Natural Food Sources of Hyaluronic Acid and Collagen
Posted: Saturday, November 05, 2005
by Naweko
Noixia
Got a wrinkle to fill? You could fill that wrinkle with injections of bovine collagen or hyaluronic acid. Yet, is there anyway to smooth out wrinkles without jabbing your skin with needles?
You can avoid the need for the needle by optimizing your estrogen levels. While estrogen influences numerous aspects of our health, from the development of breast cancer to the development of a fetus, estrogen also determines the moisture and collagen level of our skin as we age.
Hyaluronic acid is naturally found in the body. One of hyaluronic acid’s primary jobs is to make the skin firm and provide support for the collagen and elastin fibers that give skin a firm, youthful appearance.
You can potentially increase that amount of hyaluronic acid in your skin by increasing your intake of estrogen. For example, animal studies show that soy isoflavones protect skin against sun damage and may increase production of hyaluronic acid.
Soy dishes come in a variety of options. From soy tofu to soy protein shakes food incarnations of soy are endless.
While eating your way to a firmer face, you don’t want to
overlook vitamin C. While vitamin C remains a potent antioxidant, it also helps
your body to produce collagen.
Even though vitamin C’s beauty
potential is loudly touted by the media, 33% of the US population is not
getting enough vitamin C according to a 2005 survey done by the
U.S. Agricultural Research Service's Food
Surveys Research Group.
You can enjoy vitamin C in
foods like broccoli, red or green peppers, strawberries, oranges and Brussels
spouts.
Eating vitamin C and optimizing
your estrogen levels are just one step in a series of things you can do to slow
down the aging process. One simple tip to keep your anti-aging regime working
is to ask yourself each time you eat, “Is this food protecting me from free
radials and allowing my body to repair itself, or causing more free radial
damage?" This way you’re sure to be eating your way to more youthful skin.
Very good article. Liked it.
