[Video] Good fats and bad fats for your skin

That fatty foods, like pizza, salami, fries etc., promote pimples and bad skin, is probably common sense. But there are “healthy foods” that trigger this inflammatory response as well!

 

Animal fat:

From the arachidonic acid contained therein more pro-inflammatory tissue hormones are produced. The composition of the skin-sebum changes and this can lead to a clogging of the pores.

Omega 6 / Omega 3 fatty acids ratio:

In our modern day diet, the ratio is up to 20:1, instead of the recommended maximum 5:1. At this 20:1 ratio, the body forms more pro-inflammatory tissue hormones and less anti-inflammatory tissue hormones. Why is the relationship so shifted? Not only animal fats, but also a variety of vegetable oils (sunflower oil, corn oil, margarine), cereals and dairy products contain a lot of omega 6 fatty acids. The foods that contain a lot of omega 3 fatty acids are rather neglected in our diet: fatty fish, flaxseed oil and dark green leafy vegetables.

A few simple tips:

• Make an oil change: instead of sunflower oil, corn oil or margarine, use unrefinded canola oil, extra virgin olive oil and butter.
• 1-2 tablespoons of flaxseed oil daily either pure or in a salad or in your  porridge, optimally provides you with omega 3.
• Plan 2 fish meals per week: ideal are wild caught salmon, herring or mackerel. In addition, fish oil capsules can be a useful supplement.