Have you ever heard the saying, beauty starts from within? It’s SO true.
Nutrition is the key to maintaining flawless skin and a youthful appearance. A well-balanced diet not only promotes a healthy, functioning body that feels good, it also helps maintain a body that looks good.
When it comes to reducing and preventing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, antioxidants are absolutely imperative. Antioxidants are the body’s #1 defense against aging. They can be either topical or dietary, but both work the same way; they quench free radicals, prevent oxidative damage, and reduce the signs of aging.
Although topical antioxidants are super important, they’re only part of the equation. Eating a healthy, nutrient-dense diet full of antioxidant rich foods will drastically slow down the natural aging process.
Here are the 12 BEST anti-aging superfoods, guaranteed to turn back the clock.
1. Avocado
Key Anti-Aging Property: Monounsaturated Fats
Avocados are one of the BEST foods you can possibly eat if you want to prevent and reduce the signs of aging. Packed with good fats, this nutrient dense fruit is full of essential fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins, and antioxidants.
The most powerful anti-aging properties of the avocado come from its high monounsaturated fat content. These fats are comprised of: phytosterols, polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols (PFAs), and oleic acids (omega-9). Phytosterols and PFAs reduce inflammation. Oleic acids act as emollients, which keep skin hydrated and moisturized, reduce redness and inflammation, and help regenerate damaged skin cells.
Avocados also contain tons of important free radical fighting antioxidants. The avocado’s high vitamin C content helps to increase skin elasticity and promote collagen production. Vitamin E, a fat soluble vitamin, fights free radicals by oxidizing fats in the skin cells. Vitamin E also keeps skin moisturized and helps prevent damage caused by UVA/UVB rays. Vitamin B-Complex nourishes the skin.
One Serving: 1 ounce (28 grams), or 2-3 slices depending on size
Recommended Dietary Intake: Given that avocados do have a high fat content, stick to two 1 ounce servings, about 2-4 times per week. This will allow you to reap all of the amazing anti-aging benefits, without increasing your waistline.
2. Blueberries
Key Anti-Aging Property: Antioxidants
Despite their small size, blueberries pack a huge nutritional punch. As one of the top sources of antioxidants, blueberries are very effective at protecting the body from from the damaging effects of free radicals. They also are loaded with anthocyanin, flavonoids that are responsible for the blue part of blueberry, which help protect the body from skin cancer.
Blueberries are 85% water, which means that they are very hydrating and can help to prevent and reduce dry skin. They also have strong anti-inflammatory properties and contain important vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and amino acids. In addition to powerful antioxidant properties of blueberries, they’re also
Serving Size: 1 Cup (148 grams)
Recommended Dietary Intake: Aim for 1 cup a day.
3. Salmon
Key Anti-Aging Property: Omega-3 Fatty Acids & Astaxanthin
Skin cells are surrounded by two layers of fat, which make up the cell walls, or phospholipid bilayers. The more important of the two is comprised of Omega-3 fatty acids.
Consuming fatty fish that have a high fatty acid content, such as salmon, increases the strength of the cell walls. The result? More supple, plump, healthy looking skin, which helps to smooth fine lines and wrinkles. Omega-3 fatty acids are mostly known for their exceptional anti-inflammatory properties, but they also help to moisturize skin, protect against harmful UV rays, and fight free radicals.
Salmon also contains the most powerful, amazing antioxidant out there, a super powerful carotenoid known as: astaxanthin (asta-zan-thin). This deep red colored phytonutrient is what gives salmon its pinkish color. Astaxanthin tremendously helps to slow down the aging process by fighting free radicals.
In addition to Omega-3 fatty acids and astaxanthin, salmon is a great source of protein, iron, niacin, and vitamin B6.
Side Note: Make sure to always choose wild salmon (specifically, sockeye), which contains much higher levels of astaxanthin and much lower levels of PCBs, harmful chemicals, as opposed to farm raised salmon.
Serving Size: 3.5 ounces, cooked
Recommended Dietary Intake: The American Heart Association recommends eating at least 2 servings of salmon (or other fatty fish) per week.
My FAVE astaxanthin supplement: Viva Naturals Krill Oil + Astaxanthin
4. Brazil Nuts
Key Anti-Aging Property: Selenium
Brazil nuts are one of the best anti-aging superfoods due to their high selenium content. Selenium is a trace mineral with potent antioxidant effects. It’s extremely important for anti-aging and functions in many different ways within the body. Selenium increases cell turnover, improves elasticity, and boosts the production of glutathione (the Master Antioxidant). The antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of Brazil nuts also make them great for reducing excess inflammation and preventing acne.
These nutrient-dense nuts also contain substantial amounts of important anti-aging nutrients, including vitamin E, zinc, copper, and essential fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6).
Side Note: Selenium improves the functions of vitamin E, the most powerful fat-soluble antioxidants, making it even more effective. #winning
Zinc, a trace mineral with powerful antioxidant properties, helps keep skin firm by maintaining collagen and elastin. Zinc also has exceptional healing abilities and can stimulate DNA repair in cells that have been damaged by free radicals.
Copper promotes collagen production, and Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids increase the strength of cell walls, helping to retain moisture and keep skin healthy and hydrated. Fatty acids help to relieve and prevent dry skin.
Just one serving of brazil nuts contains 542 mcg of selenium, or 774% daily value.
One Serving: 1 ounce (28 grams), or about six Brazil nuts
Recommended Dietary Intake: Due to the extreme amount of selenium found in Brazil nuts, it’s advised to only eat a maximum of 2-6 nuts per day. Just ONE Brazil nut contains 68-91 mcg of selenium.
My FAVE Brazil Nuts: NOW Foods Brazil Nuts
5. Eggs
Key Anti-Aging Property: Amino Acids
Contrary to popular belief, eggs are actually one of the BEST, most nutrient dense anti-aging superfoods out there.
One large egg contains six grams of high quality protein and all nine essential amino acids. The human body uses 21 amino acids to build protein, nine of which cannot be produced by the body, and must be obtained from food, such as the egg. Protein repairs and maintains body tissues, including the skin.
Three of the essential amino acids contained in eggs are very important for anti-aging: glycine, lycine, and proline. As we get older, our bodies’ ability to produce collagen and elastin decreases, which results in fine lines and wrinkles. Glycine, lycine, and proline help to increase collagen production and improve skin elasticity.
Eggs are also an excellent source of lipid nutrients, such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and are loaded with important free radical fighting vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Side Note: Many people opt to only eat egg whites in an effort to try to save some cals. Words of advice: don’t do that! The yolks are where ALL of the amazing nutrients are; the whites are mostly just protein. Also, make sure to buy free range, organic eggs. They contain the most nutrients.
One Serving: 1 egg
Recommended Dietary Intake: For healthy people, it is recommended to consume a maximum of 300 mg of cholesterol a day. One large egg contains approximately 186 mg of cholesterol, so it is advised to eat a maximum of seven eggs in one week, or two eggs in one day.
Side Note: In addition to other important nutrients, the egg yolk also contains cholesterol. If you want to consume more eggs than the recommended dietary intake, use egg whites.
6. Sweet Potatoes
Key Anti-Aging Property: Beta Carotene (Vitamin A)
Sweet potatoes are LOADED with antioxidants, most notably, beta carotene.
Beta carotene is a carotenoid that gives the sweet potato its bright orange color and helps to balance the skin’s pH levels. Beta carotene is also a precursor to vitamin A, one of the most powerful fighters against aging.
This means that in order for the vitamin A in beta carotene to become bioavailable to cells, the body must first go through an enzymatic conversion process. Once ingested, the body converts beta carotene into Retinol, which is the only readily useable form of vitamin A for the body.
So, why TF do we care about vitamin A? Because it’s unarguably the most effective nutrient for anti-aging, duh.
Vitamin A restores and regenerates damaged collagen, and neutralizes the damaging effects of oxidation caused by free radicals.
Sweet potatoes also contain an extremely high amount of vitamin C. In addition to strengthening the immune system, vitamin C is also very important for anti-aging- it increases collagen production and improves skin elasticity.
The storage proteins found in sweet potatoes are exceptional free radical fighters. Sweet potatoes are also great sources of vitamin B2, vitamin B6 vitamin D, potassium, copper, biotin, selenium, and magnesium.
One Serving: 1 medium sweet potato
Recommended Dietary Intake: 1 medium baked sweet potato each day to maximize health benefits.
Side Note: Make sure not to overdo it on the preparation. Drowning a sweet potato in butter, brown sugar and marshmallows pretty much defeats the purpose of eating it to begin with. At that point, you’re better off just not eating it entirely.
7. Green Tea
Key Anti-Aging Property: Catechins (EGCG)
Green tea is one of the best sources of antioxidants.
Why?
Because green tea contains Epigallocatechin-3 Gallate (EGCG), a very powerful antioxidant.
EGCG is a member of the antioxidant group, catechins (the major flavonoids found in tea plants). There are five different catechins. EGCG is the main catechin found in green tea and is by far the strongest, most effective catechin for anti-aging.
Catechins are polyphenols, and polyphenols are flavonoids. If you read my blog post on antioxidants, you already know that flavonoids are super amazing antioxidants for fighting the signs of aging.
Research has proven that polyphenols help protect cells from DNA damage caused by free radicals.
The strong EGCG content of green tea gives it exceptional antioxidant properties. This allows green tea to be a top fighter against damaging free radicals. EGCG contains 25-100 times the antioxidant capabilities of vitamins A, C and E. It also repairs DNA damage as a result of oxidation and stabilizes sensitive, irritated skin.
One Serving: 1 cup
Recommended Dietary Intake: Green tea is pretty much A-f*cking-MAZING for combating the natural aging process. There isn’t a suggest recommended dietary intake, per say, but keep in mind that green tea does contain caffeine (about 63 mg per cup). Most experts advise to consume between three and four cups a day.
My FAVE Green Tea: Yogi Organic Super Antioxidant Green Tea
8. Broccoli
Key Anti-Aging Property: Lignans
Broccoli is the new Botox. Seriously. It’s one of the most nutrient dense foods in the world, and one of the most important foods for anti-aging.
This cruciferous vegetable is full of powerful free radical fighting antioxidants. Just one serving of broccoli contains over 100% of the daily recommended value of vitamin C, which is important for stimulating collagen production. Other antioxidants found in broccoli include: carotenoids (beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, and lutein), vitamin E, and vitamin B Complex.
Broccoli also contains important minerals, such as manganese and zinc.
While antioxidants are great and all, broccoli also contains two special nutrients: glucoraphanin and the enzyme myrosinase.
Glucoraphanin is found almost exclusively in broccoli and is a glucosinolate precursor to sulforaphane. Sulforaphane is an isothiocyanate, a sulfur compound produced from the consumption of various cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli. When broccoli is consumed, the enzyme myrosinase converts glucoraphanin into sulforaphane. Sulforaphane has tons of amazing anti-aging benefits. It has powerful antioxidant properties that protect the skin from photoaging and combat oxidative stress. As an antioxidant, sulforaphane also increases cellular glutathione levels, which improves the body’s ability to fight free radicals and boosts the natural detox and immune systems. It also has exceptional anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral properties.
But, that’s not all.
Research has proven that broccoli can prevent and decrease the signs of aging. This is all thanks to a very special compound known as nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMM).
For those of you who were sleeping during high school science, allow me to refresh your memory:
So there’s this super important coenzyme called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), and it’s kind of a big deal. Okay, actually it’s a huge deal. This is because it’s found in literally every living cell and organism. NAD is responsible for the electron transfer process of metabolic reactions. In other words, the mitochondria depend on NAD to fuel basic functions. Mitochondria are energy producing machines that are present in every single living cell. They are responsible for generating adenosine triphosphate (ATP), AKA the energy currency of all cells.
However, as a result of the natural aging process, the body’s ability to produce NAD decreases. This results in the deterioration of mitochondria and a decrease mitochondrial function. To put it simply, this impairs the cells’ abilities to produce energy. Experts agree that a decrease in energy production is one of the key factors of the aging process. Research has proven that low levels of NAD impair cells’ abilities to repair damaged DNA, which leads to wrinkles, degenerative diseases, and cancer.
The obvious solution to this slow down the aging process would be to directly supplement with NAD. However, researchers found this to be ineffective, so they looked for another solution and discovered nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN). NMN is a precursor to NAD and is found naturally in several vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, avocado, edamame, and cucumber. In a new study, researchers discovered that when given to mice, NMN appears in the bloodstream in less than three minutes, where it is quickly converted into NAD in multiple tissues. This study proved that NMN supplementation has a significant impact on the aging process, all the way down to the DNA level, blocking age related DNA damage. It restored mitochondrial function in older mice to a more youthful state. NMM supplementation did not have any effect on younger mice because their cells were still making plenty of their own NMN.
In additional to all of the other amazing anti-aging benefits of broccoli, it’s also by far the BEST source of NMN and contains the highest levels.
One Serving: 1 cup, cooked, or about 2 spears
Recommended Dietary Intake: To maximize the health benefits, it’s advisable to eat 1-1 ½ servings of cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, each day.
Side Note: In order to optimize the sulforaphane content, ALWAYS steam your broccoli (3-4 minutes is ideal). For the most part, boiling or microwaving broccoli completely destroys the presence of the enzyme myrosinase, which is required for the conversion of glucoraphanin into sulforaphane. And don’t even waste your time with frozen broccoli.
9. Tomatoes
Key Anti-Aging Property: Lycopene
Tomatoes contain substantial amounts of a very special antioxidant known as lycopene. If you didn’t already know this, the #1 contributing factor to premature aging is sun damage. That means that if you care even the slightest bit about maintaining a youthful appearance, SPF is your bestie.
Lycopene is what gives tomatoes their bright red color. It helps prevent and protect the skin from sunburn and photoaging by neutralizing free radicals caused by the sun’s damaging UV rays before they can damage skin cells. Tomatoes also contain beta-carotene and vitamin C, which promote collagen production.
Heat concentrates lycopene, so to get the most out of tomatoes, opt for processed or cooked tomatoes, such as paste, juice, or ketchup, instead of fresh produce.
One Serving: 2 small tomatoes, raw, or approximately 20 cherry tomatoes
Recommended Dietary Intake: Aim for 22 mg of lycopene a day, which is equivalent to approximately eight cherry tomatoes, or one glass of tomato juice.
10. Almonds
Key Anti-Aging Property: Vitamin E
Almonds are one of the world’s healthiest foods. They’re LOADED with tons of important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, such as vitamin E, protein, fiber, potassium, magnesium, and calcium.
Vitamin E is the most powerful fat-soluble antioxidant. It’s one of the most vital nutrients for anti-aging and promotes healthy hair, skin and nails. It fights free radicals and protects cell membranes from lipid peroxidation. The recommended daily value of vitamin E is 15 mg. Just one serving of almonds provides 7.3mg, almost half of the daily requirement.
Almonds also contain important B vitamins, dietary fiber, protein, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, and essential fatty acids.
Note: To maximize anti-aging effectiveness, always choose natural, unsalted almonds with the skin on. When it comes to raw vs. roasted, both types are highly nutritious. However, as a result of the roasting process, raw almonds contain more beneficial fats than roasted almonds.
One Serving: One ounce, or about 23 almonds (28 grams)
Recommended Dietary Intake: One serving, or a small handful
11. Spinach
Key Anti-Aging Property: Leutin
Spinach is a nutrition powerhouse and a great source of key antioxidants. The strongest antioxidants found in spinach are lutein and zeaxanthin. These two carotenoids help to reduce oxidative damage to the skin caused by free radicals.
Spinach also contains an abundance wrinkle-fighting vitamins: vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K. Vitamin A protects the skin from the damaging effects of free radicals and promotes collagen production. Vitamin C promotes collagen production, and helps to repair and regenerate skin cells. Vitamin K helps to reduce dark under eye circles, improve blood circulation, and reduce inflammation.
Spinach also contains iron, folate, magnesium, manganese, and potassium.
One Serving: 2 ¾ cups raw
Recommended Dietary Intake: Aim for at least 1 cup raw, or ½ cup cooked spinach per day.
12. Dark Chocolate
Key Anti-Aging Property: Epicatechin
Chocolate gets a bad rap. It’s often considered to be nothing more than a combination of sugar, fat, and calories to excite taste buds and increase waistlines, that just so happens to taste amazinggg.
Well, here’s a sweet treat for you: dark chocolate is packed with highly beneficial anti-aging nutrients. It has been proven to not only prevent, but also reduce the signs of aging. Talk about #winning.
The anti-aging force behind dark chocolate is a highly beneficial flavonoid known as epicatechin.
Cocoa, which is the main ingredient in dark chocolate, is the most prevalent natural source of epicatechin. Given that it’s an antioxidant, epicatechin has powerful antioxidant properties (three times as potent as green tea) that help fight free radicals and combat oxidative damage.
Epicatechin is vital for keeping skin healthy and hydrated. It increases circulation to the skin, which allows oxygen and nutrients to be delivered to the cells more efficiently and improves the skin’s ability to retain moisture. Epicatechin also increases skin elasticity, which keeps the skin smooth, firm, and wrinkle free.
Increase circulation and improves ability to retain moisture
One Serving: 20 grams (2 squares)
Recommended Dietary Intake: Although this superfood is an essential part of any anti-aging diet, dark chocolate does contain high amounts of fat and calories. To reap the amazing anti-aging benefits and avoid any weight gain, it’s advised to eat one square of high quality dark chocolate (70-85% cocoa) every day.