Feed Your Natural Beauty: These 5 Nutrients Can Switch On Your Anti-Aging Power

If you want to enhance your beauty naturally, and reverse the factors that can cause your body to age, then I have some suggestions. Now that we have nutraceutical technology, the potential for beauty is unlimited. Indeed, the ability to turn back our ‘biological clock’ has never been more available.

When you learn about the innovative breakthroughs occurring in nutraceuticals, as well as nutricosmetics, you can turn on the innate regenerative capacities within your cells, like turning on a light switch. Match the missing nutrient to the biological imbalance that represents it, and presto, a positive condition in your body occurs. With the right beauty nutrients, the cells are given what they require to blossom.

Here I will explore the nutrients that are most studied for their ability to activate and ‘switch on’ the body’s innate capacities for beauty. These nutrients can be found in food, but they are most easily accessed in the right therapeutic dose by taking them in a supplement form. In a nutraceutical, the nutrients are more concentrated to get you the result quicker, and easier, and they are also found in their most biologically active forms.

BIOTIN

Biotin is required for healthy hair, skin, and nails. It is a water soluble vitamin from the B-complex family. A biotin deficiency becomes apparent when hair starts falling out, fingernails suffer repeated breakage, and/or skin develops a certain pallor.

Great food sources of this natural beauty booster include bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, egg yolks, nuts, and supplements in 5 mg and 10 mg dosages as both capsules and liquids. Generally, a liquid form will be better absorbed by the body – especially good if you have digestive weakness or suffer from malabsorption. Always consider getting the best form of any nutrient and couple with the best form of delivery (powders, gels, and liquids are excellent), so you can maximize the effectiveness of your supplement.

One example of a condition that B vitamin deficiency can cause is beriberi, a disease brought about by a severe B1 (thiamine) deficiency. The disease affects multiple organ systems and can even lead to dementia or congestive heart failure. When thiamine is completely absent in the diet, beriberi can result. But when thiamine is added back in, the problem can be easily reversed.[1]

So we can see the importance of replacing a missing nutrient when our health suffers, because it can be the missing piece in what appears to be a complex puzzle. Here are some additional benefits of adding biotin to the diet:

– Biotin has a protective role in the health of the myelin sheath according to a recent clinical study that examined the positive benefit of biotin on those suffering with MS.[2]

– Biotin is a part of the B-complex family of vitamins and works synergistically with the other Bs to fight stress and relieve anxiety, making you feel younger and more energetic.

– Biotin is a water soluble vitamin and so you need it every day in your diet since your body does not store it

– Like the other B-complex vitamins, Biotin is required for cellular metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates that give you energy and keep your body lean.

SILICA

Have you ever noticed just how lovely a quartz crystal is, or observed the smooth, resilient sheen of a cucumber skin? What they both have in common is high concentrations of the mineral silica. This trace mineral is required by every single cell in the body. It is a necessary component in the creation of collagen peptides, and it is vital for cell hydration. In addition, silica has other important roles to play:

Increases cellular vitality – Silica is required for cellular vitality and intercellular communication because it helps to turn on electrical currents in the body which allow the cells to function. One German study showed that silica, in the form of colloidal silica gel taken internally, increased cellular vitality by 11% in the connective tissues alone.[3]

Just imagine what it does in every cell of body, including the cells that make the hair, skin, and nails beautiful.

Silica clears Cellulite Congestion – Cellulite is caused by the accumulation of waste products in connective tissues, along with low cellular density or elasticity in connective tissues. For most women, cellulite shows up around the thighs and can cause discomfort psychologically and emotionally.

What a German study done on the colloidal gel form of silica concluded was that silicic acid can increase overall cellular vitality by 8% and cellular metabolism in the connective tissues by 17%. This is significant considering that the study took place over a short period of time and these results began to show up within three days. When the cells of the connective tissue have more vitality and are better able to expel waste and bring water into cells, we see a reversing of cellulite as a symptom of congestion.[4]

Reduces Wrinkles – Cellulite is not the only symptom of low elasticity and low density in the connective tissue cells. So are wrinkles. As wrinkles form, what we see is a loosening of the cell structure and decreasing of cellular density. To reverse this, it’s not necessary to go under the knife or inject botulism. Adding an essential trace mineral can make all the difference.

A word of caution: Not all silica supplements are created equal, and some are synthesized in a laboratory. So look for silica supplements that are colloidal, and avoid ones that are artificially created. Also, while horsetail herb is a good source, it can strain the kidneys. Use with caution, avoiding daily intake over a long period of time.

Conversely, you can easily take silica regularly with most colloidal forms; look for as high a dose as possible. The highest dose on the market is 196 mg. If silica is one of a number of nutrients in a product formula, then this dose can be lower, because the product is more comprehensive and includes other things that work synergistically.

COLLAGEN

Another effective beauty enhancer is collagen. Everyone knows that sallow-looking skin can be given a boost with a collagen injection. However, you don’t have to get a needle in your face to increase collagen production for hair, skin, and nails. Supplementing the diet with collagen is a growing trend, especially in the West where the nutricosmetics industry is growing rapidly. The concept and science behind nutricosmetics is that great cosmetic results can come from within the body. Not only can you smooth out fine lines and wrinkles, and tighten and tone the skin, but adding collagen to your diet can help to increase body and shine in hair, and also strengthen nails.

During the human life cycle, collagen production peaks in our early 20s and then slowly declines with each passing year. This is apparent in the appearance of hair, skin, and nails. As well, declining levels of collagen in tissues can affect the joints, causing increased stiffness and pain. Because collagen is the most abundant protein in the body, it is easy to see and feel the effects of declining tissue levels of collagen. Even a lack of collagen in arteries accounts for decreased elasticity there, which puts one at risk for negative cardiovascular effects.

The way to reverse all of this and regain the benefits of increased collagen levels is to supplement with collagen peptides. These peptides can be found in capsule, liquid, bone broth, and powder form. Consider taking your collagen supplement before bed on an empty stomach, and this way your body can benefit from its natural healing and rejuvenation effect which takes place when at rest and sleeping.

In addition to taking the ready-made collagen peptides (from a grass-fed bovine or a marine source), one can add in vitamin C and silica to further stimulate collagen production in the body.

OTHER NUTRIENTS

Other anti-aging nutrients available separately or in a formula include: B-complex, MSM, L-Cysteine, Zinc, Selenometh-ionine, vitamin C, beta-carotene, hyaluronic acid, and natural senolytics.

B-COMPLEX: The B-complex is recommended because the B vitamins all work together synergistically. Plus, most men and women today are dealing with the high levels of stress and pressure caused by a fast-paced lifestyle. This can lead to B-complex deficiency and cortisol imbalances that affect appearance and mood. Look for a supplement containing coenzyme forms of the B-complex vitamins and include B-complex rich foods like bee pollen, royal jelly, raw unpasteurized honey, and red beets.

ZINC: This mineral is important because if you have any form of acne, it can be the result of a copper-zinc imbalance due to an unidentified copper excess.

MSM: This nutrient is both a sulfur containing compound and also a methyl-donor. Methyl-groups are vital for running the methylation pathway in the liver, and the liver is your largest organ of detoxification. Keeping it clean is vital for maintaining clean blood. When the liver is congested, the blood can be loaded with poisons that are unable to leave the body if the elimination channels (bowels and kidneys) are blocked. When that happens, impurities will seek to escape through the skin.

To avoid this, we want to have ample methyl-donors to run this detoxification pathway, and we can obtain them in foods like beets, and in supplements like MSM and others. Also, the sulfur (the ‘S’) in MSM is necessary to run the liver’s sulfation pathway and so it is vital for detoxification. You can also eat sulfur-rich foods like garlic, drink spring water rich in sulfur, and bathe in hot springs rich in sulfur.

While all of this can sound like serious business, it’s really important to have fun. Nothing can make you look and feel more beautiful than an attitude of lightheartedness and playfulness.

At the end of the day, looking good, feeling sexy, and being beautiful is a state of mind. Beauty nutrients are just the icing on the cake that can get you there faster.

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Resources

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References

[1] Thiamin: Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center. N.p., 2017. http://tinyurl.com/ldj9tjy

[2] https://n.neurology.org/content/84/14_Supplement/PL2.002

[3] When you find a colloidal form of silica note that only one brand in the world is pure enough to be safely used topically as well as internally. The vast majority of colloidal forms contain preservatives, exipients, and additives that are toxic to the body and if they were to be applied externally they would enter directly into the bloodstream and challenge the immune system. So, be careful of this fact if you choose to access the topical benefits as well as the benefits of taking silica internally. One recommended brand is Hubner, a colloidal gel made from quartz crystal.

[4] This clinical study was published in Archives of Dermatological Research (2007) 299: 499-505; University Hospital Complex Hamburg-Eppendorf, study manager Prof. Augustin M.D.