Top 10: Foods That Improve Your Appearance

No.10 Oregano

 

At first glance, it’s tough to see how oregano could help your appearance. Despite being high in vitamin K, a fat-soluble vitamin that helps reduce bruising (but only when applied as a cream), oregano will really only help your looks when used as a salt substitute. Too much sodium in the diet can make the body retain more water, and, unfortunately, we often retain that water in areas we’d rather not -- like under the eyes. Just reach for the oregano the next time you look to add some extra flavor to your food.

No.9 Onions

 

Boasting a range of healthy flavonoids, antioxidants and sulfur-containing compounds, the onion -- like garlic, which will help you live longer -- is a member of the Allium family, which lays claim to many nutritional superstars. What makes halitosis-inducing onions unique, at least in terms of appearance-improving traits, is their anti-bacterial properties, ironically, in regard to the mouth and gums. Led by quercetin, a flavonoid, onions have been found to lead the charge against a whole host of oral bacteria and should therefore help to keep your gums healthy and your bad breath in check (at least bad breath that’s due to bacteria).

No.8 Grapefruit 

 

As a citrus fruit, grapefruits are loaded with vitamin C, an essential vitamin that the male body simply shouldn’t ignore. Vitamin C helps the body produce collagen, a protein used to make skin, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels -- you name it. Vitamin C is also essential for healing wounds and repairing and maintaining bones and teeth. As an antioxidant, this powerhouse vitamin also helps counter the aging effects of the sun on our skin. Since one grapefruit contains our daily recommended intake of vitamin C, you’d be wise to include it in your breakfast menu.

No.7 Blackberries

 

By now, every man, woman and child knows the health benefits of blueberries, but there’s another berry that’s gaining recognition in health circles -- the blackberry. Blackberries consistently rank tops among fruits with the highest concentration of antioxidants per serving size. Add in the fact that blackberries are an excellent source of folic acid (vitamin B9), and it's clear that these berries are vital to maintaining healthy skin. Did we mention that they’re also delicious?

No.6 Brazil nuts

 

Like most nuts, Brazil nuts are chock full of vitamins and minerals, many of which can improve your appearance. Aside from zinc and copper, Brazil nuts are high in magnesium. Magnesium is needed by nearly every organ in the body and also contributes to the makeup of teeth and bones. Brazil nuts are also a rich source of thiamine (vitamin B1), which, along with other B complex vitamins, helps to maintain the appearance of your skin, hair, and eyes. But be careful before you overindulge. Brazil nuts are actually so high in selenium that eating too many too often could, in fact, be detrimental to your health!

No.5 Shiitake mushrooms

 

Long a symbol of health and longevity in Asia, shiitake mushrooms have recently forayed into North American food culture -- and we couldn’t be happier. Not only do these 'shrooms have a rich and smoky flavor, but they’re also full of minerals (specifically, zinc and copper) that will keep your looks sharp. Zinc deficiencies have a profound effect on the appearance, causing potential weight loss, skin problems like acne or psoriasis, hair loss, and fingernail discoloration. Copper, on the other hand, plays a role in the production of melanin, the pigment that colors hair and darkens our skin when we tan.

No.4 Swiss chard

 

Belonging to the goosefoot family of vegetables that includes spinach and beets, Swiss chard is a veritable valedictorian when it comes to nutritious vegetables. It’s teeming with various vitamin and mineral antioxidants as well as phytonutrient ones, many of which also serve an anti-inflammatory function. As an excellent source of vitamin K and calcium, Swiss chard also helps to maintain healthy-looking bones and teeth. This bitter leafy veggie is also rich in vitamin A, known as retinol, which often forms a key ingredient in oral treatments for acne and psoriasis.

No.3 Avocados

 

Sometimes referred to as an alligator pear, the stocky avocado stems from a tall evergreen tree that can grow up to 66 feet in height. With its spectacular array of B vitamins, the avocado is great at maintaining healthy skin and hair. The rich monounsaturated fats in avocados have also been found to help maintain skin pH, while the omega-3 fatty acids further prevent your skin from drying up. From now on, when you think healthy skin, think avocados (and not scaly alligators, which aren’t all that conducive to good health in general).

No.2 Eggs

 

When it comes to boosting appearance, eggs attack your looks from all angles. Firstly, egg protein is considered to be the most readily utilizable protein with the highest biological value of any whole food, meaning it’s key to building lean, strong muscles. Secondly, being rich in vitamins A, B2, B5, B6, B9, and B12, eggs will help you maintain glowing skin. Lastly, as a source of biotin, a B vitamin (B7) that’s actually prescribed alongside medical treatment for hair loss, eggs might even help slow baldness

No.1 Oysters

 

Like eggs, oysters have your looks at heart. Of course, unlike eggs, they may also help out with matters of the heart, but that’s a different story altogether. Offering one of the most complete array of B vitamins, most notably B12, as well as zinc and omega-3 fatty acids, oysters are to healthy skin what Jean-Claude Van Damme was to action movies once upon a time. Speaking of Van Damme, oysters are also high in protein but low in fat, which may very well interest bodybuilders (and over-the-hill action-movie stars). Lastly, oysters are an excellent source of iron. Iron deficiency anemia is a common condition that can lead to visible changes in the hair, skin and nails. Put it all together and you have yourself one admittedly ugly food that leads to good looks.