You may have heard the phrase “you are what you eat”, but it’s more than just a saying.

The foods you eat can have a direct and noticeable effect on your appearance.

For example, your nutritional habits can determine how fast your hair and nails grow and how healthy they look. What you eat can also determine how clear and vibrant your skin looks.

And while facelifts and other cosmetic procedures can hide some of the damage done, they can also give your skin that tell-tale “fake” look to it. They’re also incredibly expensive.

Skin creams, ointments, masks and other treatments may help heal and rejuvenate skin on the surface, but they don’t address the core issue that makes your skin look tired and dull in the first place.

Look Better by Eating Better

The truth is, your skin is your body’s largest organ and by providing it with the right kind of nutrition, you can make your nails stronger, your hair fuller and your skin clearer and more youthful-looking just by eating better.

But which nutrients have the biggest effect on your appearance?  Let’s take a closer look:

The Best Cosmetic Nutrients

1. Biotin

Also known as vitamin B7, biotin is crucial for the maintenance of healthy hair, nails, and skin because it is involved in generating the necessary proteins to keep these parts of the body in tip-top shape ^1ƚ

Research has shown that biotin supplementation consistently improves the hair and nail health of people with “brittle nail syndrome or uncombable hair” ^2ƚ

Also, it is known that deficiency of biotin promotes baldness ^3ƚ.

One supplement that contained biotin, along with other ingredients, increased hair growth in women experiencing hair loss ^4ƚ

Biotin is most commonly found in egg yolks, almonds, mushrooms, spinach and cauliflower.

2. MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane)

Methyl-what?  Suffice to say that this very long name is a type of sulfur compound. Sulfur is one of the most abundant minerals in your body, and MSM is a great way to supply your body with the sulfur it needs. This sulfur-based compound is necessary for the proper production of one of the main proteins of hair, nails, and skin – keratin ⁵.

Numerous studies have shown improvements in skin quality after MSM usage^6ƚ. The  appearance, elasticity, and wrinkling of skin have all shown improvement in these studies ^6ƚ.

Foods that contain MSM include tomatoes, corn and cow’s milk.

3. Zinc

Zinc is another nutrient that your hair needs to grow in healthy, full and thick^ƚ. Zinc is necessary for the functioning of enzymes involved in hair growth, and baldness is often linked to zinc deficiency ^7ƚ. Proper supplementation can help remedy this deficiency.

Zinc is most commonly found in meats, shellfish, legumes, nuts, seeds and dairy.

4. Hydrolyzed Collagen

One way to have more collagen in your skin is to actually take collagen in supplement form!

With more collagen, your skin will have a firmer and more youthful look^ƚ. Hydrolyzed collagen can make this happen. It’s usually sourced from bovine (cow) cartilage, and the term ‘hydrolyzed’ refers to the collagen being broken down into its component amino acids that make up the collagen protein.

By ingesting the amino acids that are in collagen, your body produces more of its own collagen^ƚ. After weeks of using hydrolyzed collagen, skin elasticity and moisture improves ^8ƚ. Other studies have demonstrated a reduction in wrinkles ^9ƚ.

5. Alpha Lipoic Acid

This powerful antioxidant nourishes numerous antioxidants in your body. It can regenerate vitamins C and E along with other antioxidants, thus emboldening your skin’s defenses against free radicals ^10ƚ.

Alpha Lipoic Acid also helps metabolize sugar better as well as lower the amount of damage sugar can do to your skin ^11ƚ.

Alpha lipoic acid occurs naturally, but is found in low amounts through the foods we eat. Sources include Brussels sprouts, yeast, potatoes and organ meats.

6. Selenium

Skin and hair won’t look healthy without the mineral selenium. When you’re deficient, baldness and “skin abnormalities” can result ¹². Selenium is necessary for antioxidant protection of the skin as well as the growth of keratinocytes, cells that produce the strengthening keratin protein for the outer layer of the skin ^12ƚ.

Brazil nuts, eggs and sunflower seeds contain selenium.

7. Hyaluronic Acid

This is a structural component of skin. It moisturizes and gives youthful volume to your appearanceƚ. Luckily, you can supplement directly with this compound.

Studies have shown that oral supplementation “significantly diminished wrinkles,” significantly improved “skin luster and suppleness,” and moisturized dry skin ^13,14ƚ. Since hyaluronic acid is a compound of the body, it can be found in things like bone broth.

8. Bioflavonoids

These antioxidants in fruits and plant foods have been shown to significantly benefit skin health. One study found that bioflavonoids improved blood flow in the skin, and “skin density and skin hydration were also increased while skin roughness and scaling were significantly decreased” ^15ƚ. How’s that for impressive?

9. Hydrolyzed Keratin

Topically applied keratin peptides have been shown to improve cosmetic appearance, including skin elasticity and moisturization ^16ƚ. Keratin is important to the strength of skin, nails, and hair^ƚ.

Unfortunately, oral keratin consumption hasn’t been clinically studied, but it’s likely that it would act in the same way as hydrolyzed collagen in that it would promote the generation of more keratin in hair, skin, and nails so that your overall appearance would be more youthful.

Do I Really Have to Eat All This Stuff to Have Healthier Skin, Stronger Nails and Softer Hair?

Let’s be real. When was the last time you had spinach? Or organ meats? It’s no secret that our dietary habits and fast-paced lifestyle don’t exactly lend themselves to good eating habits.

Fortunately, you can enjoy all of these nutrients in the precise amounts your body needs by taking just one supplement: Hair, Skin and Nails, by Nutracraft.

Specially formulated to include all of the vitamins and minerals featured here, along with clinically-researched herbs and extracts to improve the strength and vitality of your hair, skin and nails, we guarantee you’ll see more beautiful results after just a few weeks -- or you don’t pay for it!^ƚ

Ready to learn more while looking and feeling your best?  Click here to learn more about Nutracraft Hair, Skin and Nails and enjoy a special offer!