Skin and nutrition

Our lecture in the "Skin health" series in July focused on the topic of "Skin and nutrition". Dermatologist Dr. Claudia Zeidler showed how we can support our skin with a balanced diet.

Our diet affects our entire body - and therefore also our skin.

A balanced diet provides all the building blocks the body needs. But what does balanced mean?

Here are a few tips:

Eat a "colorful" diet - vegetables, fruit, legumes, herbs and nuts in all colors should be on the table every day
Ideally, ½ of the diet should consist of vegetables and fruit, ¼ of carbohydrates, ¼ of proteins
Vitamins and minerals are essential. Vitamins E, D, K and A are fat-soluble
The more natural the food is, the better - ready-made products contain many additives
Plenty of fluids are good for the skin - 2 liters of water or unsweetened tea daily
Reduce sugar consumption - also in drinks
Use wholegrain products and pseudocereals (millet, quinoa, amaranth) instead of wheat products
Reduce your meat consumption, especially pork and sausages
Processed sausage products contain many additives and salts
Consume more unsaturated fatty acids: oily fish, nuts, seeds, good oils (linseed oil, rapeseed oil) are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids
Avoid fried foods as they contain saturated fatty acids and trans fats
Sweets contain a lot of sugar, which is broken down quickly and does not provide lasting satiety
Prefer plant-based foods to animal-based foods

Vitamins and minerals have important functions - also for the skin, e.g:

Vitamin A	Promotes skin regeneration and retains moisture in the skin
Vitamin C	Promotes collagen formation and has antioxidant properties
Vitamin E	protects against UV damage and has an anti-inflammatory effect
Zinc	Supports wound healing and reduces inflammation
Antioxidants	Protection against free radicals (contained in berries, green tea, nuts, etc.)
Omega-3 fatty acids	reduce inflammation and keep the skin supple (contained in fatty fish, linseed, chia seeds, walnuts)

Here is a list of foods that contain particularly high levels of vitamins and minerals:

Quercetin	Capers, lovage, kale, apples, onions, broccoli, berries
Zinc	Meat, fish, eggs, nuts
Selenium	Meat, fish, eggs, nuts (Brazil nuts), mushrooms, asparagus, lentils
Copper	Shellfish, nuts, cocoa, legumes
Vitamin A/beta-carotene	Sea fish, eggs, yellow/orange and green vegetables, carrot, pumpkin, apricot, kale, lamb's lettuce, spinach)
Vitamin C	Parsley, peppers, broccoli, blackcurrants
Vitamin B12	Offal, caviar, oysters
Iron (+ vitamin C)	Meat, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds

Tip:
The vitamins ED(E)KA are fat-soluble and should always be consumed together with fat so that the vitamins can be absorbed in the body (e.g. carrot + oil).
Vitamin C is sensitive to heat and should only be heated up to 40 °C if possible.

However, a healthy gut microbiome (all the microorganisms that live in the gut) is also important and can be influenced by diet and lifestyle.
Most microorganisms are found in our large intestine, as this is where the conditions are most favorable for their growth.

The intestinal microbiome has the following tasks:

1. digestion and nutrient absorption:
Breakdown of complex carbohydrates, production of short-chain fatty acids as an energy source, vitamin K and vitamin B synthesis
2. immune system: regulation of inflammation
3. metabolic influence: regulation of sugar and fat metabolism

Gut-brain axis:
The gut and brain are closely linked. There is evidence of the influence of diet on mental illness.
Our intestinal microbiome is influenced by various factors:

Nutrition:
Fiber-rich foods promote the growth of beneficial bacteria, while a diet rich in sugar and fat can promote harmful bacteria.

Antibiotics and medication:
Antibiotics can greatly change the microbiome, as they not only kill pathogenic bacteria but also beneficial bacteria. It can take months for the microbiome to recover after antibiotic treatment.

Lifestyle:
Stress, lack of sleep, nicotine and lack of exercise can disrupt the balance of the microbiome and have a negative impact on health.

We can influence the gut microbiome through our diet by consuming probiotics, which are living microorganisms that offer health benefits when consumed in sufficient quantities. Probiotics can be found in fermented vegetables, sauerkraut, kefir, yogurt, cheese, etc.

But prebiotics are also good for intestinal flora. These non-digestible food components promote the growth and activity of beneficial intestinal bacteria. Onions and garlic, chicory, lentils, bananas and Jerusalem artichokes contain a lot of prebiotics.

For some people, an anti-inflammatory diet is important. This reduces possible food substances that can fuel inflammatory processes in the body.

A brief overview:

reduce	prefer
Wheat products	Pseudocereals (millet, quinoa, amaranth), Rice, Maize
Excessive meat consumption V .a. Pork, sausage products	Fatty fish (1-2 x per week)
Bad fats lots of saturated fatty acids, trans fats (fried foods, potato chips, cakes, margarine) poor ratio of saturated to unsaturated fatty acids	Good fats Nuts Omega-3 fatty acids Saturated fatty acids : Unsaturated fatty acids (1:2)
Industrialized food	Fresh food
Sweet or fast-absorbing sugar	Low sugar fruit (1-2 hands full)
	Lots of vegetables (cooked or raw) à especially greens (broccoli and frozen spinach) Herbs Turmeric

Good fats are not only important for the skin, inflammatory processes can also be fueled by foods with saturated fatty acids. The ratio of saturated to unsaturated fatty acids should be 1:2.

Saturated fatty acids : Unsaturated fatty acids
1 : 2

Saturated FS	1-fold unsaturated FS (e.g. oleic acid)	Polyunsaturated FS
In animal products: Butter Lard Meat Sausage Cheese Dairy products Palm/coconut oil Chocolate, confectionery, pastries	Nuts Seeds Avocados Olive oil, olives Rapeseed oil	*Omega-3 (Alpha-linolenic acid):* Rapeseed oil, linseed oil, walnut oil, algae oil, fatty fish (mackerel, salmon, tuna, herring) *Omega-6 (Linoleic acid, arachidonic acid):* Sunflower oil, safflower oil, pumpkin seed oil, corn oil, dairy products, meat

Rapeseed and linseed oil have a particularly good ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids.
The most valuable oils for the body are cold-pressed oils that are consumed directly.
These oils should only be heated up to 120 °C, refined oils can be heated up to 200 °C.
Caution: Trans fats such as those found in margarine, potato chips, cakes and fried foods should be consumed as little as possible.

Conclusion:
Our entire organism benefits from a balanced diet, including our skin.

Fresh, minimally unprocessed food has very good nutritional values, minerals, vitamins and natural substances.

Lots of vegetables - preferably of all colors - fruit, fish, nuts, seeds, legumes, good oils are a good choice - as well as less meat, less sausage products, less sweetened soft drinks.

Less sugar, fewer simple carbohydrates, more fiber and fermented vegetables make our good gut bacteria happy - then we and our skin will be fine. ❤️

Many thanks to the dermatologist Dr. Claudia Zeidler for the valuable information and thanks to all participants for their interest.

Further reports