Foods that Make You Look Younger than Your Age

Foods – that we eat to live.

But what we eat for healthy living is called good food. All foods have specific roles to support our body function. Today, we talk about some foods that make you look
younger than your age.

Aging is a natural process. No one can avoid it – neither king nor beggar. It is influenced by our lifestyle and environmental condition. Unplanned lifestyle, environmental pollution, UV exposure accelerate the aging process.

Some specific foods with a specific value can protect you from premature aging. Only foods cannot protect you. You should do exercise, sleep well, avoid drinking alcohol and smoking, stop eating junk foods, etc.

In this huge post, we have tried to cover various food groups that have potent anti-aging values. It contains vegetables, fruits, nuts & seeds, protein source, spices & oils, and others. Let’s talk about the foods that fight premature aging and ensure good health.

[ QUICK NAVIGATION ]

01. Section 1: Vegetables
Tomato, carrot, kale, cucumber, watercress, asparagus, sweet potato, radish, cabbage, celery.
02. Section 2: Fruits
Pomegranate, papaya, avocado, lemon, orange, grape, mango, blueberries, pineapple, watermelon.
03. Section 3: Nuts and Seeds
Flaxseeds, almond, pumpkin (& seed oil), chickpeas, walnuts.
04. Section 4: Protein Source
Fatty fish, grass-fed beef, egg, lentils.
05. Section 5: Spices and Oils
Extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil, turmeric, cinnamon.
06. Section 6: Others
Green tea, dark chocolate, shiitake mushroom, greek yogurt.

01. Tomato

Everybody agrees with me, it is the most delicious and juicy vegetable in the kitchen. It contains lots of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that help you to stay healthy.

But, you will be glad to know that tomato plays a vital role to keep people young. The secret behind its anti-aging power is its lycopene content. It is a type of carotenoid pigment generally found in tomato, red carrot, and other red fruits.

Lycopene helps to protect your skin from sun damage. Regular consumption of tomato reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer. According to CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association of Journal, tomato consumption reduces the chances of the risk of cancer formation.

Lycopene also slows down the collagenases – a process that breaks down the collagen in the skin and results premature aging. So, by eating tomato regularly, you can improve the firmness and elasticity of your skin. And definitely, this gives you a younger look.

Tomato, with its lycopene, helps you to stay healthy by detoxifying your body. It especially protects your body from aflatoxins and cadmium (source).

How to Eat

You can find various ways to consume tomato. It can be taken as a salad, or as a sauce, or as a pickle, or as a curry, or just take a direct bite from a ripe juicy tomato.

02. Carrot

It is another nutrient-dense vegetable that we can get easily and eat easily. The benefits of
carrot are endless. Everybody should eat carrot regularly for better health, skin, hair, eyes,
and the immune system.

Carrot is the rich source of beta carotene that converts into vitamin A after entering into the body. A small carrot can deliver such amount of vitamin A that can fulfill nearly 300% of your daily requirement (source).

Vitamin A helps you to stay young in many ways. It heals skin inflammation and restores skin damage. Vitamin A also highly beneficial for some skin conditions like acne, psoriasis, and eczema.

Carrot is also a good source of vitamin C. It gives you anti-aging benefits by erasing the wrinkles and fine lines. Regular consumption of carrot helps you to achieve a youthful glow to your skin.

How to Eat

You can eat carrot directly as raw form. Or you can take it as a salad or with curry.

03. Kale

It is a super-food that gives excellent benefits to your skin and health. Kale is loaded with nutrients with medicinal benefits. It is a rich source of antioxidants, vitamin A, C, K, lutein, and iron.

Its rich antioxidants help you to stay safe from environmental damage. Vitamin A helps to repair skin damages through cellular regeneration. And vitamin K helps to reduce the appearances of dark circles, fine lines, and wrinkles. Kale also promotes collagen production with its lutein, a carotenoid. It also detoxifies your body for a healthy appearance.

You should eat regularly not only for your skin but also for your health. It fights cancers and improves heart and bone health.

How to Eat

Kale can be taken in various forms. You can eat kale as a salad or as a curry with other various vegetables.

04. Cucumber

Cucumber, I think no intro is enough to describe its benefits. It is one of the most used vegetables for beauty purposes. You can use it to care for your beauty & health, and as a diet to lose overweight. It is great for dry and damaged skin.

96% of the cucumber contains water. Besides water, it is also packed with potassium, magnesium, biotin, antioxidants, and vitamin A, B1, & C. Cucumber a rich source of silica which is an essential component for healthy connective tissue (ligament, cartilage, muscle, and skin).

Cucumber is mainly used topically for beauty purposes. There are lots of cucumber packs and masks available to treat dry, damaged, and irritated skin. You can use cucumber to treat skin inflammation, sunburn, redness, and rashes. It is also useful for some skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. It is has proven power to reduce the signs of under-eye bags and dark circles.

How to Eat and Use

Simply you can eat cucumber as salad, juice, curry, and directly as raw form. And use it to care your skin as pack, mask, or directly as slice or puree.

05. Watercress

Never underestimate the nutritional power of watercress because of its look. You can’t imagine that this grass-like plant is packed with lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

It contains vitamin A, B1, B2, C, E, K, and minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, potassium, and more. It has more vitamin C than oranges and 4 times more vitamin A and betacarotene than broccoli, tomato, and apple (source).

Watercress is highly beneficial for skin and health. It is a rich source of lutein which protects your skin from UV damage. It also protects your skin from free radical damages which results in fewer wrinkles and fine lines. Its beta-carotene helps your skin to maintain a healthy condition. It gives anti-inflammatory benefits to your skin.

Watercress not only gives you a younger-looking skin but also protects from cancers and improves diabetics and cardiac health.

How to Eat or Use

You can eat watercress as a salad. Besides this, there are lots of recipes to eat watercress.

Some Other Vegetables to Stay Young

Asparagus

This green vegetable is a rich source of vitamins and minerals. It contains vitamin A, C, E, K, and B6. It also supports your health with folate, iron, copper, fiber, and protein. Asparagus helps to fight cancers and improves skin health.

Sweet Potato

It contains beta-carotene, vitamin A & C, potassium, fibers, folate, and antioxidants. It boosts cellular regeneration for healthier skin and improves the condition is wrinkles and fine lines. Sweet potato also accelerates collagen production.

Radish

This vegetable is high in fiber and provides anti-inflammatory benefits. It contains vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants. It helps you to stay young by detoxifying your inner body. Radish helps in collagen production with vitamin C.

Cabbage

This leafy green vegetable is packed with enormous nutrients. It gives you the strength to stay young and look beautiful. Cabbage contains lots of vitamins such as vitamin B1, B2, B6, C, and K. Its mineral content contains manganese, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and selenium. It is also a rich source of dietary fiber and protein.

Celery

It gives you anti-aging benefits with its vitamin C and K. It also contains vitamin A, B2, and B6. You should eat celery as a good source of folate, potassium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, and dietary fiber.

01. Pomegranate

You will see lots of little jewel ball when you break it apart. Sorry, you cannot use this jewel
ball as an ornament but they are priceless with nutritional content.

Pomegranate is not only delicious but also provides lots of health benefits. It has been used for centuries for medicinal purposes. It is packed with vitamin C, B6, magnesium, iron, and calcium. Pomegranate is high in antioxidants and dietary fiber.

This fruit is used to treat conjunctivitis, stomachaches, hemorrhoids, osteoarthritis, and diabetics. It improves immunity and heart health and reduces bad cholesterol level. Besides the inner body, pomegranate also takes care of your skin health. It protects your skin from sun damage and photo-aging (source).

Pomegranate keeps your skin safe from various skin problems by lowering skin inflammation. It repairs skin damages and boosts collagen production to give you ageless beauty.

How to Eat

The best way to eat a pomegranate is eating its seeds (arils) directly. Or you can drink it as juice.

02. Papaya

This fruit is cheap in price but not in nutritious value. Papaya has sufficient antioxidant value. It is packed with vitamin A, C, and E. It also contains alpha hydroxyl acids (AHA’s) and an enzyme called papain. Eating papaya regularly is good for your health. It lowers the cholesterol level, helps in digestion and weight loss, and boosts your immunity.

Using ripe papaya on your skin also boosts your skin glow. Its AHA’s and papain give a smooth exfoliation to your skin and promotes cell renewal. Papaya face mask or pack helps to lighten your skin with proper hydration.

How to Eat or Use

You can eat ripe papaya directly or green papaya as a curry. And there are lots of papaya face packs and masks are available on the web to use topically.

03. Avocado

Avocado is a great fruit with lots of vitamins and minerals. It contains heart-healthy
monounsaturated fat. It has vitamin B6, C, E, and K. Avocado is also a rich source of
minerals like potassium, magnesium, manganese, and iron. It contains a good amount of folate which promotes healthy cell and tissue development.

Avocado protects your skin from free radical damage with vitamin E. It reduces the signs of wrinkles and fine lines to give you a youthful glow. Avocado oil also has enormous beauty benefits. It moisturizes your skin well and provides proper nourishment to the dry and damaged skin. You can use avocado oil to get healthy skin and hair.

How to Eat or Use

Avocado can be eaten or used in various ways. You can eat avocado as a salad or can choose one from these recipes. For beauty purposes, you can use avocado as an ingredient of face pack or mask. And you can use avocado oil for your skin and hair care as well.

04. Lemon

Lemon comes with lots of nutritional value. It is one of the richest sources of vitamin C. Another name of lemon water is “Fountain of Youth”. Lemon can help you to stay young both internally and externally.

Lemon juice helps your body to fight inflammation. It also detoxifies your body to stay healthy and calm all the time. Warm lemon juice is a great remedy to cut down extra fat from your belly and body. The habit of eating lemon regularly improves your total immune system. It provides electrolyte to your body in the form of potassium, magnesium, and calcium.

You can also use lemon juice topically for beauty purposes. There are lots of home remedies where lemon is used as primary ingredients. It is rich in antioxidants by which you can stay safe from free radical damages. It lightens your skin and reduces excess oil. Lemon also helps to boost collagen production.

How to Eat or Use

The best way to eat lemon is by preparing lemon juice. You can eat a lemon slice with other foods as a taste enhancer.

05. Orange

Delicious & healthy – these two words solidly go with the superfruit orange. It is the world’s most serving juice to treat the guest. Its nutritional value is too high. It is a rich source of vitamin C, B, folate, thiamin, antioxidants, fiber, and omega-3 & omega-6. Orange also contains a good amount of potassium which helps to lower the blood pressure. Eating orange regularly gives you a glow from inside out.

You can also use orange remedies topically to care your skin. For this, you can use either orange juice or orange peel. It is great for dark spots, age spots, and blemishes. It ensures you an instant glow by improving skin texture and tone.

Orange fights aging by erasing the wrinkles and fine lines. It also helps to increase the collagen level inside the skin. And its antioxidants fight free radical damages.

How to Eat or Use

You can eat orange directly or drink by preparing juice. Orange juice or orange peel also vigorously used in the face pack and mask for beauty purposes.

Some Other Fruits to Stay Young

Grape

Grape is a good source of vitamin B2, C, K, potassium, and copper. It is loaded with antioxidants that give ageless look by preventing oxidative damages. The seeds and skin of red grape contain resveratrol. And you know resveratrol shows great activity on slowing down the aging.

Mango

Mango is so delicious to eat. One cup of mango slice contains 100 calories and can fulfill 100% of your daily vitamin C, and 35% of your daily vitamin A requirement. It also contains fiber, folate, potassium, magnesium, antioxidants, and vitamin B6. Mango contains
carotenoids that protect your skin from UV radiation. Vitamin A & C of mango promotes collagen production.

Blueberries

Blueberries contain the highest level of antioxidants. And antioxidant protects your skin from oxidative damages to slow down the aging process. Blueberries give you anti-aging benefits by reducing DNA damage. Blueberry juice gives your relief from oxidative stress and inflammation.

Pineapple

This fruit is so delicious to eat alone or with summer desserts. It is high in vitamin B, C, and magnesium. It is rich in antioxidants that help you to fight oxidative damages caused by free radicals. Pineapple helps you to maintain a good level of testosterone in your body. It also reduces inflammation and controls high blood pressure with the help of bromelain enzyme. And this enzyme only naturally occurs in pineapple.

Watermelon

The great fruit juice you should drink to recharge yourself in the hot summer weather. Watermelon juice is also used as a performance booster drink for athletics. It contains citrulline which gives you anti-inflammatory effects. Its lycopene eliminates free radicals from your body and gives anti-aging benefits.

01. Flaxseeds

Flaxseeds have a lot of health and beauty benefits. It is well known to all as a rich source of omega-3 fatty acid. It also contains vitamin B1, manganese, and magnesium.

Flaxseeds has cholesterol-lowering properties that improve your heart health. For anti-aging purposes, you can either eat flaxseeds or use its oil. It hydrates your skin well and protects from the sun-induced skin damages. Regular use will give you a younger look by tightening and firming your skin. It helps to glow your skin and erase out wrinkles and fine lines. Flaxseeds also give you anti-inflammatory effect from inside out.

Flaxseeds help you in some health problems like Parkinson’s, asthma, heart disease, stroke, and cancer. And you can also use flaxseeds to lose your weight.

How to Eat or Use

You can eat flaxseeds in several ways. You can eat a few seeds alone every morning as a good healthy habit. It can also be taken with your regular or special recipes. Flaxseeds oil is great to improve the health of your skin and scalp. You can also use flaxseeds powder for various skin-caring home remedies.

02. Almonds

Almond is a massive source of nutrients. It is packed with magnesium, manganese, vitamin E, B1, & E, fat, protein, and fiber. Almond also contains antioxidants that protect you from oxidative stress and premature aging. And most of its antioxidants are concentrated in the brown layer. So eating almond nut without its brown skin isn’t a good practice for your health.

Vitamin E of almond can give you enormous health benefits. One ounce almond can provide 37% vitamin E of the RDI. It protects your body from oxidative damages. And you know, vitamin E can lower the risk of heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease.

You can also use almond oil to care your skin. It will make your skin soft, supple, and smooth. Almond paste or almond oil is vigorously used as a primary ingredient for various home remedies to care skin.

How to Eat

Almond nut can be found in various forms – whole, silvered, chopped, roasted, and almond flour, milk, paste, butter, or oil. And you can eat almond alone or by making various food items recipes.

03. Pumpkin (& seed oil)

Pumpkin is highly nutritious and loaded with vitamin A. It contains potassium, manganese,
carbs, protein, fiber, vitamin B2, C, and E. Like a carrot, it is also loaded with beta-carotene which plays a vital role against UV damages. And its manganese gives you anti-aging benefits by boosting collagen production.

The potassium, fiber, and vitamin C of pumpkin improves your heart health. You can use pumpkin seed oil to care for your skin. This antioxidant-rich oil increases the firmness of your skin. It is good to use pumpkin seed oil instead of your daily moisturizer, as it moisturizes deeply.

You should eat pumpkin regularly to boost your overall immunity. And it is definitely the best part of the pumpkin.

How to Eat

Pumpkin is one of the most common vegetables in our kitchen. You can eat pumpkin as curry in various ways. Very tasty and healthy.

04. Chickpeas

Chickpeas are well known for its huge nutritional value. Lots of vitamins (B6, B12, C, K, folate, thiamin) and minerals (iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, copper, zinc) are packed in it. It also contains various types of proteins and amino acids
to care of your health.

Eating chickpeas regularly is really a good habit. It helps to regulate blood sugar level and lose extra weight. Because chickpeas are low in calories and high in nutrition. Besides, it improves the digestive system, heart health, and helps to prevent cancers.

Along with eating, you can also use chickpeas to care your skin as an ingredient of several face & skin-caring packs. Chickpea paste vigorously used to give deep cleansing care with an attractive glow to the skin.

How to Eat or Use

Soak half calf of chickpeas at night and eat them alone in the morning to work whole the day full of energy. Lots of chickpea recipes are available, and you are free to pick anyone to taste them and get the nutrition of chickpeas.

And for external purposes, you can use chickpea powder and paste as an ingredient for your favorite skin-caring packs.

05. Walnuts

Walnut is a great food to add in your anti-aging diet. It is packed with vitamin C, calcium, iron, sodium, potassium, dietary fiber, and protein. Walnut is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acid. It provides lots of health benefits to make your body function properly. Walnut is rich in antioxidants that help you to fight oxidative damage caused by environmental free radical or LDL (bad cholesterol).

Its omega-3 also lowers the risk of heart diseases. Besides these, it decreases inflammation, improves gut health, lowers blood pressure, helps in type-2 diabetes, and reduce the risk of certain types of cancers like breast,  prostate, and colorectal cancers. It supports the brain to function well.

01. Fatty Fish

Fish is one of the major sources of protein. And eating fatty or oily fish is one of the best ways to stay young and healthy. The common types of fatty fish are salmon, sardines, tuna, sablefish, eel, carp, butterfish, etc. It contains long-chain omega-3 fatty acids which provide enormous benefits to the health. It is great for heart disease, inflammation, and ulcerative colitis. Salmon, the most common fatty fish contains a carotenoid antioxidant called astaxanthin. This antioxidant is great to heal sun-damaged skin.

Like salmon, sardine can help you to stay young. Besides omega-3 fatty acid, it is also a great source of vitamin B12, D, and minerals like iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, niacin, etc. It improves heart health, reduces blood pressure, and reduce inflammation.

Tuna is another saltwater fatty fish loaded with nutrients. Tuna is heart-friendly and improves the overall immune system. It also improves your skin health with B-complex and elastin. You will get a smooth and radiant skin if you eat tuna regularly.

So, adding fatty fish in your diet is one of the best ways to stay younger than your age.

02. Grass-fed Beef

Grass-fed beef has lots of health benefits. It is a rich source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. And you know these two nutrients care for your health in many ways. It makes your heart healthy and reduces inflammation inside your body.

Grass-fed beef is low in calories and contains electrolytes such as potassium, magnesium, and sodium. It also contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) that has an anti-carcinogenic effect. It also helps in diabetes and obesity. Source

03. Egg

I think it is the easiest and hassle-free way to get protein. Egg white and yolk are packed with lots of nutrients. It contains fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K), minerals, essential fatty acids, and more. It is a good source of vitamin B2, B6, B12 and minerals like zinc, copper, and iron.

Egg improves heart health with betaine and choline. Eating egg white and pregnancy and breastfeeding provides great nutritional benefits to the mother and baby. And choline is essential for the brain development of the baby. And its vitamin D strengthens bone health.

You can also use egg white or yolk as an ingredient of home remedies. Face pack or mask with egg white helps to tighten skin and controls excess oils. So, it is a wise decision for you to use or eat eggs to stay young and fit.

04. Lentils

Lentils, with over 25% of protein, are an excellent alternative to meat. And it should be the number one choice for the vegetarian as a source of protein. It is packed with numerous nutritions like iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, folate,
vitamin B6, thiamin, niacin, and more.

And the health benefits of lentils are awesome. They are high in fiber and provides excellent bowel movement. And the polyphenols (a strong antioxidant) in lentils provide anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. It also improves heart health and lowers blood sugar levels. Polyphenols also inhibit the growth of cancerous cells especially on skin cells (source).

You can also use certain types of lentils (red lentils) paste to cleanse, lighten, and glow your facial skin. It helps to fade out age spots, dark spots, and skin discoloration. And besan or gram flour (a type of lentils) is widely used as a core ingredient of various skin-caring face packs and masks.

01. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Extra virgin olive oil is a blessing for health. It provides countless benefits to the inner body and skin. It shows anti-inflammatory effects and protects your skin from sun damages. And it also prevents many age-related diseases. It keeps you safe from the risk of heart diseases and lowers blood pressure.

You know that monosaturated fat improves skin elasticity and firmness. And 73% of olive oil contains monosaturated fat. The antioxidants of olive oil also protect your skin from aging signs like wrinkles and fine lines. It hydrates your skin well and prevents from dryness. Regular use will make your skin super soft and healthy.

02. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is widely used for hair and skincare purposes. It is a natural moisturizer for your skin without any chemicals. And it is well known for its antibacterial and antifungal properties. It softens your skin and helps to erase out the aging signs like wrinkles and fine lines. With vitamin E, it gives anti-aging benefits to your skin.

03. Turmeric

Turmeric is widely used for cooking and skin-caring purpose since long ago. And rubbing turmeric paste on skin named “Gaye Holud” is the most common ritual at the Indian
wedding. It gives both health and skin benefits with its anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and skin lightening properties. Turmeric brings back the natural glow of your skin.

You should use turmeric as a home remedy for some skin problems like acne, psoriasis, eczema, etc. It speeds up the natural wound healing process of your body with the help of curcumin. It also protects your skin from sun damages and erases aging signs like fine lines.

04. Cinnamon

Antioxidants protect your skin from oxidative damages, and cinnamon is loaded with it. Even it contains more antioxidants than superfood garlic and oregano. It is also a rich source of calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin A, and C. Cinnamon has enormous health benefits that keep us young and strong. Its anti-inflammatory properties help your body to fight infection and tissue damage. It reduces the risk of heart diseases. It also lowers blood sugar level and has anti-diabetic effects.

01. Green Tea

Green tea is a miraculous energetic drink with lots of benefits. It is an excellent source
of antioxidants. It contains a high level of oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) – potent antioxidants with a proven effect on slowing down aging. Its catechins and polyphenols help to neutralize the free radicals that prevent premature aging.

You can use green tea topically by dabbing a cotton ball into the remaining tea of your cup. Green tea is also rich in polyphenols which help to reduce inflammation and cancers. It helps you to stay slim and fit by burning fat. It keeps you healthy through detoxification. Green tea also lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes.

02. Dark Chocolate

I think eating dark chocolate is a delicious way to stay young. It is packed with antioxidants that defeat premature aging by neutralizing free radicals. It protects your skin from UV damage. Dark chocolate contains flavanols – an antioxidant that reduces skin inflammation caused by sun exposure and UV damage. It also controls the blood sugar level and improves heart health. And it acts as a mood booster.

03. Shiitake Mushroom

Shiitake mushroom, a source of nutrition that you must need to stay healthy and fit. It contains niacin, vitamin B6, riboflavin, manganese, phosphorus, copper, zinc, iron, and vitamin D. Its kojic acid and natural hydroquinone give you a shiner skin with a younger appearance. You can use shiitake mushroom extract directly on your skin to lighten skin and fade scars and age spots.

It also reduces skin inflammation with potent antioxidants. Besides skincare, shiitake mushroom also provides enormous health benefits. It lowers bad cholesterol level and improves overall immunity. It prevents iron deficiency of your body. You should eat shiitake mushrooms to build a strong digestive system. It is a great food for those who want to lose weight.

04. Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is a natural source of protein. It is also rich in iron, calcium, potassium, probiotics, and vitamin B12. Its probiotics boost your immune system and keep you strong by improving digestive health. You can also take greek yogurt as a workout recovery food.

Greek yogurt face mask is highly beneficial for your skin. For Greek yogurt face pack, you just need 2 tablespoons of plain greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and 2-3 blueberries. Mix them all to make a paste. Now apply it on your face and keep for 15-20 minutes. Then wash it off and get a freshly moisturized skin.

That’s all for today. Hope, this post will help a little bit to keep you young. If you have any suggestion regarding this post, feel free to share with us. Or if you know any foods with powerful anti-aging value, tell us. We always appreciate any suggestion and criticism from
our valuable readers

Read Also

01. Winter Skincare Tips.