Berlin.. With the right diet you can “spice up your skin,” says nutrition doc Riedl. The key: anti-inflammatory foods.
- Silent inflammation in the body also affects the skin – this can cause it to age prematurely
- There are foods that promote inflammation and those that have an anti-inflammatory effect
- Three nutrients are particularly important against so-called ‘inflammaging’
Beauty comes from within – this saying can be taken literally when it comes to our skin health. The most effective way to achieve flawless, glowing skin is diet. What we eat and drink every day inevitably influences how we look.
Diet also has a long-term effect on the skin. Many foods can do this Skin aging speed it up, while others can slow it down, says nutritional doctor Dr. Matthias Riedl. For him, “one anti-inflammatory diet the best food against premature skin aging.” But what does that mean?
Our expert
Dr. Matthias Riedl is a nutritional doctor, diabetologist and medical director of Medicum Hamburg. Since 2015 he has been part of the NDR program “The Nutrition Docs”, which he designed, in which Dr. Riedl, together with other doctors, developed nutritional strategies for specific patient cases. Several books accompanying the show were published. In addition, Dr. Riedl has been running the podcast “This is how healthy eating works” in collaboration with the Funke media group since 2022.
Anti-inflammatory diet: Silent inflammation as an aging factor
What many people don’t know: “Aging is very strongly associated with silent inflammation and that is one of the levers we use Reduce aging can,” says Riedl. In 2000, the term ‘inflammaging’ was first introduced by a researcher – a combination of the English terms ‘inflammation’ and ‘aging’. This describes the fact that chronic silent inflammation occurs with increasing age, which can be accompanied by cell changes, among other things.
According to Ried, a variety of factors promote inflammatory processes in the body, including stress, lack of sleep and lack of exercise. All this leaves aggressive oxygen compounds, so-called free radicalsarise. Too many of these can lead to oxidative stress, a condition in which cell damage and inflammation occur. Conversely, free radicals are also byproducts of inflammation. It’s a vicious circle: Oxidative stress causes inflammation, which in turn fuels oxidative stress.
Riedl sees the biggest cause of silent inflammation as an incorrect diet. One A meta-study from 2017 came to this conclusionthat an imbalance in the intestinal microbiome can be used as a possible cause of inflammation. The intestinal flora is closely linked to our nutritional style: If we don’t eat a varied and balanced diet, the “good”, health-promoting bacteria in our intestines don’t get any food. Since a large proportion of our immune cells are located in the intestine, poor intestinal flora has a negative impact on the body’s immune response.
Difference between acute and silent inflammation
Acute inflammation is a Defense mechanism of the body that is triggered by certain stimuli, e.g. pathogens, foreign bodies or injuries. The typical symptoms of inflammation include pain, redness and swelling. They are caused by messenger substances that, among other things, cause increased blood flow to the affected area and an increased sense of pain.
We know it from colds: If you catch a virus, your nose swells, your throat hurts and your tonsils turn red. Although the noticeable signs of inflammation are unpleasant, they indicate that the body is in the process of repairing damaged or infected tissue. Once this is achieved, the inflammation will subside.
Must be distinguished from this silent inflammation. They are not as noticeable as acute inflammation because they tend to cause non-specific symptoms: increased susceptibility to infections, chronic fatigue or difficulty concentrating, for example, are difficult to trace back to a cause. This is precisely why silent sources of inflammation can remain undetected for years. This can create a breeding ground for cancer, but can also promote skin aging, as Dr. Riedl explains.
Sugar and fats promote inflammation on the skin
Deficiencies can occur quickly, and are not uncommon, especially in Germany, says the nutrition doc. But if the skin doesn’t get everything it needs, a variety of problems could result: “Then the skin becomes even more brittle, then there is eczema, then perhaps inflammation occurs, as we know from psoriasis.”
Also interesting
What does an anti-inflammatory diet consist of?
The solution to skin problems and premature skin aging? For Riedl it is the anti-inflammatory diet. His recommendations are also in line with scientific findings: a review published in 2021 by German-Spanish researchers states that a diet based on anti-inflammatory foods has an effect on the aging process.
An anti-inflammatory diet consists of a positive list and a negative list of foods that you should (not) eat: “finished products are negative foods because they simply don’t contain what we need.” These include products that are already available ready to eat or just need to be warmed up before they can be eaten, such as frozen pizza, packet soups, but also snacks and canned goods.
Such highly processed foods are often nothing more than empty calories. They provide little or no nutrients, but they do provide a lot Zucker and bad, saturated fats: “Sugar promotes the skin’s susceptibility to inflammation.” This particularly affects people who are prone to acne. But not only ready-made products and sweets should be avoided, but also fruits with a very high sugar content, advises Dr. Riedl. The body makes no difference between fructose and industrial sugar. The general rule is: “Food with one high glycemic index, That means foods that cause blood sugar levels to spike have an inflammatory effect.”
There too animal fats would be among the drivers of inflammation, one should be careful with meat and dairy products. This particularly applies to people with skin diseases such as neurodermatitis, psoriasis and rosacea.
Anti-aging diet: These foods protect the skin
You should avoid foods with a high content of sugar and unsaturated fatty acids as much as possible due to their pro-inflammatory effects and instead integrate more foods into your diet that have anti-inflammatory properties and are important for skin regeneration.
According to Nutrition Doc Riedl, we need three main types of nutrients:
- Omega-3 fatty acids: “Fats are needed as a building material for new skin cells and as an important source of energy,” says Dr. Riedl. There is also evidence that a deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids is associated with acne formation, as was recently the case a pilot study by the University of Munich and the University of Miami suggested.
- Vitamin A: “We need this for cell division. Vitamin A is a very important substance, also for protecting the skin and mucous membranes from infections. We need this to ward off pathogens that want to penetrate the skin. If we have a deficiency, we are a little more vulnerable,” said Riedl.
- Secondary plant substances: Redness, itching, pimple formation – if the skin reacts increasingly with inflammation, a lack of anti-inflammatory phytochemicals could be behind it.
According to Dr. Riedl is particularly good for the skin © iStock | Lilechka75
With a plant-based and natural diet you can meet your nutritional needs. Nuts alone contain everything the body needs, says Dr. Riedl. He also recommends vegetables, berries, legumes, fish and vegetable oils.
What you should eat for the sake of your health and what you shouldn’t eat (or only in moderation) – the following table summarizes all anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory foods:
| Anti-inflammatory foods | Inflammatory foods |
|---|---|
Nutrition Doc warns against a pure vegan diet
According to the nutritionist, a strict vegetarian or vegan diet is not necessary and can even be counterproductive. If you completely eliminate animal products, you can quickly Deficiencies develop. Many animal foods are valuable sources of nutrients: Fish is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and eggs are high in vitamin A. That’s why they are suitable as part of an anti-inflammatory diet.
More about anti-aging
Sources
Falzone, L. [u.a.]: Inflammation and aging in chronic and degenerative diseases: Current and future therapeutic strategiesin: Frontiers in PharmacologyJan. 2023, Vol. 13.
Calder, C. P. [u.a.]: Health relevance of the modification of low grade inflammation in ageing (inflammageing) and the role of nutritionin: Ageing Research ReviewsNov. 2017, Vol. 40: 95-119.
Stromsnes, K. [u.a.]: Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Diet: Role in Healthy Agingin: Biomedicines, 2021, Vol. 9(8): 922.
Guertler, A. [u.a.]: Deficit of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Acne Patients—A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study in a German Cohortin: Life, 2024, Vol. 14(4): 519.
