Skin is our first business card. It is the mirror of good health. It becomes dull during stressful periods, revealing how many birthdays we have celebrated.
Taking care of it from a young age is an investment that always yields excellent results.
Cosmetic medicine benefits the skin at the right time but constant additional help is provided by nutrition.
Collagen is an element of the skin that conveys tone. With age and exposure to sun radiations, the function of this precious protein can be impaired.
A diet rich in vitamin C (and hence in citrus fruit, kiwi, strawberries, bell peppers, tomatoes and broccoli) maintains collagen structure intact in the course of time, enabling it to perform its supportive function more effectively.
Conversely, a diet entailing frequent glycaemic peaks, such as after the ingestion of cakes and refined sugar, will lead to progressive weakening of collagen.
Indeed, when sugar exceeds a certain level in the blood, it binds this protein and facilitates degradation.
Hence, must sugars be considered enemies for the skin? Not all sugars.
Hyaluronic acid maintains the skin turgid and moisturised, and derives from glucose, the most widely present sugar in nature.
Complex carbohydrates (such as pasta and rice) provide the right quantity of glucose in a beneficial form. Since these foods are rich in cooking water, they also enhance tissue moisturisation.
Dott.ssa Silvia Goggi
Medico Chirurgo esperto di nutrizione