3 Foods That Reduce Wrinkles & Dark Spots, According To Research

What you eat plays a huge role in how you age, from joints and muscles to even skin. In fact, the intricate connection between nutrition and skin health is one that is fairly well studied.

For example, we know that the gut-skin axis1 plays a huge role in skin inflammation management and that eating a pro-inflammatory diet can end up causing inflammation in the skin.

There's an upside, though: We're also learning about what specific foods can actually support skin health with age—even helping reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Sounds pretty appealing, no?

Here, three foods to add to your diet for smoother, firmer, softer skin.

Almonds

"One study done on a group of postmenopausal women examined almond consumption on a variety of skin parameters," she said. "And the results of this study suggest that daily almond consumption may reduce wrinkle severity and facial pigment intensity. This may be associated with the antioxidant components in almonds, like vitamin E." 

Indeed, the study showed that the group that ate almonds daily for 16 weeks had reduced wrinkle appearance by 16%, compared to a control group. They also saw a dark spot reduction by 20. 

Salmon

Salmon is another skin-care-expert-approved main, as it is rich in protein, fatty acids, and antioxidants. 

"​​Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to increase skin hydration, decrease UV-induced skin stress, decrease photo-aging, and provide photoprotection," board-certified family physician and functional medicine expert Alejandra Carrasco, M.D., once told us about foods that can firm the skin. 

But it's not just the fatty acids that are impressive. It contains loads of antioxidants, particularly an impressive one called astaxanthin. It's a free-radical-fighting powerhouse that is clinically shown to improve skin hydration, increase elasticity, improve skin texture, and reduce fine lines and age spots.

A randomized controlled trial studied 65 healthy females and found that participants who took astaxanthin supplements had reduced wrinkles5 after 16 weeks compared to the control group. 

Finally, when 30 healthy females took astaxanthin capsules and applied a topical astaxanthin solution for eight weeks, their age spots decreased in size6; not to mention, they experienced an increase in skin elasticity and enhanced skin texture, too.

Mangoes 

For those who have a sweet tooth, mangoes are a fantastic fruit to snack on—just be mindful of how much. Maloh explains in the video that when consumed in moderation, they can reduce wrinkle size. But when consumed in excess, they may cause the opposite effect. 

"In one study7, researchers looked at the effects of consuming either a half cup of mangoes or a cup and a half of mangoes, four times a week for 16 weeks," she said. "They found that with the half-cup serving, there was a reduction of wrinkle severity, which may be associated with some carotenoid and flavonoid content of mangoes. But they found that with the 1.5-cup serving, there was an increase in wrinkle severity. This is likely because of the high sugar content." 

The takeaway 

What you eat influences how your skin looks as you age—for better or for worse. While it's important to not get too hung up on diet (you should eat things that bring you joy!), we believe the more you know about the food-body-skin connection, the better.