Maintaining good sun habits, staying hydrated, ceasing smoking and avoiding pollution all help you stave off wrinkles. Your diet also plays a role in preventing wrinkles, as concluded by a 2001 Australian study in the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition." The study examined participants' dietary habits and then measured the wrinkling of their skin. Researchers found that a high intake of vegetables, legumes and olive oil protected people against skin damage and wrinkling.
Fruits and Vegetables
Vitamins A and C as well as other antioxidants help fight free radicals that cause skin damage. Fruits and vegetables---especially richly colored ones---are the best sources of these nutrients. Vitamin A is plentiful in spinach, papayas and sweet potatoes. Try citrus fruits, pomegranate and broccoli as excellent sources of Vitamin C, which helps with the formation of collagen and contributes to the firmness of the skin. Yellow and orange fruits like mango and cantaloupe provide the antioxidant beta carotene, which further helps with skin health. Include blueberries to boost your overall antioxidant intake and fight the fine lines that occur from sun exposure, stress and over-training.
Nuts and Seeds
Eat Vitamin E--rich nuts and seeds to further fight wrinkle-causing free radicals. Include Brazil nuts and pumpkin seeds to get an adequate amount of the trace minerals selenium and zinc, which effectively destroy free radicals resulting from overexposure to the sun. Fatty acids present in nuts and seeds such as flax also help promote skin smoothness. Olive oil, rich in mono-unsaturated fat, boosts skin health, too, especially when it pushes out the use of saturated fats like butter.
Soy and Legumes
Consume legumes and soy. Foods like beans and tofu contain natural phytoestrogens, which mimic the estrogen produced by the body and may help prevent wrinkles if the body's estrogen is diminishing.
Fatty Fish
Omega-3 fatty acids must be obtained from your diet and are essential to skin health. These fatty acids, found in cold-water fish like salmon and mackerel and in plant sources like flax and chia seeds, offer a wealth of skin benefits including deterring and even reversing sun damage.
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