Improving your diet can lead to more radiant, youthful-esque skin at any age, but if you’re looking to promote a more noticeable glow over 40, a selenium-rich diet could be especially beneficial for your goals. We checked in with a doctor, skincare and skin health expert to learn more about the many benefits of the micronutrient when it comes to healthy aging skin, and for tips on how to add more of it to your daily menu. Read on for insight from Dr. Simran Sethi, founder and CEO of RenewMD Beauty & Wellness MedSpa, and skin by Dr. Simran Sethi.
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Selenium Serves As An Antioxidant, Healing Nutrient & More
Selenium is not just a "valuable oral supplement," Sethi says, as it can also be found in "nutrient-rich foods as a micronutrient." (These foods include Brazil nuts, fish like tuna, halibut, sardines, shrimp, meats like ham, beef liver, turkey, chicken, and other foods like cottage cheese and brown rice). Selenium, she adds, is an "essential antioxidant and mineral," and luckily, it’s not hard to source whole foods that provide the beneficial daily dose of selenium.
As for skincare benefits, Sethi points out that selenium-rich foods have the ability to "protect the skin against UV radiation-induced damage to skin cells." Selenium also "defends the skin cell membranes against developing dark spots, inflammation (more commonly acne and allergies) and accelerated aging," she continues, such as wrinkles and dry skin. In addition, Sethi explains that selenium promotes the "process of skin cell growth and skin cell replication," which is an essential part of the skin renewal process.
The nutrient also promotes "glutathione production naturally in the body," which is a "powerful antioxidant that aids in hyperpigmentation, environmental damage, and dull skin." Selenium, Sethi notes, also has an added benefit of aiding in a stronger immune system, (which could be great for your metabolism as well) with its antioxidant properties. In conclusion, Sethi stresses that selenium's protective properties "allow it to essentially aid in the daily repair of skin insults like aging and UV radiation."
The reason why younger skin looks clearer and more supple, she says, is because "younger people repair damage and make new skin at an accelerated rate compared to aged skin." Therefore, she concludes, adding supplements like selenium (or eating more of it in your diet) that aid and accelerate the skin renewal and repair cycle, will "promote younger and more radiant skin."
