Our skin, the body’s largest organ, is a true multi-tasker: protecting us from the world at large and allowing us to experience it, through sensation. Key nutrients in foods can help support the skin against its biggest foe – the sun – as well as prevent common age-related conditions.
Signs of ageing are often first noticeable on our skin, as changes beneath its surface lead to wrinkles. Discover how foods can help support skin health and combat age-related changes.
Our skin is supple and strong thanks to stretchy elastin fibres and the glue-like protein collagen, made up of a fibrous matrix that provides the scaffold for skin tissues. From the age of 20 we lose 1 per cent of our collagen each year and elastin fibres gradually decrease, paving the way for wrinkles and fine lines. The sun’s UVA and UVB rays hasten the natural breakdown of collagen and elastin. Applying a minimum SPF15 sunscreen is the first line of defence, but foods can also protect skin.
Our skin contains the protective pigment melanin. This gives skin its colour and acts as an absorbent filter of the sun’s UV rays, helping to block damage from UVA and UVB light. Melanin is produced by cells called melanocytes and the number of these tails off as we age, making our skin more susceptible to sun damage. Age spots are your skin’s way of trying to defend against further sun damage. Foods rich in antioxidants, such as vitamin C, can offer help with sun protection.
A plentiful supply of essential fats has been shown to reduce the chance of dry skin by 25 per cent.
The part of your skin that’s visible is the epidermis – the thin, protective outer layer. Beneath this, the thicker dermis houses sweat and oil glands; then a subcutaneous layer of fat insulates the body. Ageing occurs across all layers. The epidermal and fat layers thin, so skin is more vulnerable to the harmful effects of UV rays and less effective at locking in warmth. In the dermis, blood vessels become more fragile, which is why we bruise more easily, and the glands secrete less oil, leading to dry, itchy skin. Staying well hydrated supports your skin, as well as eating skin-friendly foods (see here).
Our skin is home to an extensive network of nerve endings and receptors that relay messages to the brain, so we experience a whole range of sensations. We lose sensory receptors as we age, but it’s not really until around the age of 70 that some people experience a noticeable loss in sensitivity. Vitamin B12 helps to boost nerve health, so regularly eating sources (such as, salmon, cod, milk, and eggs) is one way to help keep your nerve endings receptive.