Researchers have discovered that increasing dietary vitamin C can measurably improve skin structure and renewal, revealing a potent link between what we eat and how our skin regenerates.
A new study led by researchers at the University of Otago, Faculty of Medicine – Christchurch Ōtautahi, has revealed that the skin’s ability to produce collagen and renew itself is directly influenced by how much vitamin C a person consumes.
According to findings published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, the amount of vitamin C present in the skin closely mirrors the level circulating in the blood (plasma). The researchers also found that these levels can rise through greater fruit consumption.
The investigation involved two dozen healthy adults from Aotearoa, New Zealand, and Germany. Participants who ate two vitamin C-rich SunGold kiwifruit each day showed an increase in plasma vitamin C, which in turn raised the vitamin’s concentration in the skin. This change supported greater skin thickness (collagen production) and encouraged renewal and regeneration in the outer layers of the skin.
Lead author Professor Margreet Vissers from Mātai Hāora – Centre for Redox Biology and Medicine, part of the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, describes the connection between vitamin C intake and skin thickness as “compelling.”
“We were surprised by the tight correlation between plasma vitamin C levels and those in the skin – this was much more marked than in any other organ we have investigated,” Professor Vissers says.
