| nutrition | ARTICLE
TheeffecT of DieT anDnuTriTion
onThe Skin
Howard A. Epstein reviews the literature and evidence available to reveal the impact that nutrition can have on the overall health of the skin, and especially with regard to ageing
ABSTRACT There is a great deal of epidemiologic evidence in the literature, which reveals the correlation between a higher intake of certain foods—including fruits, vegetables, legumes, and other antioxidant-containing foods—with a lower incidence of skin wrinkling. Clinical evidence also supports the benefits of foods containing antioxidants. This article aims to review of variety of clinical studies which suggest that the health benefits of nutrition are not directly related to antioxidant activity. Indeed, the link between malnutrition, vitamin deficiency, and the appearance of the skin is well established, and the correct choice of nutrients can help to improve skin appearance and general health by preventing disorders, such as wrinkles, uneven skin tone, and atopic dermatitis.
I
n 1775 sCuRvy, A dEfICIEnCy of vITAmIn C, was described as a disease, which exhibited a change in facial skin colour to a pale and bloated complexion, accompanied by bleeding of the gums; spots appear on the skin, ultimately developing into large blotches which ulcerate1
origin to the browning of vegetable matter on bruising or cutting. Szent-Györgyi observed that just before the Addison’s disease patient’s life is extinguished, there appears a brown pigmentation, similar to that of certain fruits (apples, pears, bananas, etc), which in withering assumes a brown colour1
. He hypothesised that the cause
of this colour was from a compound in the adrenal gland which undergoes an alternate oxidation and reduction reaction that functions as a hydrogen carrier. isolated from the adrenal gland was a novel sugar identified as hexuronic acid. A similar substance was also isolated from oranges and a range of vegetables. in 1932 there was a simultaneous discovery in Hungary and the united States that this substance would cure the scurvy of guinea pigs. the name of the substance was changed to ascorbic acid1
. in 1902 a disease occurred in the united States that .
The juices of oranges, lemons and limes were found to cure the disease. Scurvy resurfaced during the 1848 California Gold
rush and 1854 Siege of Paris, when in both cases fruit and vegetables were not available for consumption1
. Scurvy
was not connected with the lack of an essential dietary component until 1907. At that time, Axel Holst discovered that guinea pigs on a restricted diet of grain — without fruit or vegetables — developed symptoms similar to human scurvy. the symptoms disappeared when the animals were fed fruit or green vegetables. in 1928, Albert Szent-Györgyi, a research-oriented
physician, was investigating oxidative reactions. inspired by the observation that the bronzing or darkening of a patient’s skin with Addison’s disease might have a similar
became epidemic in states south of the Potomac and ohio rivers. three million cases were reported, with typical symptoms being a spectrum of cutaneous lesions. the disease became known as pellagra. in 1927, after 13 years of research, Joseph Goldberger convinced the American red Cross to distribute dried yeast to Mississippi flood victims, preventing a further outbreak of the disease. it was later determined that nicotinic acid and its derivatives were the effective agents in yeast. niacinamide, a derivative of nicotinic acid, is an essential constituent of the oxidoreduction of the coenzyme constituent nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (nAD+
)
and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (nADP+
). During cell metabolism, nAD+ is reduced to
nADH in the mitochondria of the cell. it is believed that aged fibroblasts have reduced nicotinamide coenzymes, resulting in decreased collagen production. increased
KEYWORDS antioxidants, diet, nutrition, skin, UV-mediated immunosuppression, gene expression
prime-journal.com | September 2011 ❚ 47
email: howard.epstein@
merckgroup.com
HOWARD A. EPSTEINPhD is Director of Technology and Business Development at EMD Chemicals Inc., an affiliate of Merck KGaA. He holds a doctorate in pharmacognasy.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76