Carotenoids, skin and cellulite

Carotenoids for cellulite reduction and anti-ageing

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• Red, orange, green: the skin-protecting plant pigments

• Carotenoids for the prevention of cellulite, water retention, skin aging and skin looseness

• Carotenoids: the amazing skin nutrients

• Tomatoes, green leafy vegetables, seaweed and cellulite

• Watermelons

• Tomato passata, purée, paste and sauces

• Fresh juices vs packed

• Carotenoids in supplements and skincare/cellulite creams

Red, orange, green: the skin-protecting plant pigments

Carotenoids, found in carrots (obviously), tomatoes, watermelons, seaweed (especially in wakame) and green leafy vegetables, among other foods, are important skin nutrients that help prevent UV damage and skin looseness and support skin firmness and microcirculation.

In this article we summarise the benefits of those nutrients and the foods that contain them.

Carotenoids for the prevention of cellulite, water retention, skin aging and skin looseness

In a previous article we mentioned the importance of polyphenols for skin firmness, cellulite removal and water retention. On this article we present blood vessel and skin benefits of carotenoids, the other big family of healthful phytochemicals.

Both the polyphenol and carotenoid groups of plant chemicals have been found in multiple studies to inhibit fat accumulation and to exert a powerful antioxidant effect.

Furthermore, carotenoids, just like polyphenols, helps fight chronic, low-grade inflammation, protect collagen, hyaluronic acid and elastin from damage and stimulate their synthesis of collagen, hyaluronic acid and elastin.

Carotenoids have also been found to protect skin from UV damage.

The combination of all these actions on skin, fat tissue and blood vessels means stronger, healthier, firmer skin, blood vessels and microcirculation - and consequently less water retention, less cellulite, less skin aging and better skin firmness.

Carotenoids: the amazing skin nutrients

Carotenoids are essential for skin, adipose tissue and blood vessel health and, consequently, skin health, anti-aging and cellulite prevention.

The more carotenoids you consume from whole foods (within reason), and the less sugar and empty calories, the better the overall health and appearance will be, including that of the skin on your thighs and buttocks.

Tomatoes, green leafy vegetables, seaweed and cellulite

Tomatoes are an rich source of carotenoids, such as lycopene.

Red, yellow and orange peppers are also sources of carotenoids.

Carrots and watermelons are also packed with carotenoids, such as beta-carotene and lycopene, respectively.

Wakame seaweed, a rich a source of the carotenoid fucoxanthin, and salmon and crustaceans, sources of astaxanthin, are two more examples of great carotenoid-containing foods from the sea.

Kale, spinach and several other dark green vegetables are rich in zeaxanthin and lutein.

Green leafy vegetables, and even tomatoes and carrots, contain very few calories, compared to the amount of phytochemicals in them, and can be consumed freely without thinking about calories (this does not apply to carrot juice, which can supply too many (natural) sugars and too much beta-carotene).

Watermelons

Watermelon contains plenty of fibre (which stimulates bowel movement) and water/potassium (which stimulate urination), so it is also a great fruit for constipation and water retention - both important factors for cellulite.

On the other hand, watermelon contains quite a lot of (natural) sugar, so don't go crazy on it.

Tomato passata, purée, paste and sauces

Tomato paste, purée, passata and freshly made sauces are as good and in some ways better than fresh tomatoes, as cooking helps release lycopene and other carotenoids out of the tomato fibres.

Furthermore, tomato sauces contain other synergistic nutrients, found in the onions, garlic and all the herbs, so they are even better. However, sauces also contain oil which are calorific and can be unhealthy, if not cold pressed. The advice is to use less oil and ideally extra virgin olive oil, which also contains some antioxidants / polyphenols.

Fresh juices vs packed

On the other hand, tinned sources of tomato products contain high amounts of the endocrine disrupting chemical BPA, found in the tin/can lining. BPA leaches into the tomato product and is detrimental to overall health, disrupts sex hormones and is a factor for cellulite development.

So definitely the home-made or glass jar varieties are the best.

In terms of juices, vegetable/tomato juices are fine, but carrot juice and watermelon juices are way too sugary. In all cases, it is best to have freshly squeezed juices and smoothies, rather than packed ones, where many nutrients are damaged and sugars are concentrated.

Carotenoids in supplements and skincare/cellulite creams

Carotenoids are also available in nutritional supplements, many of which are worth taking, such as zeaxanthin, lutein, astaxanthin, lycopene and fucoxanthin.

Carotenoids are very rarely found in skincare creams, due to their deep red / orange / green colour.