During winters, the colder air cannot carry much moisture and becomes dry. Water gets lost from our skin, causing dryness, wrinkles, inflammation and cracks. Various vitamins protect our skin from these effects. Below, we take a look at foods that contain these vitamins.
Foods rich vitamin D
Vitamin D is vital for the maintenance of skin health. It is synthesised in the skin as vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol, primarily through exposure to the sun’s rays, which gets reduced during winter as people stay indoors more often. Vitamin D deficiency causes the skin to become dry. Foods rich in vitamin D include mushrooms, oily fishes such as herring, sardines, salmon, egg yolks, cheese, and fortified cereals, soy milk and orange juice.
Foods rich vitamin E
Vitamin E consists of fat-soluble compounds that act as antioxidants, protecting our skin from the damaging effects of free radical caused oxidation, such as ageing and even cancer. Avocados, spinach, mustard greens, almonds, peanuts, berries, kiwi, and whole grains, are rich in vitamin E. It is beneficial for those suffering from dry skin-related issues.
Foods rich vitamin C
Fruits such as lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, vegetables like potatoes, broccoli and Brussels sprouts, contain vitamin C. It stimulates the synthesis of collagen, which maintains skin firmness and elasticity. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant which safeguards against cell and tissue damage from oxidative stress.
Foods rich vitamin A
Vitamin A, or retinol, is used to treat skin wrinkles from ageing. It protects the epidermis and prevents water loss from the skin, thereby treating dryness during winter. Vitamin A is found in animal products like liver, egg yolk, and fish. Vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots, squashes, spinach and fruits like mango, grapefruits and watermelon contain carotenoids that get converted to vitamin A during digestion.
Foods rich vitamin K
Vitamin K supports the healing of wounds on the skin and is thus necessary for treating skin damage in winter. Green leafy vegetables, mainly spinach, broccoli, cabbage and kale contain this vitamin.