The best vegan foods to improve skin health

There is a lot of evidence that following a vegan diet is beneficial for your skin. This is related to the fact that plant-based foods are rich in compounds that can help to support the skin and to fight inflammation and skin diseases such as dermatitis and acne. In particular, vitamin C, vitamin A, beta carotene, polyphenols, and phenolic acids, all of which can be found in abundance in various plant foods, are great for promoting skin health, whereas deficiencies in these nutrients can lead to poor skin. To provide a good mix of skin-supporting nutrients, try to include fruits and vegetables of all different colours in your diet, as well as nuts and legumes.

Three plant foods that are especially good for skin health are:

• Mango – excellent at reducing wrinkles.
• Avocado – improves skin elasticity and firmness.
• Almonds – reduce hyperpigmentation and collagen degradation.

For more information, see:

Plant-Based Foods for Skin Health: A Narrative Review, V. Fam et al., Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 122(3), 614 (2022). https://www.jandonline.org/article/S2212-2672(21)01433-7/pdf 

Beneficial Effects of Plant-Based Diets on Skin Health and Inflammatory Skin Diseases, X. Flores-Balderas et al., Nutrients 15, 2842 (2023). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10343921/