Five vital vitamins and minerals to keep your skin looking young and fish oil to power your brain
While growing up requires plenty of nutrients, not all developing teens need extra supplements. Take, for example, acne. While the theory that diet can directly affect acne is debatable, there is no denying that proper nutrition can help maintain healthy skin. In addition to a healthy diet, young people with acne need to be aware of some unique aspects. Such as banning (or at least limiting) all refined and concentrated simple sugars and restricting the intake of fatty and fried foods. This is easier said than done, especially when it comes to teenagers. Extra supplements can help.
Multi-vitamin and multi-mineral formulation is the best base preparation. Only a few elements in the formula play a role in maintaining skin health. Therefore, intake can be increased appropriately for patients with moderate and severe acne.
zinc
Zinc. Studies have shown that bioavailable zinc is similar to antibiotics in treating acne. A few people see immediate results, but it takes 35 to 40mg doses for about 12 weeks for most people. It is better with picolinic acid, citric acid, acetic acid, or zinc mono thiamine.
chromium
Chrome. It is known to increase the body’s glucose tolerance and skin cells’ insulin tolerance. Studies have shown that chromium supplementation can effectively relieve the symptoms of acne patients. The usual dose is 200-400mg/ day.
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 helps the liver break down hormones. For teens, low doses of vitamin B6 can help with acne, mood swings, and sugar cravings during puberty. It has also been successfully used in the premenstrual treatment of acne attacks. The usual dose is 25-100mg daily.
Selenium and vitamin E
Selenium and vitamin E act as glutathione peroxidase enzymes, which help prevent skin inflammation such as acne. Typically, people with acne have reduced levels of glutathione peroxidase. Studies have shown an increase in glutathione peroxidase levels and a significant reduction in symptoms after treatment with vitamin E and selenium. Typical doses are 100-200 ius for vitamin E and 100-400 micrograms for selenium.
While good skin is only one of the most important reasons to eat a healthy diet and take supplements than to be healthy, there is no doubt that such a reason is a great temptation for teenagers, especially those who suffer from acne. As for how parents can persuade their children to take them, my advice is to make them understand the benefits of these supplements as well as possible. Get them to cooperate with you; they will appreciate it later.
Fish Oil and the Adolescent Brain.
Most people know that fish oil, which contains omega-3 fatty acids, is suitable for maintaining brain health. But you may not know that the results of two new studies suggest that an unbalanced fat intake during adolescence may have long-lasting effects on learning and memory.
When researchers at the University of SAN Pablo in Spain fed teenage mice a diet high in saturated fatty acids but with average calories, the mice showed significant memory loss and reduced learning ability. But the same diet made no difference in adult mice. The researchers examined the brains of adolescent mice and found structural changes in brain cells in the hippocampus, the memory center. They also found partial loss of leptin, a hormone secreted by fat tissue that helps maintain cognitive function.
In a review of 185 studies, scientists at the University of Liverpool found that fish oil minimizes the adverse effects of junk food on the brain. Recent studies have shown that a junk diet high in fat may disrupt neurogenesis and affect the production of new nerve cells. But a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids may prevent these effects by stimulating the brain in this area.
The evidence from these studies suggests that fish oil is essential for adolescents. The recommended dose is 1000mg of EPA and DHA daily.