Have you heard of phytonutrients? This is really exciting and important for skin health as well as overall health and wellbeing. The word phyto means plant. It is the phytonutrients that give the plants like berries, fruits and vegetables their color and flavors. Phytonutrients are not classified as essential, ie necessary for our survival, but…
Grapes protect against UV-radiation When the skin is exposed to UV radiation, so-called photooxidative stress and inflammation form in the skin (learn about free radicals and oxidative stress here). A new study shows that substances in grapes can protect against this type of acute damage to the skin caused by the sun’s harmful UV radiation….
Carotenoids for skin health Carotenoids are a family of phytonutrients that include beta-carotene, lutein and lycopene. Astaxanthin and zeaxathin are also members of this family. Beta-carotene Beta-carotene is a fat-soluble antioxidant and precursor to vitamin A and is therefore called provitamin A. It is found in yellow and orange foods such as carrots, sweet potato,…
Resveratrol for skin health There is a lot of talk about resveratrol at the moment. It is found in the peel of grapes and in their seeds, wine (especially in red wine), blueberries, cranberries, peanuts, pistachios, and dark chocolate. There are also many supplements that contain resveratrol. Even though there’s resveratrol in wine, it is not…
What are anthocyanins and why are they important for skin health? Anthocyanidins are found in dark purple, blue, black and red plants, especially in berries such as blueberries, black currants, blackberries and raspberries. It is the anthocyanidins that give the berries their blue, purple and black color. The anthocyanidins belong to the family of phytonutrients called…
What are antioxidants? Antioxidants are molecules that can donate electrons to free radicals and thereby stop the damaging chain reactions caused by free radicals and oxidative stress. Antioxidants are found in very many different types of foods. Mainly in fresh plant foods such as vegetables, fruits, berries, beans, nuts and seeds, but also in animal…
