A new study from the University of Otago in Christchurch, New Zealand, has found that vitamin C plays a powerful role in keeping your skin healthy.
The research shows that when people eat more vitamin C-rich foods like kiwifruit, it improves skin thickness and boosts the skin’s ability to renew itself.
The study was published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology and looked at how much vitamin C in the blood affects the amount in the skin. The results clearly showed that when people increased their vitamin C intake, it also raised the vitamin C levels in their skin. This led to stronger, thicker skin and better skin regeneration.
The research involved 24 healthy adults, with half from New Zealand and the other half from Germany. These volunteers took part in a study where they ate two SunGold kiwifruit every day for eight weeks.
SunGold kiwifruit are known to be very high in vitamin C. Each fruit provided a strong dose of the vitamin, totaling about 250 milligrams per day.
Before and after the study, the researchers took skin samples to measure changes. They found that vitamin C from the diet reached all layers of the skin, even the outermost layer.
The skin became thicker, which is a sign of more collagen being produced. Collagen is a protein that keeps skin firm and youthful. The researchers also saw signs that the skin was renewing itself more quickly.
Professor Margreet Vissers, who led the study, said she was surprised by how closely the blood levels of vitamin C matched the skin levels. She explained that this is the first time researchers have shown that vitamin C travels from the blood into all parts of the skin and helps improve its function.
She pointed out that while many skin creams add vitamin C, it doesn’t absorb well through the outer skin. However, when you eat foods rich in vitamin C, the skin absorbs it much better from the inside.
The study had two parts. In the first part, the researchers used skin samples from people who had surgery. They compared the amount of vitamin C in their blood and skin. In the second part, the participants ate the kiwifruit every day.
In Germany, researchers also measured how the skin changed by using ultrasound tests. They checked skin thickness, flexibility, and how well the skin protected itself from sunlight.
The results were impressive. People had thicker skin and more active skin cell renewal after the eight-week period. This shows that getting enough vitamin C from your diet really can improve your skin health.
Although the study used SunGold kiwifruit, Professor Vissers believes that other fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C—like oranges, berries, capsicums, and broccoli—can offer similar benefits.
The key is to eat enough every day because the body doesn’t store vitamin C. She recommends aiming for at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily, with one being high in vitamin C, to keep your skin strong and healthy.
If you care about nutrition, please read studies about A guide to diet choices for healthy kidneys and findings of Scientists find why limiting calories in diet could boost healthy aging and muscles.
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