Diet

Healthy Skin Diet: The Truth About Antioxidants

Learn everything you need to know about these powerful ingredients -- once and for all

by Sharon J. Yi

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The truth about supplements This may come as a shock, but "it's a good general rule that you don�t need supplements, if you just focus on getting your fruits and veggies in," says Canfield. Plus, you'll get more nutrients and benefits from eating the antioxidants in their natural form, while avoiding an overdose. "When you try to extract something out of a food and put it in to a pill, you take it out of its natural environment, and there are other substances in the foods that help your body utilize the antioxidant better," she says.

That's why she recommends increasing your fruit and veggie consumption to eight or nine servings a day. One way to make sure you're getting variety is to "eat something that's from a [different] color of the rainbow every day." So have something white (cauliflower, onion, potato), and red (tomato, watermelon) and so forth. "Then, you'll get a nice mix of phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals."

Simpson agrees saying, "the biggest myth is how people think they can supplement with antioxidants and not have to follow a balanced eating plan. [Good health] is really about synergy." Simpson personally looks at supplementation to "complement diet," not replace it.

SEE NEXT PAGE: The truth about ingesting vs. applying antioxidants

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Older comments

Love this.

by Mollysunshine Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 02:19AM Report as inappropriate

Applause, applause! We truly are what we eat, and our diets do show on our complexions. I disagree that a supplement isn't needed--our soil is depleted of all of the vitamins and minerals we need. And drinking lots of water is extremely important!

by GigiSD Wednesday, March 20, 2013 at 09:37PM Report as inappropriate