Sound Bites: It might be foolish of us to assume that by eating certain foods we can stop skin ageing, obliterate wrinkles and prevent skin cancer.
But it's just as foolish to think we can eat whatever we want, without it having any effect on our skin. Nutrition matters.
The skin, it's often said, is the outer reflection of our inner health. A recent case of carotenaemia (abnormally high blood levels of carotene) clearly reflected that a young child was drinking far too much of a popular brand of orange drink when the palms of her hands and the soles of her feet turned an umpa-lumpa orange colour. It was the skin's way of shouting too-much-beta-carotene-thank-you.
Much of the ageing of our skin is really the result of long-term exposure to sun, tobacco smoke and ozone. Environmental pollutants generate highly destructive free radicals that damage collagen and, consequently, our skin's firmness and suppleness.
The result is what the dermatologists call photoageing, which includes dryness, loss of elasticity, and the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The free radicals generated by sun exposure can also damage the genetic structure of skin cells and contribute to the development of cancer.
We know from research papers that antioxidant nutrients, including vitamins C, E and beta-carotene slow down the rate of free-radical damage to the skin. Practically speaking, if you commit yourself to eating four or more antioxidant-rich foods - peppers, spinach, mangos, tomatoes, carrots - you can stockpile some of these health-enhancing nutrients in your tissues and help to lower the risk of premature skin ageing and cancer.
As uninspiring as it may sound, the diet optimal for overall health is comparable to the diet that is optimal for skin health. It slows down the physiological mechanisms of ageing in all tissues, including the skin.
A deficiency of any nutrient, especially iron, can suffocate the skin and leave it pale and drawn. Apart from frying yourself in direct sunlight, another sure fast way to get wrinkles is to put on a lot of weight and then lose it again. All that extra fat stretches the skin, then when you lose those extra pounds, the skin sags and wrinkles up. Of course, a well-moisturised skin is also somewhat less prone to developing wrinkles and looking aged. Drinking eight glasses of water throughout the day ensures proper hydration and helps reduce skin dryness.
Coffee and cola soft drinks are not good substitutes for water because they contain caffeine which promotes the loss of water in the urine. So stick to the green tea which is full of antioxidants.
The best bottle-it and sell-it skin package would probably contain great skin genes, great skin care products, great sleeping, eating, stress-busting and exercise routines, plenty of oestrogen, a smoking impediment and a yashmac for maximum protection from sunlight. But hey life's too short, so do your best and don't forget your four daily portions of fruit and vegetables.
Next week: Low glycaemic foods - of benefit to weightwatchers and those with diabetes.
• Paula Mee is an independent food and nutrition consultant. She is co-presenter of RTÉ Television's Health Squad programme.