Those of us who are interested in health always want to know what works.
We want a window into how well everything is functioning.
That window exists.
Your skin is a reflection of your health.
And diet is the optimal way to improve skin health from the inside out.
Too many people focus on the exterior with personal care products like foundation and moisturiser. But this is a bandaid and can make your health worse in the long-term.
Multiple factors affect our skin:
Age, time of year, gender, nutrition, stress, antibiotics, gut health, light environment, sleep, vitamin D status, activity levels and presence of environmental toxins (a lot of which are found in skincare products).
Today, we’re discussing skin health & nutrition right down to the cellular level (taking the differing nutritional needs of men and women into account).
Looking at my 8 month old daughter’s skin, it's plump, hydrated, and super soft. She consumes mostly breast milk (which is loaded with fat and prebiotics) and animal protein with some fruits mixed in. (Take note).
As with a lot of health, our gut is foundational to skin health.
Our modern diet is so simplified that it alters our microbiome, which is then hit for 6 by our toxic environment, poor light exposure and circadian rhythm disruption.
The knock-on effect is that cortisol becomes more active, and melatonin decreases, creating a double whammy on our skin and gut.
Cortisol is not necessarily a problem. But when it’s high for a sustained period, problems arise. It strips our inside of collagen – breaking it down then dehydrating us.
Skin health is as much art as science, but there are certain nutrients that we know can help.
Read on to find out.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A rich foods – think retinol from liver and carotenoids from carrots, sweet potatoes, and leafy greens – are essential.
Most women, particularly Europeans, have a slow conversion rate of plant-based Vitamin A into the bio-active form (retinol). You might have noticed that if you overeat sweet potatoes or carrots, the palms of your hands turn orange. This highlights the importance of always ensuring that bioavailable retinol is consumed, for which liver is the top pick.
We don’t need a massive slab of it – but we need just enough per day.
It’s this knowledge that dictated how we formulated Oath products.
The importance of Vitamin A isn’t lost on centralised doctors who often prescribe Vitamin A cream like Accutane for issues like acne. But this is a short term bandaid, not a solution. Why don’t we, instead, add liver to our diets which will in time regulate skin health naturally?
Vitamin A also works indirectly on skin health by underpinning our circadian rhythm. Without it, our cells cannot “tell the time”, which negatively impacts our sleep. As mentioned above (and as we all notice when we’re underslept), sleep is crucial for skin health.
Vitamin B
Next, the mighty B Vits
The whole family are here: B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, and B12.
Like a real family, all of the Bs have unique properties. Between them they support energy production (NAD, RNA, or DNA synthesis), antioxidant status, protein expression, immune activity, and hormone function.
Lacking one or more of these B vitamins can make the difference between your skin being sad and dull or glowing and plump.
Any guesses on the most packed source of B vitamins?
Yep. It begins with L and ends in iver.
Now onto vitamin C
In short: Energy = Collagen = Copper
Naturally we collect misbehaving and faulty mitochondria as we age. And as mitochondria slow down, energy production drops. This leads to the cell becoming weak and fragile. The effects of this body-wide process appear first in the tissues that replicate fastest (skin & gut lining).
As energy production falls we produce less metabolic water in our mitochondria (yes, your cells produce a very special type of water which hydrates you from the inside). Drinking water (especially modern tap water) is not going to have a deep hydrating effect like metabolic water does.
In the mirror, this process looks like wrinkles and sagging skin.
For internal water production – and internal skin hydration – to continue to work optimally and youthfully, your body requires collagen, copper and good mitochondrial health.
Here’s where we get heavy on the science between copper, collagen, mitochondrial health, energy production and skin…
Research published in The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry found that copper deficiency leads to impaired collagen synthesis and decreased lysyl oxidase activity, an enzyme dependent on copper for collagen and elastin cross-linking.
This cross-linking is crucial for the structural integrity and elasticity of the skin. Without sufficient copper, lysyl oxidase activity decreases, leading to weaker collagen and more rapid skin ageing.
Copper also plays a key role in the mitochondria by supporting the enzyme activity of Cytochrome C Oxidase.
Copper is required by CCO to reduce oxygen and create water, yielding cellular energy and ATP production.
A study published in The Journal of Biological Chemistry demonstrated that alterations in copper availability can lead to significant changes in enzyme efficiency and overall cellular energy production.
By providing copper through our diet, we can slow the breakdown of our mitochondria and stimulate more energy (and water) production – which ultimately has a great impact on our skin.
It’s worth noting that when our diet is high in sugar copper levels decline, increasing the need for quality dietary copper intake.
At the top, we mentioned that there is a gender difference at play here. Women need more copper than men due to several vital biological differences in reproductive physiology and hormonal cycles.
Whilst men need copper too, its balance with zinc needs to be considered as our hormonal pathways and requirements differ to females.
When your diet is sufficient in copper, wound healing, resistance to bruising, and skin elasticity shine through.
In summary…
Liver is renowned as the most nutrient-dense food on our planet. Most people talk about its iron content and B12 levels, which do matter. But as we’ve tried to show, its true effect on our biology comes down to its vitamin A and copper content.
This supports optimal health from the inside out by providing a base for our circadian rhythm, and helping our mitochondria function – with hydrated, plump skin as a nice by–product.
We don’t need a whole load of it, which is why Oath products are made the way they are.
We also need some collagen coming in to support this prized nutrient-dense food, which means when you enjoy Oath burgers, sausages and the other products we have lined up – have a side of bone broth for good measure for better radiant skin.
Speak soon,
R, J & N