Foods For Hydration & Skin Health
Article by Ellie Morris
With summer well and truly underway in the UK there are lots of foods we can include in our diets to help us manage the heat, by keeping us hydrated and supporting healthy skin.
Hydrating foods
Water is an essential part of our diets. Most of the body's vital processes need water so that we can function properly, so making sure we get enough is of utmost importance. Getting more water in your diet can be as easy and simple as adding in more hydrating foods to our meals. Up to 30% of our daily water intake can come from the food that we eat (1) so it’s important to include foods with a high water volume on a daily basis, especially when it’s hot. The other 70% comes from drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day. In the UK it is recommended that we consume around 8 glasses or 2 litres of water each day (2). If you’re looking for a longer read on the importance of hydrating ourselves with water and the role it plays, here is another Rhitrition article for you to read.
The most common types of hydrating foods include most fruit & veg like, strawberries, watermelon, peaches, cucumber, lettuce, tomatoes and citrus fruits, as these have a high water volume. These foods are super refreshing and contain lots of essential vitamins for optimal function in the body and our overall health too.
Skin health
In recent years there has been a boom in the number of products and suncreams on the market that are needed to help us protect our skin against increased sun exposure. Sun cream application is recommended to be used all year round and is absolutely vital in the summer months. There are two types of UV lights, Ultraviolet A (UVA), which has a longer wavelength, and is associated with skin ageing and Ultraviolet B (UVB), which has a shorter wavelength and is associated with skin burning. For buying suncream, a sun protection factor of at least 30 SPF is advised to protect against UVB and at least a 4-star UVA protection. For more in-depth research into the importance of protecting our skin and top tips for keeping it healthy all year round, then check out our skin health blog here.
There are also some foods which may protect your body from the sun’s UV rays and help to reduce the effects of sunburn. If you’re conscious about skin health then consider increasing the intake of antioxidant foods in your diet, like vitamin E and lycopene as these help to protect your body from damage caused by compounds known as free radicals (3). Increased free radicals in the body have been linked to oxidative stress which promotes cell damage that causes illness and ageing (3).
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is found in green veggies, seafood, nuts and seeds and may be beneficial at reducing UV damage to skin. Recent research has found that eating almonds, which is a good source of vitamin E, may help to improve your skin’s resistance to the sun’s rays (4). Including a handful of these as an on-the-go snack or topped on breakfast bowls, is a one way in which you can help prevent the effects of the sun on your skin health. A good tip here is to make sure you’re having food rich in vitamin C, such as, kiwis, peppers, oranges and broccoli as this supports absorption the Vitamin E.
Lycopene-rich foods
Lycopene is an antioxidant found in foods such as tomatoes, (sun-dried tomatoes and tomato puree have the highest levels), guava, and watermelon. There’s evidence to suggest that including foods which contain lycopene in your diet may help to further protect your skin from the sun’s UV rays and reduce the incidences of sunburn (5). To include more lycopene-rich foods in your diet, top your summer salads with sun-dried tomatoes or add some guava or watermelon chunks to a fruit bowl.
The benefits that we get from eating a nutritious and varied diet is huge. Remember, to help you stay cool and hydrated this summer, regularly drink lots of fluids and include hydrating foods on your plate each day, as well as topping up your dishes with lycopene and vitamin E-rich foods. Don’t forget to also wear sunscreen and keep in the shade at peak hours so we can stay protected and can enjoy the sun safely.
This blog was written by Ellie Morris, the Clinic Manager for Rhitrition and soon-to-been associate registered nutritionist. She is about to finish her MSc in Applied Human Nutrition at Oxford Brookes, and has previously completed an internship with Clarissa Lenherr Nutrition, and was an applied sports nutrition intern at the University of Birmingham. Ellie has also had some experience as part of the MyNutriWeb team to learn the behind the scenes of one of the UK’s leading nutrition CPD resources. She shares yummy meal and snack ideas over on her Instagram @nutritiouslyellie.
References:
(1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5084017/
(2) https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-guidelines-and-food-labels/water-drinks-nutrition/
(3) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3249911/
(4) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jocd.13946
(5) https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/96/5/1179S/4577133