We love a great serum or trip to the spa as much as the next person, but let’s be frank. You can spend a trillion dollars on skincare products and visit an esthetician every month for facials, but if you aren’t taking note of your diet and the foods you’re eating to help boost your skin’s health, you aren’t doing everything you can to keep your skin looking its absolute best.
Some foods are hailed as actual collagen boosters. They are collagen-rich foods that can help strengthen your skin barrier, boost collagen production, and keep your skin looking smooth and glowing. You don’t have to overhaul your entire diet, either. Adding a few sardines in your salad or eating an orange in the morning in place of drinking processed juice is all that you may need to reap these benefits.
Let’s get started. Here are five collagen-boosting foods that doctors love because they boast several health benefits, including youthful-looking skin benefits.
Sardines
We know sardines aren’t as popular as salmon, but hear us out: the food contains bones, skin, and scales — and a major part of fish collagen is concentrated in those areas that you’d otherwise toss out. Sardines are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, protein, B-12, and vitamin D – making them an all-around great food for your skin and overall health.
You can eat sardines in your salad, on a cracker, or even in pasta.
Aloe Vera
If your familiarity with aloe vera starts and ends with it being that amazing ingredient that helps heal burns and skin issues, get ready to embrace it as a delish food, as well. Aloe can boost your skin’s collagen production and has antioxidant benefits, as well. Add some aloe to a smoothie alongside berries and protein powder.
Bone Broth
Many of us first heard the word “collagen” a few years ago alongside another two words: “Bone broth.” That’s because this satisfying comfort food is a serious source of collagen type 1. You can enjoy beef or pork bone broth, either by itself as a warm and healthy beverage, or as a base for your other soup ingredients like veggies and meat.
Oatmeal
Do not skip breakfast — not just because it’s a good idea to nourish yourself before a busy day, but because some of your popular morning choices are fabulous for your skin. In addition to protein-rich eggs, oatmeal is another optimum breakfast choice. It can help lower blood sugar levels and contains protein and vitamin E. Better still: the things you can add to oatmeal — like collagen-rich blueberries and selenium-rich Brazil nuts — allow you to get so many health benefits in one bowl.
Citrus
An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but citrus fruits like oranges are going to make your dermatologist very happy with you. Citrus contains an abundance of vitamin C, which plays a big role in linking amino acids to collagen production. It’s entirely up to you how you choose to enjoy a juicy orange — eat it on its own or add some to salads.
