Does protein help skin

We know certain foods / nutrients are good for our overall health and skin so getting enough vitamins is crucial.  But does protein help skin?  And do we get enough of it?

Protein sources

Obviously, much of the protein you’ll get (if you eat meat) will be from animal products such as:

• Beef / poultry / fish
• Eggs
• Milk
• Cheese
• Yogurt

These protein sources give you all the amino acids you need, which is great.  But, if you don’t eat meat, you’ll need to get protein from other sources like beans and tofu.  Unfortunately, you won’t be getting those amino acids that are so important for our bodies to function, look healthy, and help our hormones.

Does protein help skin?

So, if we know that protein provides the amino acids we need, that should tell us that protein does indeed help skin.  We need these amino acids for several reasons and that includes:

• Anti-aging
• Help to keep skin from sagging
• To keep wrinkles at bay and ensure your skin looks vibrant

Aging, protein and sagging skin

Collagen and elastin are needed for your skin to look it’s best.  Without enough protein / amino acids in your diet, the skin won’t look healthy and vibrant.  Your skin starts to look dull, and you may start seeing more wrinkles.  Your skin starts to lose elasticity; you start looking ‘old(er)’.  So, aging protein sagging skin is inevitable unless you make some diet changes to include protein.

Zinc

A side note about zinc.  Zinc is plentiful in animal protein and getting enough zinc helps our skin if you suffer from acne and helps with wrinkles.  The good news is that you can get zinc in supplements as well as spinach and almonds (a favorite of mine).  So, just be mindful of this if you don’t eat meat so that you get enough of this important mineral.

Omega’s

Other important nutrients are the omega’s but we need them in the right balance.  Many times, we get too much of one and not enough of another so make sure you get your Omega 3 / 6 / 9 in the right proportion so your skin stays healthy.

Does protein help skin?  Yep, you bet it does!  Diet and acne don’t have to be a problem – you just have to know what foods to eat and how much.