Dietary problems and certain weather conditions can bring about changes in your skin's texture. When the air is dry, your skin can also turn dry all over. Your lips, too, may not be spared from dryness and may exhibit extreme symptoms like cracking, flaking or bleeding skin.
Many people notice an increase in dry skin during the cooler months, which can be caused by a lower consumption of water by those who drink it only to satiate thirst. For others, poor nutrition can also be the cause of dry skin and cracked lips. Typically, people treat dry skin by applying moisturizers, creams or ointments regularly. While these topical products may relieve dryness on the surface of your skin, they can only provide temporary relief.
To prevent or treat dry skin, try making some adjustments in the food you eat. You will probably notice that a dietary prescription for good skin is essentially the same for a healthy body. To help with dry skin, your diet should contain the following:
Water and fluids
One of the physical signs of dehydration is dry skin. Ideally, your body needs at least 6 to 8 glasses of water a day. While soft drinks and sweetened juices are considered liquids, their sugar content can rob you off much needed water as these act as diuretics. The same is true for coffee, tea and alcohol. Increase your water intake while cutting down on alcohol, caffeinated and sweetened drinks.
Fresh fruits and vegetables
Dry skin is damaged skin. Raw foods like fruits and vegetables contain substantial amounts of vitamins A, B and C that your body needs to repair its cells. Eating more foods that are high in these vitamins will help your body to produce new and healthy skin cells. A good guide in buying fruits and vegetables is colour. Research shows that the presence of phytochemicals, disease-fighting substances, is responsible for giving fruits and vegetables their rich colours. The deeper its colour, the more health-giving nutrients a fruit or vegetable has.
Foods high in Omega 3, 6 and 9
Obesity and heart disease have given fat a bad name. Many diets try to cut out fat entirely in an attempt to promote slimmer and healthier bodies. Nutritionists, however, observe that people who avoid fat have dry skin, hair and nails. What most people do not know is that not all fat is bad. Your body needs a balance of "good" fat such as Omega 3, 6 and 9 to keep it healthy. Good fat dissolves fat. Omega 3, 6 and 9 are therefore essential to process and distribute fat-soluble and skin-saving vitamins like A, D, E and K all over your body. You can get Omega 3 from salmon, tuna, mackerel and other cold-water fishes, walnuts, soybeans, flaxseed oil, sesame seeds and canola oil. Good sources of Omega 6 are lean meats, organ meats, leafy greens, raw nuts, seeds and legumes. Meanwhile, you can find Omega 9 in olive oil, olives, avocados, almonds, peanuts and sesame oil.
Sulphur-containing foods
Foods high in sulfur such as eggs, asparagus and garlic help repair and renew the skin.
If dry skin is a problem, a visit to your health food store, nutritionist or dietitian could provide the solution with just a small change to your diet.
Originally published on May 26, 2009
