Diet and Nutrition in Skin Disease and Care

A good diet slows aging and can improve overall success of surgical procedures and wound healing.Among other benefits, a good diet:

• Provides the food,water,and oxygen that cells need to reproduce, transmit information, and repair damage
• Assures the body of a continuous supply of usable energy, which improves emotional stability and energy levels
• Helps eliminate free radical damage, damage that can increase risk of cancer and other degenerative diseases
• Decreases the risk of cancer, arteriosclerosis, hypertension, heart disease, osteoporosis, senility, and depression
• Synchronizes the body, helping people function physically, mentally, and emotionally at peak efficiency
• Adds healthier years to life

The diet that will most support healthy longevity follows these principles: It’s nontoxic. That means it contains a minimum of preservatives, additives, pesticides, antibiotics, food coloring, and chemical flavoring.The diet should contain enough nutrients to satisfy daily needs. Since most fresh fruits and vegetables lose much of their nutritional value within hours after being picked, it is necessary to supplement with vitamins and minerals.

According to the American Journal of Public Health, studies show that less than one-third of Americans meet the U.S. government’s Healthy People 2000 goal of eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day; people eat only 1.2 servings of fruits and 3.1 servings of vegetables daily.

Another element of the healthy diet beneficial for women should be soy proteins due to the phytoestrogens that regulate endogenous estrogen production, which is helpful in easing hot flashes and hormonal acne associated with menopause. Topical estrogen induces an increase in skin thickness through proliferation, resulting in decreased rhytids. Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found that soybeans contain a protease inhibitor called the Bowman-Birk inhibitor, which is so versatile against various cancers that it has been dubbed “the universal cancer preventive agent.”

Natural fats provide a concentrated form of energy and create the environment in which fat soluble vitamins can be digested; they also provide the essential fatty acids that the body uses to maintain its cellular structure. Examples of fat are “saturated,” from dairy, meat, and fish products; “unsaturated,” from vegetable and fish oils; “polyunsaturated,”, such as sunflower seed oil and sesame seed oil; and “hydrogenated,” such as margarine and highly heated or reheated fats.

The American Heart Association and the National Cholesterol Education Project recommend that the “prudent” diet for everyone, regardless of gender, race, or age, should not exceed 300 mg of cholesterol daily and 65 mg total fat for the person who eats an average of 2,000 daily, inclusive of 22 g of saturated fat.