Good Dietary Fat Creates Healthy Skin
Eat Essential Fatty Acids Regularly to Build Healthier Skin
Jun 26, 2009
As the largest organ of the body, the skin protects internal organs, regulates body temperature, and provides our sensory capabilities of touch, pressure, and recognition of temperature. It also takes a beating from the weather – sun and wind, cold and heat – and from pollution and cigarette smoking.
Nutritionists agree that eating healthy fats as part of a balanced diet can make the skin strong and healthy and can protect the skin from the ageing effects of pollution and weather.
Panelists at a recent scientific session hosted by the Institute of Food Technologists, showed that fat is vital to protect against skin problems, signs of ageing, and hair loss.
But what type of fat should it be? The panelists, Apostolos Pappas and Michael Anthonavage, both from Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products. Inc. and Dr James Ntambi, Professor from the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Wisconsin, showed that lab animals deprived of essential fatty acids experienced dry, scaly skin, skin wrinkling and hair loss.
Include Essential Fatty Acids in Your Diet
While people avoid fat when trying to lose weight, they risk losing valuable nutrients as well - essential fatty acids - if they exclude all types of fat. Without dietary fat, the body cannot absorb certain nutrients such as vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are found in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat such as fish oils, canola oil, sunflower oil, and olive oil.
The fats to avoid are saturated fats, usually found in meat, butter and cheese, and the trans fats produced in commercial foods and deep frying.
“The good fats are polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat – such as fish, canola oil, canola-based spread, olive oil, olive oil-based spread, sunflower oil, and sunflower oil-based spread, avocado and nuts should be included in your diet,” recommends Australian dietitian, Ms Tara Diversi.
Too Much Saturated Fat in Western Diets
Western diets high in red meat, dairy products and processed foods, are also high in saturated fats. Coconut oil, cottonseed oil, palm kernel oil – often used for commercial baking and frying – contain saturated fats despite coming from plants.
These ‘bad fats’ have been shown to increase skin problems such as acne and eczema as well as inflammatory health problems such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. They are also implicated in some cancers.
Getting the Balance Right: Not Too Much Good Fat
It is possible to eat too much ‘good fat’ and some research shows that having too much EFAs also causes acne and more serious health problems such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.
However, Ms Diversi says what most people are missing is a balanced intake of dietary fats, antioxidants, and other beneficial nutrients coming from a balanced diet.
This is where healthy eating and food preparation comes in, rather than depending on supplements.
“If you are having essential fats in foods rather than in supplements, you have less chance of ending up with acne, as the fibre and other nutrients reduce the fat absorption,” she says.
Healthy Body, Healthy Skin
The ideal diet is high in fruits, vegetables, fiber, and unsaturated fats such as olive oil and omega-3 fatty acids, as well as lean meat, eggs or legumes and nuts for protein. Try to eat at least two serves of fruit a day and five serves of vegetables.
“There is no reason why we in Australia can’t eat like this,” she says, but most Westerners should be able to adapt their diets to reduce dependence on red meat and saturated fats.
”If you can eat more whole foods rather than processed foods your skin will be healthy. Often healthy skin is a sign of healthy insides.”
See also: Eating to Avoid Wrinkly Skin
Avoid Trans Fats for Better Health
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