I'm a dermatologist here are the 5 supplements I take daily

Publish date: 2024-07-11

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She’s got skin in the game.

With Americans on target to spend a whopping $200 billion on supplements by the year 2025, according to the AMA Journal of Ethics, one dermatologist is stepping up to remind consumers that when it comes to maintaining a youthful luster and sheen on the outside, what you put in your body can make all the difference.

Just in time for the more challenging winter months, Dr. Azadeh Shirazi of San Diego has divulged the five supplements she recommends most frequently to keep your epidermis elated.

Better still, Dr. Shirazi told Insider, she takes these five natural enhancers herself and vouches for them personally.

Vitamin D

This vitamin doubles up its benefits as it also replaces a need for excess sunlight, which can be harmful for skin and potentially lead to cancer. It’s especially crucial as one ages, Dr. Shirai stressed.

“As we age, our skin becomes less efficient at making vitamin D from the sun, and our kidneys’ ability to convert vitamin D to its active form is less effective,” Shirazi said, adding that the easy-to-find supplement can reduce risk of melanoma in certain women too.

Dr. Azadeh Shirazi, based in San Diego, shared some of the supplements she relies on to keep her skin looking its best. Instagram/@skinbydrazi

Resveratrol

This plant compound that shows up naturally in fruit and legumes “helps brighten the skin’s complexion and boosts elasticity” while too doubling as an antioxidant.

It also has benefits in for anti-aging.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E has been known to boost bone strength and can even prevent bone loss for women going through menopause.

“Our bones make up the scaffold that holds up our skin,” Shirazi said.

It’s especially crucial for women in their 40s and 50s to take, as declining estrogen leads to their bone loss, she recommends.

What we put in our bodies can have just as much impact on skin health as any topical or surgical solution. Galina Zhigalova – stock.adobe.com

Nicotinamide

Shirazi takes two 500 mg supplements of nicotinamide, a form of vitamin B3.

She does so because “it helps improve skin barrier function by increasing ceramides, which is the glue that holds our skin cells together, strengthening our skin barrier,” Shirazi said.

Nicotinamide functions as a strong antioxidant which also prevents inflammatory skin issues.

“Nicotinamide helps the skin replenish the body’s DNA-repair enzymes,” which is especially helpful with sun damage, according to the dermatologist.

Simple vitamins can play a role in keeping your epidermis elated. New Africa – stock.adobe.com

Multivitamin

Shirazi has been taking a women’s multivitamin — in addition to her D and E supplements — for 20 years.

Her choice selection also contains zinc, a periodic element which has “many anti-inflammatory properties, therefore improving many skin conditions such as rosacea, acne, and eczema.”

Said multivitamin also includes vitamin A as it “helps improve skin texture, reduce fine lines, and boost hyaluronic acid levels.”

The vitamin “also promotes cell turnover, reduces collagen breakdown, evens out your skin tone, and regulates oil production, which is helpful in acne.”

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