduction in the appearance of wrinkles, graying, and texture roughness.

References

1. USDA food database
2. Pullar JM, Carr AC, Vissers MCM. The Roles of Vitamin C in Skin Health. Nutrients. 2017 Aug 12;9(8):866. doi: 10.3390/nu9080866. PMID: 28805671; PMCID: PMC5579659.

2. Vollono L, Falconi M, Gaziano R, Iacovelli F, Dika E, Terracciano C, Bianchi L, Campione E. Potential of Curcumin in Skin Disorders. Nutrients. 2019 Sep 10;11(9):2169. doi: 10.3390/nu11092169. PMID: 31509968; PMCID: PMC6770633.

3. Vaughn AR, Branum A, Sivamani RK. Effects of Turmeric (Curcuma longa) on Skin Health: A Systematic Review of the Clinical Evidence. Phytother Res. 2016 Aug;30(8):1243-64. doi: 10.1002/ptr.5640. Epub 2016 May 23. PMID: 27213821.

4. Wang B, Yan B, Zhao Z, Tang Y, Huang YX, Jian D, Shi W, Xie H, Wang Y, Li J. Relationship Between Tea Drinking Behaviour and Rosacea: A Clinical Case-control Study. Acta Derm Venereol. 2021 Jun 30;101(6):adv00488. doi: 10.2340/00015555-3849. PMID: 34159391; PMCID: PMC9380265.

5. Alves E, Gregório J, Rijo P, Rosado C, Rodrigues LM. The Impact of Kefir on Epidermal Water Homeostasis in Healthy Human Skin. Life (Basel). 2022 Jul 19;12(7):1075. doi: 10.3390/life12071075. PMID: 35888163; PMCID: PMC9321187.

6. Alves E, Gregório J, Rijo P, Rosado C, Rodrigues LM. The Impact of Kefir on Epidermal Water Homeostasis in Healthy Human Skin. Life (Basel). 2022 Jul 19;12(7):1075. doi: 10.3390/life12071075. PMID: 35888163; PMCID: PMC9321187.

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