FEB_25_Sweetpotato Speak

CAN EATING SWEETPOTATOES HELP YOUR SKIN?

By Sarah Schlichter, MPH RDN Registered Dietitian for NCSC

Can Diet Really Help Your Skin? Yes, what you eat can definitely play a role in the health of your skin. Fortunately, sweetpotatoes offer many of these nutrition components packed into one delicious and affordable superfood! Therefore, eating more sweetpotatoes can give your skin a great boost in several different ways. Here are some of the nutrients that sweetpotatoes offer important for skin health. Vitamin A – Vitamin A plays an important role in regulating the production and differentiation of different cell types, including skin cells. Vitamin A can also help foster hydration of the skin, speed up healing and reduce wrinkles. One medium sweetpotato carries all of your daily allotment of Vitamin A, plus some. Vitamin C – Vitamin C helps to suppress some of the damage from UV light and protect your

As producers who are outside in the elements, Winter can be a tough time of year for your skin. Luckly for us, North Carolina produces a crop that can help with that. Your skin health may be something you don’t think about every day, but it is something within your control. Skin is the first line of defense for protecting our bodies against external stressors, including ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, toxins, and bacterial infections. According to skincancer.org , skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States and worldwide. In fact, nearly 20% of Americans will develop skin cancer by age 70, with more than two people dying every hour from skin cancer in the U.S. Awareness of skin cancer is important, but taking appropriate measures to protect your skin is even more important!

cells from oxidative stress. Vitamin C also helps with wound healing and improving skin hydration. Copper and Zinc – Sweetpotatoes have small amounts of these micronutrients that help with the maturation of collagen and melatonin and protecting from photodamage, respectively. Vitamin E – The fat-soluble Vitamin E helps exhibit anti inflammatory roles in skin health, and helps prevent the breakdown of collagen, which is an important part of our skin strength and elasticity. Hydration – Staying hydrated is very important for skin health and integrity. Make fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, beans and lean proteins a major part of your meals, and make sure to incorporate adequate low calorie liquids, like water. We also have several refreshing sweetpotato recipes on the website to improve hydration.

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