You don't need that expensive face cream to look younger, just focus on your diet to help preserve your youthful appearance.

Here are some of the best anti-aging foods and a few to limit when it comes to maintaining a healthy, good looking body.

Best anti-aging foods

n Cheese

Ever wondered why some restaurants offer cheese as a post-meal desert? One reason is because a little cheddar can counteract the acid left behind after a meal. Not only that, calcium helps build strong teeth. So nibbling on cheese after dinner can bring some bling to your pearly whites.

n Tomatoes

These healthy fruits are loaded with lycopene, an antioxidant with natural sunscreen properties. Tomato paste is a good source of lycopene, so adding it to your pasta sauce or as a pizza topping can make a difference to your skin.

n Salmon

A superfood when it comes to your body, the essential omega-3 fats are great for healthy and nourished skin too. Salmon contains anti-oxidants such as selenium and vitamin E that protect against free radicals that can have damaging and aging effects on the skin. Nuts, seeds and avocados are also fantastic for a healthy complexion.

n Watermelon

Even though watermelon is 93 percent water, it's still packed with vitamins and anti-oxidants to help ward off premature aging. Watermelon also contains vitamin A that is linked to helping treat acne, according to a 2015 study in Medical Archives.

n Olive Oil

The monounsaturated fat and anti-oxidants found in olive oil provide numerous health benefits, including heart function, improved memory, reduced inflammation and many others, according to a paper published in the March 2018 issue of the International Journal of Molecular Science. Not only that, olive oil helps keep skin moisturized and protected from damage.

Worst anti-aging foods

n Sugar

Sweets aren't just bad for your teeth, they age your skin too. Collagen production naturally decreases as you get older, but consuming excess sugar speeds up the process.

A study in the Clinics in Dermatology journal highlighted just how sugar is thought to be harmful to your skin. Glucose and fructose, the sugar molecules, link the amino acids in the collagen and elastin that support the skin, producing advanced glycation end products (AGEs).

These AGEs accelerate the process. Research has also found a link between eating a high-glycemic diet (sugar foods) and acne, although the research doesn't show causation

n Salt

Clearly a flavor enhancer, salt is a favorite ingredient in lots of dishes. But too much salt (more than 2,300 milligrams a day) not only increases blood pressure, it can be bad for your skin too.

In a 2019 study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, skin lesions on people with eczema were found to have elevated levels of sodium chloride (salt), although causation could not be proved.

n Alcohol

Drinking more than the recommended daily amount of alcohol (one drink for women, two drinks for men) can cause dehydration, making your skin look dry and withered. Excess alcohol can also cause inflammation, leading to a myriad of problems such as acne, breakouts, and disrupted sleep.

Poor sleep quality then leads to dark circles under the eyes, wrinkles and sagging skin.

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Read more:
Five anti-aging foods -- and some that age - Richmond Register

Recommendation and review posted by Alexandra Lee Anderson