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Role of Nutrition in Skin Health

Patrick Bitter, MD

The Role of Nutrition in Skin Health Patrick Bitter, MD

There are no potential conflict of interest relationships

germane to my presentation.

Speaker Bureau: Sciton, Allergan, Medicis

Why is Nutrition Important to Skin Health?

•  “You are what you eat” •  Skin is the largest most

neglected organ in the body

•  Skin cells receive majority of nutrients via the bloodstream

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Why is Nutrition Important to Skin Health?

•  Skin cells need vitamins, minerals, and essential amino acids that come from food

•  Topical ingredients have limited penetration ability

•  Nutrition has effect on mechanism of aging the body

•  Poor nutrition can accelerate skin aging

Skin Nutrition Limitations

•  Skin aging includes environmental damage from sun, pollutants, etc.

•  Cannot achieve concentration of active ingredients via oral ingestion

•  Substances that are safe topically are not safe for digestion

•  Some substances are digested before reaching destination

Problems with SAD (Standard American Diet)

•  Body does not get enough nutrients to feed cells

•  Overfed and undernourished •  Medications interfere with nutrient

absorption

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Antioxidants

•  Free radical damage is cornerstone of aging mechanisms

•  Antioxidants are effective in quenching free radicals –  Water soluble act in

extracellular and intracellular fluid

–  Fat soluble act in membranes

Skin Savvy Antioxidants

•  Vitamin E •  Flavenoids •  Coenzyme Q 10 •  Lipoic acid •  Cysteine •  Methionine

Vitamin E

•  Fat soluble antioxidant •  Protects cellular

membranes, lipoproteins

•  Food sources –  Nuts –  Wheat germ –  Whole grains –  Green leafy vegetables

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Flavenoids

•  Plant pigments with antioxidant properties •  Create color in fruits, vegetables •  Antioxidant, antiallergic, anti-carcinogenic,

antiviral, and antiinflammatory •  Proanthocyanins and polyphenols important

to skin health –  Grape seed extract –  Green tea

Green Tea Study

•  Either orally or topical applied green tea can reduce the risk of damage of UV light

•  Reduces risk of skin cancer

Archives of Dermatology

Coenzyme Q 10

•  Improves energy production in cells •  Protects mitochondria from free radicals •  “biomarker” of aging

–  Level in cells correlates with aging and degenerative disease

•  Food sources: beef, sardines, lamb, pork, raw broccoli and spinach

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Lipoic Acid

•  Antioxidant, metal-chelating, and glucose-lowering properties

•  Inhibits glycation and cross-linking, which causes wrinkles

•  Best source is red meat; difficult to ingest enough to obtain skin benefits

•  Supplementation appropriate

Cysteine & Methionine

•  Amino acids containing sulfur •  Antioxidant properties •  Removal heavy metals from body •  Food sources include beans, fish, liver, eggs,

nuts

Vitamins & Minerals

•  Essential for optimal function of all organ systems

•  Deficiencies especially damaging to skin

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Vitamins

•  Vitamin B1 and Vitamin B2 •  Vitamin B12

•  Folate •  Vitamin A •  Vitamin C

Minerals

•  Iron •  Copper •  Selenium •  Zinc

Vitamin B1 & B2

•  Thiamine and riboflavin •  Necessary for energy

production •  Deficiency manifests

as dermatitis •  Result of processed

grains

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Vitamin B12

•  Cyanobalamine •  Essential for cell

division and neuron formation

•  Found exclusively in foods of animal origin (meat, poultry, fish, dairy)

Folate

•  Important for cell division

•  Food sources include green leafy vegetables, beans, liver

Vitamin A

•  Essential for normal life cycle of skin

•  Vitamin A deficiency causes dry, wrinkled skin

•  Food sources include eggs, organ meats, dairy products

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Vitamin C, Iron, Copper

•  Essential for collagen synthesis

•  Deficiency causes loss of skin resilience, problems with wound healing

•  Vitamin C food sources include fresh fruit and vegetables

•  Iron food sources include whole grains, meat

Zinc

•  Works with Vitamin A to maintain and repair skin

•  Provides strength, elasticity, and firmness to skin

•  Promotes tissue growth •  Deficiency causes reduced

infection resistance •  Food sources: meat,

seafood, eggs, milk

Selenium

•  Plays key role in the health of skin cells

•  High selenium levels directly correlate to lower oxidative damage to skin cells that increase risk of skin cancer

•  Oral doses of selenium in combination with copper, vitamin E & A could prevent sunburn cell formation

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Glycation

•  Glucose can cause damage to cells by reacting with other molecules in body, known as glycation

•  Glycation causes cross-linking which causes hardening of skin cells, resulting in skin damage, accelerated skin aging, and yellowing of the skin

•  Diet should focus on carbohydrates with low glycemic effect

Low Glycemic Index Foods

•  Low fat yogurt •  Broccoli •  Tomatoes •  Grapes •  Lentils/kidney beans •  Whole wheat pasta •  Greens

Inflammation

•  With age, body reacts disproportionately to perceived injury or infection

•  Inflammation sign of self protection and cellular water loss

•  Inflammation causes cell damage, aging, poor immune response

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Anti-Inflammatory Foods

•  Antioxidants –  brightly colored fruits and vegetables

•  Essential fatty acid (EFA) rich protein •  Alpha linoleic and gamma linoleic acid •  Sulfur containing foods

Alpha Linoleic Acid

•  Works with antioxidants like vitamin C & E

•  Important for growth •  Prevents cell damage •  Rids body of harmful

substances •  Food sources: vegetables,

beans, fruits, flaxseed oil, canola oil, wheat germ

Gamma Linoleic Acid

•  EFA in omega-6 family •  Found in plant-based

oils •  Also found in primrose,

black currant

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Foods Containing Sulfur

•  Offer anti-inflammatory and detoxifying benefits

•  Plays key role in collagen synthesis

•  Food sources: garlic, onions, cruciferous vegetables, meat

Healthy Skin Diet

Pitcher of Health-Howard Murad, MD

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Fruits & Vegetables

•  Base of pitcher •  3 or more fruit

servings/day •  5 or more vegetable

servings/day •  Rich in

phytochemicals, healing antioxidants

•  Serving size= ½ cup or baseball size

Whole Grains

•  4-8 servings/day •  Serving size = one slice

whole grain bread or 1/3 cup cooked brown rice

•  Avoid refine grain and carbohydrates

•  Source of magnesium and selenium

Proteins

•  4-6 servings/day •  Serving size = one

medium egg or 3 ounces meat

•  Includes fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, white-meat chicken, eggs, soy products, fat free and low fat dairy products, and legumes

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Proteins

•  Avoid high saturated fatty meats and whole fat dairy products

•  Provide amino acids which are building blocks for collagen and elastin, two substances necessary for keeping skin firm, smooth, and resilient

Healthy Fats

•  3-4 servings/day •  Serving size = 1 teaspoon

oil or 6 almonds •  Unsaturated fats such as

omega-3, -6, and -9 fatty acids

•  Found in flaxseed oil, extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, natural-style nut butters, cold-water fish and nuts

Water

•  Fluid ensure proper hydration of body and helps to prevent dry skin

•  6-8 glasses per day •  Avoid coffee and colas;

caffeine is a diuretic

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Daily Supplements

•  Multivitamin & Mineral –  Comprehensive and balanced multivitamin and

mineral supplement formula containing all major vitamins, minerals, and trace minerals

•  Antioxidant –  stops free radical damage and reduce damage

from environmental stressors

Daily Supplements •  B-Complex

–  High potency B-complex supplement that provides all 8 essential B vitamins

•  Thiamine B-1 •  Riboflavin B-2 •  Niacin B-3 •  Pantothenic acid B-5 •  Pyroxidine B-6 •  Folic acid B-9 •  Cyanocobalamin B-12 •  Biotin B-7

Daily Supplements

•  Essential Fatty Acid –  Provides omega-3 fatty acids: can be in form of

fish oil, flaxseed oil, or ground flaxseeds added to food, or in capsule form

–  Vegetarians or those not eating fish or taking fish oil supplements should add a microalgae-derived DHA supplement

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Daily Supplements

•  Lecithin –  Soy lecithin granules sprinkled or added to

foods, or liquid soy lecithin in capsule form •  Glucosamine

–  1200 mg of either glucosamine sulfate or glucosamine hydrochloride every day

–  Building blocks of epidermis and connective tissue

–  Excellent for joint health and may help reduce wrinkles

Daily Supplements

•  Calcium –  For bone health –  Most women should take 1000-1500 mg calcium

with vitamin D daily depending on dietary calcium intake

Special Dietary Considerations for Skin Conditions

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Acne

•  Vitamin A: normalize production of excess skin cells that clog pores

•  Vitamins B-1, B-3, B-6: tissue growth and repair

•  Zinc: reduce inflammation of acne •  Antioxidants (grape seed extract): reduce

inflammation from acne and free radicals

Menopausal Skin

•  Melatonin: powerful antioxidant helps protect nuclear and mitochondrial DNA

•  Glucosamine: heals and repairs dermis and connective tissue

•  Gamma-aminobutyric acid: regulation of muscle tone

Stressed Skin •  B vitamins, glucosamine, vitamin C, Coenzyme Q

10, pomegranate: tissue repair and healing •  Co-Q 10, vitamin C, pomegranate: boost skin’s SPF •  Oregano, tumeric: cell protection, anti-cancer

benefits •  Zinc: relieves inflammation •  EFA’s: strengthens skin cell membranes •  Lecithin: makes cell membranes strong

(phosphatidylcholine)

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Key Foods for Skin Health