Salmon Benefits For Your Skin Health

Most of us know that nutrition plays an important role in keeping our organs healthy, but many often forget that the skin is the largest organ in the body, forming a protective layer between us and the outside world. Therefore, maintaining the proper functioning of our skin through good nutrition is key not only to help us look good, but also to make sure we stay healthy.
Salmon is suggested to be a specific food that may help optimise skin health, but quality is important. MOWI are experts in all things salmon-related and know how to raise nutritious salmon.
Omega-3’s
The Omega 3 fats present in salmon are known for their health benefits, but did you know they may also benefit your skin? Omega-3s are known as ‘essential fatty acids’, meaning we must consume them through our diet as our bodies cannot synthesise them themselves. There are three main types of Omega-3’s: ALA, EPA and DHA, with the latter two commonly found in oily fish like salmon, as well as nuts and seeds. These Omega-3’s are an important component of the makeup of our skin. Our skin is separated into two layers, the dermis and the epidermis. The main function of the epidermis is to act as a barrier, preventing water loss and infection. The dermis, on the other hand, contains collagen and elastin and provides physical and nutritional support to the epidermis. EPA and DHA specifically, are involved with building the epidermis (outer layer), which helps the skin to retain water and moisture, thus keeping your skin hydrated and contributing to that ‘healthy glow’. In the dermis, the presence of Omega-3’s has been shown to minimise collagen damage, which slows the ageing process, and reduces inflammation (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10617994/), which may help alleviate inflammatory skin disorders such as acne, psoriasis and dermatitis. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20620762/)
Another skin related benefit of a diet rich in Omega-3’s is not only can they help to reduce UV-induced inflammation (aka sunburn), but they can also help to optimise your protection from sunlight in combination with applying a suncream (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21569104/).
In the UK there is no specific recommended dose of Omega-3, but it is recommended to include two portions of fish a week, with one of them being oily. Therefore, if you’re looking to up your Omega-3 intake, salmon is a great way to do it. With MOWI salmon offering up 2132 mg Omega-3 per fillet, it’s a sure-fire (and not to mention tasty) way of making sure you get enough Omega-3 for those healthy skin benefits. With the current NHS guidelines, this suggests that a MOWI fillet a week is sufficient omega 3.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is important for our overall health, but it also has a very important role in keeping our skin healthy. For most people, the primary source of Vitamin D is from sunlight exposure, however, don’t forget – too much sun exposure can also accelerate the ageing process and lead to skin damage. Alongside getting our daily sun exposure, Vitamin D can be sourced through foods, including MOWI salmon, which naturally contains Vitamin D, or from processedfortified foods such as cereals and bread.*
Once Vitamin D is in the body, it’s stored in fat cells and converted into its active form, calcitriol, when it’s needed. It’s in this form that vitamin D contributes to skin cell growth and repair by optimising the skin’s immune system and destroying free radicals that can cause premature ageing. In addition to this, an adequate Vitamin D status is also suspected to have a protective-effect in decreasing risk of skin cancer and skin cancer mortality. A lack of vitamin D on the other hand, can slow the rates of cell proliferation and may cause your skin to become thinner and fragile as well as causing dryness and wrinkles as moisture is lost. This is why Vitamin D is so essential for maintaining healthy skin. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4642156/ )
*It is important to note that obtaining adequate levels of Vitamin D from diet alone is not achievable for most. During the autumn and winter months the government recommends everyone in the UK to take a daily supplement of Vitamin D containing 10 micrograms. One MOWI salmon fillet provides 75% of this level.
Astaxanthin
Astaxanthin is actually a very powerful anti-inflammatory antioxidant found in microalgae. It accumulates in the organisms that eat it, such as salmon (it’s actually what gives salmon its reddish-pink colour!), and is thought to be more potent and protective than Vitamin E. Like other antioxidants, it scavenges free radicals, which are linked to skin ageing, and therefore may be able to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Another benefit of consuming astaxanthin through our diet is that it can protect our skin from UV damage and subsequent DNA damage caused by UV rays. (https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/10/7/817/htm). These are the main reasons as to why astaxanthin has become a bit of a buzzword in the world of expensive skin-care products as of recent, so including more salmon in your diet is a cost-effective way of gaining some of these benefits.
More Salmon Please!
Salmon is a nutritional powerhouse when it comes to maintaining healthy skin and complexion, so why not incorporate it into your diet more often? This Salmon Fillet in a Bun is a quick lunch or dinner option that the whole family will love, or try your hand at a Hot Smoked Salmon Poke Bowl which gives you the opportunity to add in plenty of other foods that can also benefit your skin, like avocados and seeds.