3. Walnuts
Walnuts are rich in essential fats our bodies aren’t able to produce by themselves. This is actually what makes them so special when it comes to maintaining healthy skin. Compared to other types of nuts, walnuts score the highest when referring to omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids content.
Indeed, a diet way too rich in omega-6 fatty acids can lead to inflammation, including common skin conditions such as psoriasis, but taking into account that walnuts are also high in omega-3 fatty acids that are actually reducing inflammation when consumed, there’s no need to worry about it.
Do you know what walnuts also contain? Zinc! As we’ve already mentioned, this mineral is crucial for protecting your skin. In fact, zinc is responsible for fighting bacteria and inflammation.
In addition to all these great benefits walnuts have to offer, they are also high in vitamin E and selenium, the latter preventing wrinkles and premature aging.
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4. Sweet potatoes
Apart from improving your gut microbiome, boosting the immune cells in your body, supporting healthy vision, controlling diabetes, and having cancer-fighting properties, sweet potatoes are also known for being skin-friendly.
How so? Well… sweet potatoes contain beta carotene, which is basically a plant pigment our bodies convent into vitamin A. Beta carotene can also be found in other vegetables, including carrots, spinach, and butternut squash, as well as in fruits (oranges and mangoes), but sweet potatoes beat them all at beta carotene content.
To be more specific, approximately 100 grams of baked sweet potato provide more than 6 times the Daily Value of vitamin A. Huge, right?!
Fun fact: Large amounts of beta carotene food sources can contribute to orange-colored skin. However, it shouldn’t be mistaken for jaundice, as the latter may signal a liver dysfunction.