Many people argue that your skin is a reflection of what you eat. Others argue that what is consumed on a daily basis has nothing to do with the skin’s appearance. I feel that there is a little bit of truth to each statement.  

It’s an old wives’ tale that eating chocolate as a teenager causes pimples; acne in teens is largely due to fluctuating hormones associated with puberty. Those of us who enter our 20s with acne-prone skin can thank stress, genetics, and still, those lovely fluctuations in hormones. Don’t get the wrong idea; diets high in fat and sugar are not good for anyone’s health. The benefit of eating a well-balanced, healthy diet is that it may decrease the severity and frequency of blemishes. Drinking plenty of water is also helpful. This keeps the skin well hydrated. If the skin does not dry out and have excessive flaking, pores are less likely to become clogged, which leads to acne.  

Some individuals might be more interested in knowing if there is a diet to delay the signs of aging. Well, a diet rich in antioxidants might be the trick. Antioxidants have been found to fight aging from the inside and out. The debate remains exactly how much antioxidant is needed to produce anti-aging effects. Eating foods such as berries, soy products, green tea, grape seed oil, milk thistle, vitamin E and vitamin C can help regenerate skin. The antioxidant properties in these foods work by decreasing the damage done by free radicals, and by promoting fibroblast activity. So, although there is no clear-cut evidence to prove that “we are what we eat,” it never hurts to take the path that might actually be in our favor.