HOW EATING HABITS AFFECTS THE SKIN?

Skin is the largest organ of the body that provide protection against germs and also maintain body temperature. It is made up of protein, water , fat and minerals. The nerves in skin enables touch sensations like cold and hot. It is a part of Integumentary system along with hairs, oil glands, nails and sweat glands. skin is made up of three layers :

• Epidermis : It is the top most layer of skin that individual can see and touch. Keratin protein along with other proteins sticks together to form epidermis layer.
  • Makes New Skin : It makes new skin cells and the new cells replace old skin cells that body sheds every day.
  • Acts as a protective barrier : It helps to keep germs from entering into your body and bloodstream which leads to infections. It also provide protection against sun, rain and other elements.
  • Provide skin color : It contain pigment called melanin which provide color to the skin, hair and eyes . Individual with high melanin content have dark skin tone and may tan more readily
  • Protects body: Epidermis have Langerhans cells that are crucial part of immune system and they helps to fight germs and infections in body.
• Dermis : This layer is  middle layer of the ski which makes upto 90% of skin’s thickness
  • Contain collagen and elastin : Protein collagen present in dermis makes skin cells resilient and strong. Another protein Elastin found in skin provide flexibility to it .
  • Grows Hair : Roots of hair follicles is attached with dermis layer of the skin.
  • Tactile sensations : The nerves present in dermis layer signals the brain if something is too hot to touch, super soft or itchy and also helps to feel any kind of pain.
  • Oil Glands : The oil glands are present in dermis layer that helps to keep skin smooth and soft. The oil also prevent excessive absorption of water in skin while swimming etc.
  • Sweat Glands : The sweat glands present in dermis release sweat through skin pores and also regulates the body temperature.
  • Supplies blood : The blood vessels present in dermis provides nutrients to epidermis layer thus keeps the skin layers healthy.
• Hypodermis : It is the bottom layer of skin also called as fatty layer.
  • Cushions bones and muscles : The fat present in this layer provides protection to muscles and bones from any kind injure or in accident.
  • Connective Tissue: The connective tissues present in hypodermis layer connects layers of skin to bones and muscles.
  • Nerves and blood vessels: the nerves and blood vessels present in dermis layer gets large in hypodermis and they branch out to connect hypodermis layer to rest of body.
  • Regulates body temperature : The fat present in hypodermis keeps the body from getting too hot or cold.

HARMFUL  DIETARY HABITS FOR SKIN

The food we consume reflects in the health of skin and skin tends to show first signs of poor health. Some of the food habits that cause harm to skin includes :

• Refined Carbohydrates : Food items like white bread , candy ,pasta etc are made from the refined carbohydrates. These items when consumed increase the blood sugar levels very quickly and also increase the chances of getting wrinkles early or acne breakouts. The high level of sugar in blood triggers the production of hormones that tends to promotes oil secretions from oil glands present in skin which clog’s the skin pores causing acne and pimples.
• Excessive Salt Intake : Salt tends to increase the retention of water in cells of skin causing puffiness and facial bloating. Intake of foods rich in sodium like chips, pickles, cured meats, sauces etc makes under eye skin puff which makes person look tired. Iodized salt is said to be a cause of acne breakouts in many individuals
• Excessive Intake of Alcohol : Alcohol tends to cause dehydration in skin cells that can lead to wrinkles and dry skin. It also have deteriorating affect on collagen fibers that causes sagging of the skin and it affects the skin complexion making it look dull. Alcohol interferes in Vitamin-A uptake which has new skin cell building ability. It can also lead to development of serious skin conditions like psoriasis, rashes, skin cancer, dermatitis
• Artificial Sweeteners and Sugar: The chemical present in artificial sweeteners gets accumulated in skin resulting in skin inflammation as it increase the possibility of histamine reactions. Refined sugar also cause premature aging as it damages collagen and elastin thus damaging skin cells.
• Coffee : Excessive intake of coffee in a day leads to increased production of Cortisol “Stress hormone” in the body. Excessive cortisol tends to accelerate aging process . It also causes dehydration of skin cells and make skin appear dull. It also cause skin thinning which leads to formation of fine lines and wrinkles
• Dairy Products : Intake of dairy products can cause whiteheads, pimples and blackheads in individuals with acne prone skin. The hormone found in milk tends to stimulate the production of excessive oil in skin leading to clog pores and acne formation.

DIETARY HABITS FOR GOOD SKIN:

• Drink plenty of water as it provide hydration to skin cells and flushes out harmful toxins from the body to provide plump and healthy skin.
• Incorporate fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin-A like sweet potato, carrots, papaya, mango etc as plays essential role in building skin cells and stimulates production of collagen in skin.
• Incorporate foods like salmon, walnuts , flaxseeds in diet as they contain essential fatty acids that helps to maintain the healthy cell membranes of skin cells thus making skin barrier strong and healthy.
• Include Whole wheat bread, cereals , tuna etc contain mineral called selenium which helps to minimize the skin damage caused by the sun and also lower the risk of skin cancer.
• Green tea have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that helps to reverse the damage caused by free radicals thus providing healthy and youthful skin.