What Are Micronutrients?
Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals that your body needs to stay alive. Unlike macronutrients, you only need to include small amounts of micronutrients in your diet to stay healthy. Examples of macronutrients with which we're all familiar are the various forms of protein and carbohydrates, but if you try to subsist of these nutrients alone, your health will deteriorate rapidly. Basically, all of the vitamins and minerals that you commonly see listed as important to your health are micronutrients, and some examples of these nutrients include:1. Vitamin C
Whether you're trying to cure your acne or stave off the aging process, vitamin C is one micronutrient that you'll definitely want to have at your disposal. This essential vitamin is a powerful antioxidant, which means that it fights free radicals in your system to protect your cell integrity. By reducing levels of free radicals, vitamin C makes room for increased collagen and elastin production, which makes your skin look younger. It also reduces inflammation, which is one of the primary causes of acne. When juice fruits like oranges and limes, you can even improve the health of your hair since vitamin C promotes hair growth and manages split ends. This amazing micronutrient even reduces hyperpigmentation and protects you from skin infections.
2. Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is also known as pyridoxine. It is part of the B vitamin complex, and it is an essential component of human health. It appears that vitamin B6 is especially beneficial for women, and it is especially helpful in the case of a rare pyridoxine deficiency. In terms of your skin health, research has indicated that pyridoxine can sometimes help reduce the symptoms of acne.Since this micronutrient has neurological benefits, health practitioners often use it on the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and ADHD, and pyridoxine is also effective in the case of autism, diabetes, and asthma. Generally speaking, your body needs adequate amounts of vitamin B6 to thrive, and drinking the juice of fruits and vegetables that are high in this substance is one of the best ways to protect your health and well-being.
3. Magnesium
You may have heard that taking an Epsom salt bath is a great way to make sure that your magnesium levels are on track, but you can get your fair share of this essential mineral from a variety of other sources as well. For instance, spinach, bananas, and avocado are all high in magnesium, and you can derive high levels of magnesium from juiced chard. According to leading dermatologists, magnesium can help improve your skin health by reducing the symptoms of skin disorders like acne and rosacea, and it also helps stabilize hormones that otherwise might wreak havoc on your skin health. In general, magnesium improves your cellular metabolism, which improves your skin's glow.4. Zinc
Zinc is a known anti-inflammatory, which means that it is great for conditions like acne. Kale is a great source of zinc, and this vegetable also contains many other vitamins and minerals. Since the antioxidant benefits of zinc stop the action of free radicals in your body, juicing vegetables that contain this substance may also help reduce any signs of aging that your skin may be showing.
5. Vitamin E
Like many other vitamins and minerals, scientific research has indicated that vitamin E is a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. This means that enjoying a diet that is high in vitamin E can help you reduce the effects of psoriasis, acne, and a number of other inflammation-related conditions. While there is no scientific consensus on this point, vitamin E may also be an effective blocker of the effects of UV radiation on your skin. Most green vegetables contain high levels of vitamin E.What Are the Best Juicing Ingredients for Your Skin?
While all fruits and vegetables have nutrients that will help your skin thrive, not all juicing ingredients are equal. Here are seven veggies and fruits that are best equipped to give your skin and your body what they need to be happy and healthy.1. Kale
Kale just keeps on getting more and more popular. One look at its nutrient profile is enough to understand why; this vegetable has high levels of vitamins A, C, E, K, B1, B2, and B3. It also contains minerals like calcium, beta-carotene, copper, magnesium, and phosphorous. To top it off, kale contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which makes it one of the only non-animal sources for these vital nutrients. It also contains lutein, which is a carotenoid. Best of all, this leafy green is easy to juice, and its juice blends well with other nutrient-packed liquids.2. Carrots
Carrot juice contains a particular type of vitamin A called beta-carotene. This antioxidant compound slows down the aging process and helps your cells repair themselves. Among other benefits, carrots can improve your vision and strengthen your bones. They also help your skin regenerate collagen and elastin, the reduced quantities of which are the primary cause of age-related wrinkles. Carrots also contain high levels of potassium, and this mineral helps your skin maintain its proper electrolyte balance and generate new skin cells. The vitamin A in carrots can also help reduce hyperpigmentation.
3. Parsley
While parsley might seem like an odd candidate for juicing, this herb that chefs usually use as a garnish is packed with vitamin A and vitamin C. This leafy green is also a great source of vitamin K, which health experts often overlook in the essential vitamin lineup. However, this vitamin helps keep your skin elastic and tight, and it also helps wounds heal. Vitamin K may even repair tooth enamel and fight cavities.4. Beets
Beets contain a huge list of beneficial vitamins and minerals. Some examples include zinc, folic acid, potassium, niacin, copper, vitamin C, manganese, and magnesium. Once you've juiced your beets, you can even ferment this juice into a traditional drink called kvass, which contains lots of probiotics that your gut needs to thrive. Whether you ferment it or not, beet juice is an incredibly potent anti-inflammatory that is especially targeted toward cleaning your blood.
5. Ginger
The zingy taste of ginger might be too much for some palates to take. If you can stomach the flavor of this bright yellow root, however, you stand to benefit immensely from the healing properties of its juice. Ginger is great for your immune system, and it is also an anti-inflammatory that can help you fight acne. To top it off, ginger also contains vitamins and minerals like pyridoxine, manganese, magnesium, and potassium.6. Lemons
Among other benefits, lemons taste great, and they can serve as much-needed counterpoints for the intense flavors of fruits and vegetables like kale and ginger. In addition, lemon juice contains high levels of vitamin C, which is significantly beneficial to your health and well-being for a number of different reasons. It is also high in a variety of different B vitamins, which means that will improve your energy levels while protecting your neurological well-being. Plus, lemons are one of the only sources of limonene, which boosts your immunity and provides indigestion relief.
7. Watercress
The most notable attribute of watercress is its high sulfur content, which means that you can use watercress juice to treat rare but serious sulfur deficiencies. Sulfur improves your complexion, and watercress also contains ridiculously high levels of other nutrients. For instance, a single bowl of watercress is enough to provide your entire recommended daily intake of vitamin A, which is highly beneficial to your skin health. Watercress also contains vitamin C, vitamin K, and beta-carotene, and it is also rich in almost all of the vitamins in the B vitamin complex. This vegetable also improves your liver health.How Does Juicing Benefit Your Skin?
By extracting the liquid portions of popular fruits and vegetables, juicing delivers a super-dose of micronutrients to your body without any other food components getting in the way. The juice of nutrient-rich vegetables and fruits is the perfect medium for providing your body with what it needs most when you're too busy to make a full meal or don't want to weigh yourself down with heavy food.Once the nutrients contained in vegetable and fruit juice make their way into your system, they get to work immediately on the process of bolstering your skin health. Vitamin C begins coursing through your veins and delivering antioxidant action to key areas, and magnesium starts improving the way that your cells reproduce and repair themselves. Other micronutrients catalyze various cellular and hormonal processes, and within no time, your skin reaches a state of health and well-being that it can't easily achieve with traditional forms of food. While you shouldn't replace normal meals with juice, juiced vegetables and fruits can serve as critical sources of the vitamins and minerals that you need, and your body absorbs and uses them much more easily than it does with supplement tablets.