Eat more berries! Your skin will thank you. Berries are my #1 most recommended food for any clear skin diet. If you don’t have some in the kitchen right now, you should. No other fruit on the planet is quite so helpful in promoting healthy, acne-free skin. Plus they’re delicious!
What’s so great about berries?
Everything. Most berries are brimming with powerful antioxidants, low in fat and sugar, rich in fiber, and super-packed with vitamins and minerals, so much so that they even put otherwise good fruits, like apples, totally to shame. Berries are just that awesome.
Some berries you should never be without
While most berries are good for you, my favorite would have to be blueberries. Blueberries are frequently ranked by nutritional experts as one of the healthiest foods in existence, with a ton of antioxidants to keep your skin looking younger, longer. They are especially rich in fiber, potassium, manganese, vitamin A, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin C and vitamin E. And remember, your body is better able to absorb nutrients from berries than from any typical supplement.
As impressive as the nutritional benefits are, I’m not a fan of blueberries just because they’re good for you. They’re also a cheap and practical addition to your acne diet. Compared to many other berries, blueberries are fairly low-profile, easily found at most grocery stores for an affordable price. They’re not overly sweet (my taste buds tend to get tired of eating sweet stuff every day, but blueberries I can eat forever). And while I love raspberries, blueberries keep longer, which makes them easier to stock up on.
Of course, raspberries are great too. They’ve got even more fiber, and are an excellent source of potassium, magnesium, niacin (vitamin B3), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), and vitamin C. Fresh blackberries offer similar benefits and are especially rich in vitamin A and niacin. And don’t forget strawberries, which provide omega-3 and alpha-hydroxy acids, plus more vitamin C than any other berry (and even most citrus fruits!).
A few berries that are a little less awesome
When some people think of berries, they also think of grapes and cherries. Technically, grapes are berries and cherries are not. However, putting scientific classifications aside, neither of these fruits are quite as healthy as the other berries listed above. The reason for this is their very high sugar content. While the other berries I’ve mentioned are low in sugar, grapes and cherries rank near the top of the fruit-sugar scale. That makes them less than ideal for acne sufferers.
Also note that certain berries, such as acai berries, can have some rather nasty side effects when taken in supplement form, so don’t be too quick to jump on the berry supplement bandwagon. Better to eat raw berries that you can find at the local grocery store.
Berries are pretty much the perfect finger food. So the next time you’re out shopping and thinking about buying another bag of potato chips, do your skin a favor and pick up some berries instead. They make for a great snack, and by eating berries instead of junk food, you’ll not only have clearer skin but will probably shed a few pounds as well. Moreover, berries mix wonderfully with a ton of other foods, from yogurt to cereal. Everything tastes better when you add berries! (well, almost everything ^_^)