Eating Bell Peppers Can Be Good For Your Skin. Here's Why

When it comes to a clear, radiant, and youthful looking complexion, your skincare routine can only do so much. It's easy to forget that our skin is an organ, actually, as WebMD points out, it's the largest organ in the human body. And that means it is more than simply a beauty standard — it's the body's first line of defense against everything from bacteria and viruses to pollutants in the environment. While rich moisturizers and hyaluronic acid serums can give the skin a leg up in looking and performing at its best, the true source of a skin's health comes from the inside. That means what you eat is as important to the health and youthfulness of your skin as what you put on it.

When it comes to powerhouse foods for your skin, most people would think they need to be eating something trendy like pomegranate or kale. And while those foods have great health benefits, it's the under-appreciated bell pepper that doesn't get the props it deserves when it comes to the nutrients needed to not only prevent wrinkles, but to also increase the production of collagen which slows as we age. And as Stylecraze points out, if you eat the red variety, you're also getting a boost of antioxidants which help fight off free radicals that come from pollutants in the air and can cause premature aging or even cancer.

According to Healthline, red bell peppers and to a lesser degree yellow bell peppers are loaded with both beta carotene and Vitamin C. Beta carotene is sort of like nature's natural sunblock. It helps prevent cell degradation and damage caused by UVA and UVB rays, and in turn, helps prevent wrinkles. It's important to note, however, that simply eating foods high in beta carotene alone is not enough to protect your skin from harmful sun exposure. You need to incorporate a daily sunscreen into your skincare regime for full protection and benefits.

Beta carotene also gets converted by your body into vitamin A. Retinol, a popular anti-aging skincare ingredient, is actually a derivative of Vitamin A, and the more powerful prescription only topical Tretinoin is, as UWHealth.org explains, Vitamin A. This amazing vitamin makes wrinkles virtually vanish by promoting cell turnover in skin which stimulates the production of collagen and elastin.

Bell peppers are also loaded with Vitamin C which is vital in the actual production of collagen. So, bell peppers are doing double duty. They promote cell turnover and stimulate collagen growth, and at the same time provide the building blocks of collagen production. Healthline even reports that according to an observational study, women who eat high amounts of Vitamin C have a reduced risk of dry and wrinkled skin as they age.

Alexa, add bell peppers to shopping list...