Dr. Elisabetta Bernardi from the Sanpellegrino Observatory explains why correct hydration is essential for improving the appearance and health of the skin
Sea, sun and holidays, summer has arrived and like every year our skin is put to the test between sweating, outdoor sports and exposure to sunlight. But despite the stress to which it is subjected, in the summer it is always "in the foreground" thanks to the lighter clothing. What to do then to protect it and keep it always healthy and at the height of its beauty?
Let's start by saying that the skin is the organ at the same time more extended, thinner and heavier than our body; performs the function of "external barrier" that ensures us protection from exposure to sunlight, irritants, infections and temperatures. A fortiori in the summer, therefore, we must remember, that there are some tricks that help us to purify it, reinforce it and, consequently, make it more beautiful.
Proper hydration for a hydrated appearance
Several studies suggest that a valid help to improve the appearance of the skin comes from proper hydration and therefore from drinking the right amount of water daily. In particular, a recent study conducted at the Universities of Lisbon and Madrid [1] shows that drinking water improves the state of superficial and deep skin hydration. "These results seem to confirm - explains Dr. Elisabetta Bernardi Biologist specialist in Food Science and member of the Sanpellegrino Observatory - that a greater daily water intake in one's diet, has a positive impact on the normal physiology of the skin, expressed by its hydration. and biomechanical behavior, especially in individuals with lower daily water consumption. By biomechanical behavior we mean the elasticity of the skin, its plasticity, ie the ability to return to its original state if extended ”. A previous study [2] had also shown in subjects with dry skin that increasing dietary water intake affects the skin in the same way that topical moisturizers (creams) do.
Corrected hydration against impurities
But drinking the right amount of water every day helps not only to hydrate but also to purify the skin: "drinking about two liters of water a day favors the proper functioning of the epidermal tissue, - continues Dr. Bernardi - helping to convey many nutrients and to eliminate waste ones instead ". Therefore, water with its detoxifying action helps to restore the well-being of our body, to eliminate impurities from our skin, as well as to delay the aging of the dermis. It is a mechanism strictly connected to the maintenance of the so-called water balance, that is the balance between the amount of water we take in and that which we disperse every day through sweating and the normal functions of our body, which must always be maintained by drinking the right amount of water taking into account your degree of physical activity and atmospheric conditions.
Healthy nutrition to give nourishment
Another help to improve the appearance of the skin comes from a healthy diet: "fruits and vegetables - continues Dr. Bernardi - in addition to being rich in water, they help the body to assimilate the nutrients it needs, such as vitamins C which is fundamental for the synthesis of collagen which plays a structural role in the skin ". A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition [3] suggests that increased intake of vitamin C and linoleic acid - an essential fatty acid from the omega-6 series, found for example in pumpkin or flax seeds and in nuts such as walnuts or almonds - it is associated with a lower prevalence of wrinkles, a more hydrated appearance and less dry skin. On the contrary, a high intake of fats and sugars would contribute more to skin aging.
For those who have been exposed to too much sunlight, it may be useful to know, however, that "the essential omega-3 fats, abundant in fatty fish, vitamin E and vitamin A through different mechanisms are able to reduce the erythema due to a excessive sun exposure, - concludes the nutritionist - limiting the damage caused by UV rays and reducing inflammation in the superficial layers of the skin ".