What you eat can noticeably affect your skin. Although there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to a skin-improving diet, eating salmon several times a week can improve your overall health — and may make your skin glow. Salmon is one of the most nutrient-rich foods on the planet, after all. It’s high in lean protein and rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. There are many reasons why beauty enthusiasts swear by salmon to improve their skin.
Salmon and Potential Benefits for Skin Health
Reduces Inflammation
An imbalance in fatty acids — which happens if you eat too much processed meat and too few fruits and vegetables — can trigger inflammation. Inflammation underlies many skin conditions like acne, eczema, and premature aging.
Wild salmon contains a high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids contribute to a diet that keeps inflammation at bay and are helpful in conjunction with treatments for inflammatory skin conditions.1
Supports Collagen Production
Chronic inflammation can also degrade collagen and elastin (essential proteins that contribute to your skin’s structure and overall health), which your skin needs to look youthful. When collagen breaks down, your skin loses moisture and lacks a supple appearance, giving you a dull complexion. The omega-3s in salmon can support healthy collagen production.
Mitigates Sun Damage
In addition to healthy fats, salmon contains many vitamins, including vitamin D. Vitamin D can help shield skin from damaging UV rays.2 Vitamin D can also effectively prevent premature aging by reducing inflammation and helping to moderate oxidative stress.3,4 Oxidative stress is when free radicals (caused by things like smoking and pollution) and antioxidants are out of balance in your body.
Calms Redness
Wild salmon contains astaxanthin, a keto-carotenoid that gives salmon its deep pink color. It also is a powerful antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties.5 It can reduce inflammation, which can calm irritation and redness.
Improves Skin Elasticity
Salmon’s healthy fats can help your skin retain moisture and reduce the appearance of fine lines caused by sunlight exposure, also known as photoaging. Some studies suggest that the antioxidant properties of astaxanthin could help skin retain its moisture and hinder wrinkle production along with maintaining skin elasticity as compared to control groups.6
Where to Find High-Quality Salmon
Stock your freezer with nutritious seafood by sourcing fresh-frozen salmon fillets from Wild Alaskan Company. You’ll get high-quality, wild-caught seafood delivered straight to your doorstep with a fish subscription box to help you enjoy a diet that supports overall well-being from the inside out.
1. The Potential Uses of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Dermatology: A Review, May, 2020
2. Vitamin D and the skin: Focus on a complex Relationship: A Review, 2015
3. The Impact on Vitamin D and Skin Aging, Aug 2021
4. Oxidative Stress: Harms and Benefits for Human Health, July 2017
5. Astaxanthin in Skin Health, Repair, and Disease: A Comprehensive Review, April 2018
6. Astaxanthin in Skin Health, Repair, and Disease: A Comprehensive Review, April 2018
