Turned 30? Gorge on bell peppers for their anti-ageing skin benefits

The period of the 20s is a blissful dream. The food that you eat reflects on your skin. Plus, even minimal skincare gives you that perfect glow. Well, the agony stares in your face as you enter the third decade! Your skin starts showing those fine lines, crow feet, and open pores that were never there! Stop obsessively looking for these signs of ageing and start eating right.

Eating clean is important. As you care for each of your organs, you may forget that skin is actually the largest organ and first line of defense in your body. It shields out the harmful pathogens, pollution and environmental damage. That’s so cool, right?

Therefore, if you want skincare advice other than sleeping better, we got you! The answer to reversing ageing is bell peppers. These vibrant veggies taste delectable as pizza toppings, in pasta or even in salads where they add crunch and dash of colour to make them fancy.

Nutritionist Kavita Devgan, approves the anti-ageing properties in bell peppers. She has over two decades of experience in the field, and propagates healthy eating and dietary rules for weight loss.

Sharing her insight on the nutritional value of bell peppers, Devgan says “Peppers are an underrated, yet extremely nutritionally loaded vegetable (botanically, they are a fruit). Low in calories, peppers are excellent sources of vitamins A and C, potassium, folic acid, and fibre. Eating 250 grams of this super veggie gives you just 70 calories, 3 grams protein and a whopping 4-5 grams of fibre.”

“They have an extremely high concentration of antioxidants. One serving will give you more than your daily quota of Vitamin A and C. Vitamin C powers up your immune system and keeps skin youthful. It also helps keep arthritis at bay.” says Devgan.

Bell peppers are also a good source of vitamin E, known to play a key role in keeping skin and hair looking youthful and our heart alive and kicking.”

While choosing to opt for a preventative approach to skin ageing, including bell peppers in your diet is the right choice.

Here’s what bell peppers can do for your skin:

1. Vitamin A for collagen

Red bell peppers are high in pro-vitamin A (beta carotene), which your body converts into vitamin A. They provide 93 percent of the daily intake for vitamin A. Both the upper and lower layers of skin need vitamin A to maintain it’s immune system. A good quantity of vitamin A in diet can prevent sun damage by interrupting the process that breaks down collagen. In addition to this, vitamin A helps in speeding up healing, preventing breakouts and promoting natural moisturizing.

2. Carotenoid for skin care

Violaxanthin, a common carotenoid antioxidant in yellow bell peppers that reduce inflammation and prevent oxidative damage caused by free radicals.

3. Antioxidants for protection

Capsanthin, responsible for the rich red colour in bell peppers, is a powerful antioxidant that shields the skin against UVA and UVB damage. Thus, eliminating the risk of developing early signs of ageing on your skin and strengthening your skin’s reparative abilities.

4. Vitamin C for curbing wrinkles and pigmentation

One piece of bell pepper contains a whopping 170 percent of the RDI for vitamin C. This high percentage of vitamin C in them aids collagen production. Furthermore, eating bell peppers also reverse the signs of photoaging like pigmentation, dull skin and dark spots that begin to show up in your 30’s.

These gorgeous vegetables reign supreme when it comes to anti-aging. So, it’s time to eat them in all forms. Cook them with some chilly paneer, eat them raw in your salads or add as a topping to all your favorite indulgences.

While ageing is inevitable, ageing gracefully like a fine wine is what you should aim for. Eat right, use sunscreen, follow a good skincare routine and don’t stress. You may end up looking younger than before, if you smile often. Try it!