by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
beauty is big business—a multi-billion dollar business, to be exact. Americans spend over $7 billion a year on beauty products, and some estimates put the global beauty market at many times that. Plus it’s growing at twice the rate of the developed world’s Gross Domestic Product. Add to that the billions spent on cosmetic surgery (not to mention weight-loss programs) and before you know it, you’re talking real money.
I’m kidding, of course, about the “real money” part; but not about Americans’ obsession with looking good. Interestingly, most of the action in this huge industry is concentrated on products that promise surface improvements. A cursory glance at the cosmetics counters of any upscale department store quickly demonstrates that there’s no end to the number of products that people will buy—and evidently the amount of money they'll spend—to make their skin look younger and more supple, to eliminate wrinkles and to make their hair more lustrous. (It’s understandable—who doesn’t want the immediate gratification of smoother, softer, younger looking skin?) And of course we already know that there’s few limits to what people will try to get their tummies in beach-ready shape.
What’s interesting is how little we acknowledge the difference we can make in our skin, our hair, and our bodies just from the foods we eat and the supplements we take.
INFLAMMATION CAUSES AGING
One of the largest problems we face as we age is the damage done to our skin (and our insides) by an insidious process called inflammation. Inflammation is part of the body’s natural healing response—when you stub your toe or get a splinter, the area gets red and inflamed because the immune system mounts a response, sending fluid into the area and surrounding the affected area with white blood cells all in an attempt to neutralize any microbes or invaders that might cause illness. But when we’re constantly assaulted by toxins in the environment and in our diet, our body stays in constant alert, keeping us in a state of low-level “beneath the radar” inflammation.
“Without inflammation, aging doesn’t go forward,” says noted dermatologist Nicholas Perricone, M.D., and author of The Wrinkle Cure. “In my opinion, inflammation is at the center of the whole problem of aging.” Indeed it is. And fortunately, there’s something you can do about it.
BENEFITS MORE THAN SKIN DEEP
Omega-3s are the most anti-inflammatory substance on the planet. They’re the parent molecule for all the anti-inflammatory compounds that the body naturally makes to balance all that skin-damaging inflammation. So much has been written about the almost magical ability of omega-3s to improve blood pressure, circulation and mood, that it’s easy to forget that they’re also just about the best skin tonic ever created. And they work their magic from the inside out. One of the first effects you’ll see from increasing your intake of omega-3s is more lustrous hair. Your nails will get stronger. And your skin will begin to glow. It happens almost every time. Fatty acids are an important component of the cell membrane, and without a steady supply of the most healthy kinds of fats, cell membranes become stiff. Nutrients can’t get in or out. Metabolism becomes sluggish. Healthy essential fats like the omega-3s are quickly incorporated into the cell membrane, making all sorts of chemicals (from neurotransmitters to vitamins and minerals) to get inside the cell where they can do their work. Metabolism is improved, inflammation is reduced, and skin and hair become lustrous and smooth. Omega-3s are truly the ultimate “beauty supplement.”
FIGHTS FREE RADICALS
Another source of damage to the skin comes from rogue molecules called free radicals. Free radicals are basically unstable oxygen molecules. A good example of free radical damage is what happens when you cut an apple into slices and leave it out in the air. The interaction with the oxygen molecules ultimately turns the exposed area of the apple brown. That damage is called, not surprisingly, oxidation. Show me aging skin and I’ll show you significant oxidative damage. That’s why a diet high in antioxidants is such an important part of a good anti-aging strategy.
Antioxidants “donate” one of their molecules to the rogue free radicals, thus helping to prevent the damage they can do. When you squirt lemon juice on those apple slices, they don’t turn brown, largely because the vitamin C in the lemon juice acts as an antioxidant, protecting the apple against free radical damage. A diet high in fruits and vegetables can provide a level of protection from the inside out that is rarely duplicated by even the most expensive skin cream. And the best skin creams actually contain antioxidants of their own, like vitamin C and alphalipoic acid. (Other important antioxidants include vitamin E and the minerals selenium and zinc.)
Green drinks like Barlean’s Greens, for example, contain extracts from many plants like spinach which are loaded with phytochemicals, antioxidants and nutrients. Have a green drink along with your daily intake of fruits and vegetables and you’ll be doing your body and your skin a world of good.
Essentially, free radicals themselves can trigger an inflammatory response. We’re exposed to their damaging effects on a daily basis. We can’t do much about the free radicals in the air, in secondhand smoke, and in the environment in general, but we can do a lot to fuel the body’s own natural defenses in the form of its anti-inflammatory response. “You can even have skin affected by o verexposure to the sun,” says Dr. Perricone, “but if there isn’t inflammation present it doesn’t do the extensive damage you see clinically.”
The bottom line? Get some sensible sun, use sunscreen during the peak hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and take a daily dose of Barlean’s Total Omega to keep your anti-inflammatory defenses strong. Antioxidants and anti-inflammatories—that’s the ticket to health, and with it vitality, smooth skin, radiant hair and strong nails. They’re all welcome “side effects” from a diet high in antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, supplemented with the antiinflammatory That’s truly a prescription for summer beauty from the inside out.
