| Plant nutrients play a key role in anti aging. Fruit, | | | | membranes. These fatty layers provide structure |
| vegetables, and plant extracts have an array of | | | | to the cell, and control which nutrients and other |
| chemical constituents, called phytochemicals or | | | | agents can pass in and out. They can alter the |
| phytonutrients, that are hugely beneficial to skin | | | | DNA within cells, which aside from the potential to |
| health and beauty. | | | | develop into serious illnesses, can make your skin |
| In plants, phytochemicals confer characteristics | | | | inclined to wrinkles and sagging before its natural |
| like color, which can help the plant by providing an | | | | biological time. Altered DNA creates a blueprint for |
| attractive beacon to passing bees to help in | | | | collagen and elastin fibers that don't function as |
| pollination. Or they offer a protective effect to | | | | healthy, normal ones would. And to compound |
| the plant to prevent insects from harming it, or | | | | matters, the skin's pores need healthy collagen |
| repel grazing animals. But they have often been | | | | and elastin fibers to stay tight and small. So |
| found to have benefits for human health when | | | | another undesired result is open, large pores. |
| analyzed in laboratories. It is these chemicals in | | | | Free radicals also lead to a process called the |
| plants that make fruit and vegetables so much | | | | cross-linking of collagen fibers. This occurs in the |
| more valuable than simply the macro nutrients like | | | | skin's dermis, as a result of collagen and elastin |
| vitamin C. | | | | fibers becoming hard, thick, and then binding |
| Antioxidants are one class of phytonutrients, | | | | together. Cross-linked fibers create wrinkles, skin |
| though there are many. Antioxidants work by | | | | sag, and cause your regular expression lines to |
| supplying an extra oxygen molecule to those | | | | become etched in your face as a permanent |
| molecules that are missing one, called free radicals. | | | | fixture. With healthy collagen and elastin fibers |
| If antioxidants don't supply the missing oxygen | | | | these expression lines would simply disappear |
| molecule to free radicals, the free radicals will take | | | | once you moved your facial muscles in a different |
| an oxygen molecule from another compound in | | | | way. And enzymes that metabolize collagen are |
| the body, making one that was previously healthy | | | | encouraged by free radicals, which, given the |
| and intact itself a free radical. Free radicals are not | | | | importance of collagen in youthful looking skin, is |
| 'baddies', simply unstable chemical molecules, but | | | | best minimized. |
| the effect they have on the body is negative, as | | | | Other phytonutrients in plants that are of |
| they can damage cells. Free radicals are produced | | | | importance to skin beauty are carotenoids and |
| as a normal by product of the metabolic | | | | flavanoids. Flavanoids are great for the health of |
| processes of our cells, as well as by our immune | | | | blood vessels. They strengthen the capillaries that |
| system as it counteracts the effects of | | | | supply important nutrients to the skin's cells, as |
| pathogens and the environment. | | | | well as supporting cellular membranes. Healthy cell |
| The trick is to keep the balance in the body | | | | membranes regenerate quickly, and slow the |
| where there is enough of a supply of antioxidants | | | | aging process. Carotenoids also strengthen cell |
| to cope with the body's production of free | | | | membranes. It seems carrots are not just good |
| radicals. | | | | for eyesight! And flavanoids help reduce |
| Free radicals affect the skin in three main ways. | | | | inflammation, as well as increasing levels of |
| They can alter the fatty layers in your cellular | | | | glutathione, which is an antioxidant. |