Over the course of your life, you’ve probably heard the phrase “take your vitamins” at least 100 times. But it isn’t just some silly myth our parents and doctors fed to us – vitamins are very important for our health. Depending on the vitamin, they can help us fight infections, keep our nerves healthy, give our body essential nutrients it needs to function, and even boost our skin health (1).
Since there are so many vitamins out there, it’s too much pressure to take a load of pills, capsules, or pills each day. Instead, you can eat many delish foods with vitamins to get many of the nutrients and minerals your skin needs.
You know what makes sweet potatoes really sweet? How rich they are in vitamins and minerals! Sweet potatoes are one of the top sources of beta-carotene, which is used by the body to make vitamin A. They’re also packed with potassium for an added bonus.
If you’re obsessed with avocado toast – you’re in luck! Avocados are one of the foods with vitamins that have plenty of nutrients, including magnesium and potassium (3). Vitamins C, E, and K are especially important to keep our skin looking healthy and glowing from the inside out.
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Turns out Popeye was onto something all those years ago – spinach is super nutritious and beneficial for our bodies! A nice intake of vitamin C can help build collagen for our skin while vitamin A’s presence in retinoids can be used to keep our skin looking fresh by promoting the growth of our skin tissues (4). Oh, and if you’re looking for something to keep your hair moisturized, the vitamin A found in spinach can come in handy, too.
When you think of vitamin C, your mind probably goes to oranges. They’re powerhouses with a great source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that can heal our skin from the inside while protecting it from damaging outside forces (5). Also, we can’t forget to mention that vitamin C contributes to collagen production, which improves skin strength.
While it might sound fishy at first, incorporating fish like salmon, tuna, and trout into your diet can provide your body with a majority of the 14 essential vitamins. These vitamins are important for not only turning food into energy but for reducing stubborn inflammation too (6). Plus, fish contains antioxidants that our skin can use to fight off cell damage.
While seeds seem small, they actually pack a lot of punch. But in a good way. Like nuts, which are full of vitamins E, B6, and B9, seeds have amazing nutrient profiles in their tiny shells. Seeds like sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, and chia seeds are especially loved for the way they keep our hair shiny and skin ✨glowy ✨.
Our parents were ahead of their time when they told us to eat our broccoli. Not only is it high in protein, but broccoli is a food with vitamins and nutrients perfect for immune function and skin health (8). If that’s not enough to convince you to fill up your plate with some broccoli, keep in mind that broccoli is full of antioxidants and minerals that can ward off skin infections while keeping our natural glow. Our hero!
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Contrary to popular belief, carrots can actually do way more for our bodies besides improving our eyesight. What some call the perfect health food, carrots are a crazy good source of vitamins, potassium, fiber, and antioxidants (9). Since carrots are full of beta carotene, they can repair skin tissues while also protecting us from harmful sun rays (10). Don’t let that fool you into forgetting your SPF at home, though! 👀
If there’s anything that loves strawberries more than me, it’s our skin. Besides being totally delicious, strawberries are a go-to for its antioxidants that can reduce skin damage from U.V. rays, reduce inflammation, and stop collagen breakdown (11). Plus, they can reduce puffiness, eliminate dead skin cells, cleanse the skin, reduce hyperpigmentation/dark spots, tighten pores, soothe irritated skin, and keep our skin looking vibrant (11). What’s not to love?
Tomatoes are one of those foods where you either love ‘em or you hate ‘em. But when it comes to our skin, there are plenty of reasons to love ‘em. With vitamins A and C, tomatoes boost collagen production to heal our skin from wounds while keeping our skin looking bright and plump (12). Like carrots, tomatoes are also made up of beta carotene to protect us against sunburn. However, we stress: keep up with your SPF ritual!
Thanks to the yummy foods on this list, getting our daily dose of vitamins and minerals doesn’t have to be boring or stressful. To make sure your skin looks and feels healthy, feeding it the nutrients it needs should be a high priority, and foods with vitamins are the way to go. A strawberry a day keeps the dead skin cells away!
Written by Selena Ponton
