Youthful Skin from the Inside Out

This is not an overnight quick fix, but nutrition can have a huge impact on how your skin ages!

First the must-have foundations:

✔️ Water (to hydrate the skin)

✔️ Protein (as a building block for collagen & elastin)

✔️ Fruits & Veg (for antioxidants to block free radical damage)

✔️ Healthy Fats (to keep inflammation in check)

Then the targeted nutrient supplements:

✔️ Collagen (supports skin firmness and elasticity)

✔️ Antioxidants like curcumin, pomegranate, and green tea (support antioxidant defenses)

✔️ Omega-3s (support healthy inflammation & defenses against sun damage)

Here’s the thing:

If you jump to the supplements without first having the foundations of a skin-healthy diet in place, you won’t get the results you deserve.

If you want to dial in a plan to support your unique skin health and maintain youthful skin—given your biochemistry, goals, and vulnerabilities—our functional approach is for you.

🥾 Take the first step through the link in our bio.

REFERENCES:

-Cho S. The Role of Functional Foods in Cutaneous Anti-aging. J Lifestyle Med. 2014;4(1):8-16. [link]

-de Miranda RB, Weimer P, Rossi RC. Effects of hydrolyzed collagen supplementation on skin aging: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Dermatol. 2021;60(12):1449-1461. [link]
-Michalak M. Plant-Derived Antioxidants: Significance in Skin Health and the Ageing Process. Int J Mol Sci. 2022;23(2):585. [link]

#elementsnatmed #skincare #skinhealth #rootcause #rootcausehealing #guthealth #naturalmedicine #naturopath #naturopathic #functionalmedicine #functionalmedicinetesting #holistic #holistichealing

Surprising Facts About Your Skin!

For clear and healthy skin, read this (don’t skip #3)!

1️⃣ Skin health is a reflection of gut health.

Breakouts, rashes, irritations, and redness are outward signs of inflammation, which often stems from the gut.

Tip: Support your gut AND skin with fiber, probiotics, and healthy fats!

2️⃣ Sugar accelerates skin aging.

Excess sugar triggers a process called glycation, where sugar binds to collagen proteins in the skin, leading to fine lines, wrinkles, and aging skin.

Tip: Limit sweets to occasional treats!

3️⃣ Diet can minimize sun damage.

Although not as strong as sunscreen, certain nutrients like beta-carotene and lycopene are stored in layers of the skin, where they help protect against UV damage.

Tip: Eat the rainbow!

4️⃣ Sleep is needed for glowing skin.

During sleep, the body releases growth hormone and produces collagen to strengthen the skin, reduce fine lines, and minimize sagging or puffy skin.

Tip: It’s true that we all need our beauty sleep!

5️⃣ Chemicals in skincare products can seep into your bloodstream.

Chemicals that persist in the environment and in our bodies (meaning they never go away!) are called forever chemicals. Many of these are ingredients in skincare products from sunscreens to lipsticks.

Tip: Read labels and choose non-toxic products!

Okay, I know that’s a lot of information, but the point is:

Chasing skin health with nothing more than expensive topical products is not doing anybody any good. Skin health is truly a reflection of whole-body health.

Click the link in our bio to get started with Dr. Cantrell! 🌱

REFERENCES:

-Abraham K, Monien BH. Transdermal absorption of 13C4-perfluorooctanoic acid (13C4-PFOA) from a sunscreen in a male volunteer - What could be the contribution of cosmetics to the internal exposure of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)?. Environ Int. 2022;169:107549. [link]

-Gill V, Kumar V, Singh K, Kumar A, Kim JJ. Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) May Be a Striking Link Between Modern Diet and Health. Biomolecules. 2019;9(12):888. [link]

-Ragnarsdóttir O, Abou-Elwafa Abdallah M, Harrad S. Dermal bioavailability of perfluoroalkyl substances using in vitro 3D human skin equivalent models. Environ Int. 2024;188:108772. [link]

-Stahl W, Sies H. Photoprotection by dietary carotenoids: concept, mechanisms, evidence and future development. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2012;56(2):287-295. [link]

Aging Happens in Bursts (new study!)

This might explain a few things.

A new study tracking 108 Californians between the ages of 25 and 75 found that human aging is not linear! Instead, they found bursts of disruption in molecular markers of aging at 2 points in time:

▪️ Around the age of 44, changes occur that affect the metabolism of lipids, caffeine, and alcohol

▪️ Around the age of 60, changes occur that affect immune function, kidney function, and the metabolism of carbohydrates

The study used the words “waves” and “crests” to describe the moments across the lifespan when aging activities spike. At both the age 44 and age 60 crests, muscle and skin aging also accelerated.

Do you think your body has hit one of these aging bursts?

PMID 39143318

REFERENCE:

Shen X, Wang C, Zhou X, et al. Nonlinear dynamics of multi-omics profiles during human aging. Nat Aging. Published online August 14, 2024. [link]

Seed Cycling: What You Need to Know

Period problems? I got you.

Research shows that following a Mediterranean diet pattern and eating foods like olive oil and fruits can support easier periods. Another popular way to use foods to support the menstrual cycle is 👉 seed cycling.

There are no clinical trials on seed cycling, but seeds do contain nutrients known to support hormones, like:

✔️Lignan phytoestrogens

✔️Omega-3 essential fatty acids

✔️Zinc, magnesium, and vitamin E

With seed cycling, women eat:

1️⃣ One tablespoon each per day of ground flax seeds and pumpkin seeds on days 1-14 of the menstrual cycle (phase 1), when estrogen levels rise.

2️⃣ One tablespoon each per day of sesame seeds and sunflower seeds on days 15-28 of the menstrual cycle (phase 2), when progesterone levels rise.

If you’d like to give it a try, here are some easy ways to add seeds into your daily routine:

🥤 Add a scoop to your smoothie

🥣 Mix into yogurt

🥗 Toss into salad

🍓 Sprinkle over toast, nut butter, and fresh fruit

Nutrition is one of many ways we can support healthier hormones and easier cycles. If you need more support with hormone health, you're in the right place!

Visit our website to schedule an initial visit with Dr. Cantrell! 🌱

REFERENCE:
Onieva-Zafra MD, Fernández-Martínez E, Abreu-Sánchez A, et al. Relationship between Diet, Menstrual Pain and other Menstrual Characteristics among Spanish Students. Nutrients. 2020;12(6):1759. Published 2020 Jun 12. [link]

The Soy Debate

What the research says ⬇️

Phytoestrogens are plant compounds in foods that mimic estrogen. They include:

✔️ Isoflavones in soy

✔️ Lignans in flax seeds

✔️ Resveratrol in wine

Research shows that eating more phytoestrogens is correlated with a lower risk of breast cancer in women before menopause and a lower risk of breast cancer recurrence in women after menopause (PMID 35241506 and 38070485).

How much?

The most risk reduction was in women who ate about 60 mg of soy isoflavones per day, or 2-3 servings of soy.

One caveat is that soy is a common allergen, often genetically engineered, and highly processed 😬

So look for organic soy products that are minimally processed—like tofu, tempeh, miso, and edamame.

If you don’t want to make sense of all this by yourself and want a personalized assessment and plan for hormonal health, we are here to help!

🔗 Follow the link in our bio to get started!

REFERENCES:

-Boutas I, Kontogeorgi A, Dimitrakakis C, Kalantaridou SN. Soy Isoflavones and Breast Cancer Risk: A Meta-analysis. In Vivo. 2022;36(2):556-562. [link]

-Desmawati D, Sulastri D. Phytoestrogens and Their Health Effect. Open Access Maced J Med Sci. 2019;7(3):495-499. [link]
-van Die MD, Bone KM, Visvanathan K, et al. Phytonutrients and outcomes following breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. JNCI Cancer Spectr. 2024;8(1). [link]