A common question we receive here at Maine Laser Skin Care is: "Do I need to take supplements to help with my skin?" The question implies whether or not one would have to buy vitamins in pill form at the grocery store or pharmacy.
The short answer to that question is, "No." Actually, most of the vitamins and minerals that are needed for skin health can be consumed in everyday foods, rather than through supplements.
Vitamin A is an important antioxidant that helps with genetic & immune function, and strengthens retinoid receptors in the skin that are necessary for skin health. You can get the recommended amount of vitamin A in your diet by eating just 2/3 of a cup of carrots daily.
B vitamins are also important for skin, hair, and nail health. Vitamin B7, which is also known as biotin, can be obtained sufficiently by eating just one egg weekly. Vitamin B9, which is better known as folic acid, can also be instantly acquired by eating avocados, or adding olive oil to your diet.
Vitamin C is a very important antioxidant. It helps with collagen production and in fighting free radicals in skin produced by ultraviolet light or environmental damage. You can get sufficient amounts of vitamin C by eating one tomato or one citrus fruit per day.
Vitamin E is also an important skin vitamin that is essential for skin healing and is a powerful antioxidant. It is also readily available in avocados.
The basic message here is that supplements in pill form are clearly not necessary from a health standpoint as long as sufficient vitamins and minerals are obtained through a person's diet. If any supplementation is necessary, it can usually be obtained very easily through a multivitamin such as Centrum or Centrum Silver. Most nutritional scientists say that expensive supplements only result in expensive urine, as most of the vitamins your body doesn’t need in a day are flushed out.
In general, we here at Maine Laser Skin Care recommend adjusting your diet to include more fruits and vegetables, which are all rich in these vitamins. The more fresh and less processed the food, the better the food is for your skin and your health overall. As Julia Child famously said, "Bon appetit!"