Best Vitamins For Your Skin

Photo by st8geek (Flickr)

Three very useful Vitamins that make you look young and healthy. Vitamins A, C, and E are basically antioxidants known as Antioxidant Vitamins for a healthy cells and good looking skin. No wonder why these healthful substances are added in various cosmetic products. See what these Vitamins can do for you and what are their sources.

Vitamin A

It is an unsaturated organic compound that includes retinol, retinal, retinoic acid, and beta-carotene.

Functions:

• Maintenance of healthy skin
• For growth and development
• Maintenance of the immune system
• For good vision. 

Vitamin A is needed by the retina of the eye in the form of retinal, which combines with protein opsin to form  rhodopsin, the light absorbing molecule that is necessary for low-light and color vision.

Sources:

   •  carrot                       •  papaya

   •  cod liver oil             •  mango

   •  turkey liver             •  pea

   •  fish liver                  •  milk

   •  chicken liver           •  tomato

   •  dandelion greens   •  broccoli

   •  sweet potato           •  seaweed

   •  butter                       •  kale

   •  spinach                    •  pumpkin

   • cheddar cheese       •  melon

   •  egg                            •  apricot

Since Vitamin A is fat soluble, disposing of any excess taken in through diet takes much longer than with water soluble vitamins. This allows for more toxic levels of Vitamin A to accumulate. However, in general, acute toxicity occurs at high doses like 25,000 IU/kg of body weight which can be too far to happen. 

Vitamin E

It is a fat soluble Vitamin compounds that include tocopherols and tocotrienols.

Functions:

• Prevents propagation of free radicals
• Prevents cells from oxidative damage
• Inhibits platelet aggregation
• Slows progression of dementia

Sources:

  •  corn oil                        •  soybean oil

  •  margarine                   •  almond

  •  hazelnut                      •  palm oil

  •  wheatgerm oil            • sunflower oil

  •   safflower oil              •  dressings

  •  spinach                        •  turnip

  •  papaya                         •  dandelion greens

  •  avocado                       •  asparagus

  •  kiwifruit                      •  broccoli

  •  pumpkin                     •  sweet potato

  •  mango                         •  tomato

Vitamin E acts as an anticoagulant, which may increase the risk of bleeding problem. Agencies set a tolerable intake level at 1,500 IU/day.

Vitamin C

Also called Ascorbic Acid, a water soluble essential nutrient for humans and certain other animal species. It is the most widely taken nutritional supplement. 

Functions:

• Antioxidant
• Helps in wound healing
• Treatment of scurvy
• Helps normalise blood pressure

Sources:

  •  papaya                       •  rosehip

  •  chilli pepper             •  red currant

  •  guava                         •  brussel sprouts

  •  black currant           •  goji

  •  parsley                      •  lychee

  •  papaya                      •  kiwifruit

  •  broccoli                     •  kale

  •  melon                        •  tangerine

  •  garlic                         •  mandarin orange

  •  grapefruit                 •  passionfruit

  •  mango                       •  potato

  • blackberry                 •  tomato

Vitamin C is water soluble. With dietary excess not absorbed and excess in the blood is rapidly excreted in the urine. It exhibits remarkably low toxicity. A dose of 80mg to 250mg per day is okay.

Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables such as mango, papaya, tomato and broccoli to save yourself from buying vitamin supplements.