The structure of the skin is mainly formed by: a) proteins such as collagen, elastin, b) glycosaminoglycans such as hyaluronic acid that are mainly responsible for maintaining hydrated skin and in a healthy state.
Hyaluronic acid is lost over the years, approximately 1%. This loss results in a decrease in skin hydration and as a consequence will cause elasticity and firmness to be reduced.
The structure of the skin is composed of about 75% collagen. This molecule basically maintains its structure and is directly related to the volume of the skin. With age the production of this molecule begins to decrease and that is when expression lines or small wrinkles begin to appear as signs of skin aging. If we add to this decrease in collagen production the different external factors that cause its deterioration, such as ultraviolet radiation and environmental pollution, the speed of deterioration increases much more. In the same way as with collagen, it happens with elastin.
UV radiation, as well as the different pollutants of the environment also favor the generation of free radicals, causing an additional deterioration of the structure of the skin. Over the years, we lose the repair capacity of our tissues.
A natural way to slow down and / or counteract the damage caused to the skin is through nutrition rich in the precursor components that favor the regeneration of this, that is, that favors the synthesis of the new constituents of its structure (foods rich in collagen, elastin, hyaluronic acid, …). In addition, it is very useful to consume protective foods with antioxidant or anti-inflammatory properties, as these help reduce skin deterioration.
*Zhang S, Duan E. Fighting against Skin Aging: The Way from Bench to Bedside. Cell Transplant. 2018 May;27(5):729-738
