Getting the right nutrients inside can make
you look good on the outside.
If you're looking for soft clear skin, shiny hair, and smooth pink
fingernails, you probably reach for the 
latest creams, conditioners, and
lotions. But you'd be better off tackling the job from the inside. That's
because your skin, hair, and nails all contain proteins, such as collagen, elastin, and keratin, that respond to similar nutrients. On the following
pages, we'll show you how the foods you eat can help you get and keep that
healthy glow.
Keep Skin Smooth
Your skin has ways of protecting itself from the sun's harmful effects.
However, when skin is exposed to ultraviolet rays for prolonged periods of
time, cell membranes are damaged by the formation of reactive oxygen
molecules, better known as free radicals. Ultraviolet rays also damage the
skin's connective tissue, which can lead to bags and sags. You can slow this
process by increasing your intake of free radical-scavenging antioxidants,
such as vitamins C, E, and beta carotene, says Madhu A. Pathak, Ph.D.,
senior associate in dermatology and emeritus research professor at Harvard
Medical School. They can inactivate free radicals, shielding your skin from
harm.
In addition to its antioxidant properties, vitamin C helps fight
wrinkles, says Lorraine Faxon Meisner, Ph.D., professor of preventive
medicine at the University of Wisconsin Medical School. Vitamin C helps the
body make collagen, which is used to create connective tissue. Meisner
suggests a daily dose of at least 250 mg, the amount in two cups of our
Super Fruit Salad (all recipes follow). For smokers and people 60 years or
older, Meisner recommends 500 mg a day.
Zinc and selenium may also fight sun damage to the skin. Zinc may be
helpful since it works with vitamin C to make collagen. Another possible
explanation for zinc's effect, according to Karen E. Burke, M.D., Ph.D., a
dermatologist in New York, is its role in wound healing. Zinc supports the
tissue-rebuilding actions of vitamin A. As for selenium, Burke has noticed
in her research with animals that it greatly reduces the incidence of
ultraviolet-induced skin cancer. This may be because selenium is an
excellent free radical scavenger. What's more, selenium enhances vitamin E
absorption.
Make It Clear
Acne, a problem for teenagers and adults alike, responds to a wide
variety of nutrients. Robert M. Giller, M.D., author of Natural
Prescriptions (Ballantine Books, 1994), claims that vitamin A has been shown
virtually to eliminate acne in milder cases--in part because it helps reduce
the production of sebum, a pore-clogging oil. Vitamin E is useful, too,
since it promotes vitamin A absorption. It's always a good idea to get as
many of these nutrients as possible from foods, though you may want to
supplement. Giller suggests starting with 10,000 IU of vitamin A daily, but
check with your doctor if you plan to take it for an extended period of
time. (Women who are pregnant or trying to conceive should not take high
doses of vitamin A because of the increased risk of birth defects.) Giller
also recommends taking 400 IU of vitamin E a day.
