Anti-wrinkle nutrition?
I just read a research summary where after examining the diets of 4,025 women aged 40-74 years, the authors conclude that higher intakes of vitamin C and linoleic acid and lower intakes of fats and carbohydrates ("Dietary nutrient intakes and skin-aging appearance among middle-aged American women," Cosgrove MC, Mayes AE, et al, Am J Clin Nutr, 2007; 86(4): 1225-31. ) decreases your risk of developing wrinkles and dry skin as you age.
I don't know any woman who isn't interested in potentially decreasing her risk of developing wrinkles, or slowing down the inevitable spread of wrinkles once they appear. Everybody knows that grapefruit and oranges provide vitamin C, but papaya, red bell pepper, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and strawberries all have MORE vitamin C than citrus fruit! Other foods high in vitamin C include canteloupe, kiwi, and kale.
Linoleic acid is an unsaturated omega-6 fatty acid found in safflower, walnut, olive, and sunflower oils; as well as soybeans, egg yolks, and spirulina. If all of these foods are fats, then how could the researchers have concluded that eating more linoleic acid, but less total fat, decreases wrinkles? It al depends on the type of fat we consume, and for the majority of Americans, fat comes from fried foods, fast foods, and crispy snacks like cookies, crackers, and chips. Add in fat from dairy products and baked goods, and you get the drift.
Here's an idea: instead of eating high-fat fried foods and snacks, replace them with foods high in vitamin C such as papaya, strwberries, and broccoli. Use small smounts of safflower, olive, and sunflower oils to get linoleic acid.
Finally, the researchers noted that eating more carbohydrate increases wrinkles. My guess is that the type of carbohydrate is crucial. After all, fruit and vegetables are high in carbohydrate, and nobody recommends eating less of these healthy foods, do they? I bet my money on refined carbohdyrates, especially sugar and highly processed foods such as cookies, chips, and many crackers (did you note that these are also high in fat?) are the wrinkle-promoting carbohydrates.
So here's my plan: I'm going to eat at least two servings of foods high in vitamin C every day. I already use olive or safflower oil in cooking, and rarely eat high-fat snack foods. I DO purchase, or make homemade, cookies often for my teenage boys. Instead of grabbing a cookie, I'm first going to eat a fruit or vegetable high in vitamin C. I probably won't be hungry for a cookie after that, right?
Now, where's my sunscreen?
I don't know any woman who isn't interested in potentially decreasing her risk of developing wrinkles, or slowing down the inevitable spread of wrinkles once they appear. Everybody knows that grapefruit and oranges provide vitamin C, but papaya, red bell pepper, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and strawberries all have MORE vitamin C than citrus fruit! Other foods high in vitamin C include canteloupe, kiwi, and kale.
Linoleic acid is an unsaturated omega-6 fatty acid found in safflower, walnut, olive, and sunflower oils; as well as soybeans, egg yolks, and spirulina. If all of these foods are fats, then how could the researchers have concluded that eating more linoleic acid, but less total fat, decreases wrinkles? It al depends on the type of fat we consume, and for the majority of Americans, fat comes from fried foods, fast foods, and crispy snacks like cookies, crackers, and chips. Add in fat from dairy products and baked goods, and you get the drift.
Here's an idea: instead of eating high-fat fried foods and snacks, replace them with foods high in vitamin C such as papaya, strwberries, and broccoli. Use small smounts of safflower, olive, and sunflower oils to get linoleic acid.
Finally, the researchers noted that eating more carbohydrate increases wrinkles. My guess is that the type of carbohydrate is crucial. After all, fruit and vegetables are high in carbohydrate, and nobody recommends eating less of these healthy foods, do they? I bet my money on refined carbohdyrates, especially sugar and highly processed foods such as cookies, chips, and many crackers (did you note that these are also high in fat?) are the wrinkle-promoting carbohydrates.
So here's my plan: I'm going to eat at least two servings of foods high in vitamin C every day. I already use olive or safflower oil in cooking, and rarely eat high-fat snack foods. I DO purchase, or make homemade, cookies often for my teenage boys. Instead of grabbing a cookie, I'm first going to eat a fruit or vegetable high in vitamin C. I probably won't be hungry for a cookie after that, right?
Now, where's my sunscreen?
Labels: fat, linoleic acid, vitamin C, wrinkles
posted by Lynn Grieger and Mike Ryan at
2:44 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home