10 Beautifying Foods

These superfoods will have you glowing from the inside out

- Mark Brook

1 BROCCOLI

They don’t call broccoli a super-veg for nothing. Cruciferous vegetables are packed with vitamin C, which can help improve skin tone, texture and hydration.

Broccoli also contains vitamin A, which can lift and firm skin.

“Vitamin-A deficiencies can result in cloudy eyes instead of clear eyes that sparkle,” says dietician Melanie McGrice.

“Broccoli is high in sulphur, which helps get rid of toxins in the liver that can find their way through your skin, reducing clarity and elasticity,” adds naturopath Karina Francois.

2 BLOOD ORANGES

“There’s nothing more beautiful than a great smile, and blood oranges are a wonderful source of vitamin C, which is essential for healthy gums and teeth,” McGrice says.

A study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that women with higher intakes of vitamin C typically have younger looking skin.

Blood oranges have also been found to have nine times the antioxidant capacity of navel oranges.

3 TOMATOES

“Tomatoes contain the powerful antioxidant lycopene, which might protect your skin from UV damage,” McGrice explains.

Tomatoes contain vitamins A, B and C, which can improve skin tone and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, while building collagen and maintaining elasticity.

The astringent properties of salicylic acid found in tomatoes also absorb excess oil, which can reduce the appearance of large pores, Francois adds.

4 SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS