Most of you do not consider skin as an essential organ and do not pay much attention to take care of it. But the fact is that skin is the largest organ of the body, and a high degree of attention is in demand. The only secret for a healthy body and ultimately healthy organs is having a balanced diet rich in all nutrients. For a bright skin, it is essential to flush all the free radicals off the body. It can be achieved by having foods that are rich in antioxidants.

Let’s discuss on some of the nutritional requirements especially the vitamins for a healthy skin.

Vitamin A: Most of you know Vitamin A, the vitamin that is essential for good functioning of eyes. Good news for people with acne is, Vitamin A helps to reduce the secretion of sebum and controls acne. It functions as an anti-oxidizing agent, eliminating the toxic free radicals generated by various metabolic activities and even helps in rejuvenating the skin cells. About 10,000 IU of daily intake of Vitamin A is found to help fight against acne.

Vitamin B Complex: Stress plays a great role in altering the secretion of hormones that in turn result in increased secretion of sebum, causative factor of acne. The B-Complex group of vitamins is found to reduce stress and hence help to prevent acne. To fight against acne, it is essential to take approximately 100 mg of B-Complex vitamins. Thiamin with its antioxidant properties helps to eliminate the toxins from the body. Riboflavin in association with Vitamin A strengthens the mucous membrane. Niacinamide helps to improve the circulation throughout the body.

Vitamin C: Its excellent anti-oxidant property helps to fight against acne by eliminating the toxins off the body. It even helps to develop the immune system and fights against skin infections. Vitamin C plays role in collagen production and the skin remains firm if Vitamin C is consumed in required amounts. It is recommended to consume about 500 to 1000 mg of Vitamin C thrice a day for a healthy skin, free of acne.

Vitamin E: Another vitamin with anti-oxidant property. It helps in healing and tissue repair. It is found to have healing action of wounds caused by burns or cuts and inflammation. It is recommended to consume about 400 IU daily to have a healthy skin.

Given the importance of various vitamins for a healthy skin it is essential to have a diet rich in all the vitamins. If you are a person who doesn’t pay much attention to diet then it is recommended to take multivitamin tablets regularly.

Coming to the natural sources of these vitamins, fruits and vegetables are rich sources of vitamins. In particular:

• Vitamin A - Egg yolk, carotene rich vegetables like carrot, fruits like papaya and dairy products that are rich sources.

• Vitamin B - Poultry, fish, whole grains, pulses, leafy vegetables, meat and dairy products, which are rich sources of vitamin B-complex.

• Vitamin C - Citrus fruits, cabbage, broccoli, tomatoes have good amount of vitamin C.

• Vitamin E - Green leafy vegetables, vegetable oil, whole grains, and nuts have abundant amount of Vitamin E.

Include appropriate amounts of the above foods in your regular diet and enjoy the beauty of your skin.

Mark Perry

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