Highlights
- For healthy skin and hair, your diet is extremely important.
- Basil and sugarcane extracts can keep your hair nourished and healthy.
- Grapefruit and kiwi have antioxidants for a young-looking skin.
Maintaining a healthy skin and a glowing look isn't just about the kind of beauty products you use or how rigorous your beauty regime is. In fact, a major part of retaining the youthfulness of your skin is what you give your body in the form of food. A good, clean and healthy diet can work wonders for your skin and hair and reduce chances of problems like acne, pimples, dark spots, dry skin, itchy scalp, hair fall etc. There are certain foods that work better in repairing your skin and hair than those extremely expensive beauty products that you're probably spending a ton of money on.
Foods To Eat For Beautiful Hair
There are numerous 'superfoods' which when consumed on a regular basis can ensure healthy and voluminous hair. Sangeeta Velaskar, Vice President and Head, Medical Services and R&D, Kaya Limited lists a few of them for healthy hair:
1. Basil: Basil is a typically a summer herb, but it can be used to maintain hair health all year round. An infusion of basil extracts can be used to rejuvenate hair follicles to improve overall health of your mane.
2. Sugarcane: The nutrients in sugarcane like vitamin B12, vitamin C and vitamin A along with other elements like zinc, potassium manganese and calcium, are all responsible for long, healthy and shiny hair.
3. Apple: A portion of the fruit can keep the doctor and hair troubles both at bay. Apples are rich in a fibre content called pyrus malus, which can help balance pH levels of the scalp and keep it clean and dandruff free.
4. Olive Oil: Not just is olive oil healthy for the body, but it also helps the hair by keeping it moisturized and keeping off dandruff flakes.
5. Avocado: The creamy, savory fruit is a popular superfood that helps strengthen the hair.
Foods To Eat For Beautiful Skin
There are some fruits and vegetables that are essential for keeping the skin nutritionally healthy. Rishabh Mariwala, Founder at Puresense, talks about the benefits of two such fruits that preserve the nourishment of your skin.
1. Grapefruit: The red orange tinged fruit is one of the healthiest fruits out there. According to Mariwala, grapefruits are high in fiber, low in calories and contain bio-flavonoids and other plant chemicals that protect against serious diseases. They also have Vitamin C and flavonoids that prevent inflammation in the skin and reduce environmental damage. Grapefruit also triggers production of skin collagen, inducing smoothness and elasticity in the skin. The retinol in the fruit makes the skin smooth and the potassium helps in reducing age spots and smoothing out wrinkles.
2. Kiwi: The bright green fruit is a favorite of many. Mariwala recommends the fruit due to its antioxidant-rich profile and presence of Vitamin C and E, and polyphenols in it, all of which help in protecting young skin.
Fresh fruits and vegetables eaten raw are considered the best for maintaining skin and hair health. Pick your fresh produce according to the season and eat as clean as is possible to look youthful and appear beautiful for longer.
(With inputs from IANS)