Non-essential nutrients are those that the body can do without or else they are synthesized by the body productively. Essential nutrients are those that the body cannot make itself and cannot do without either.
The third type of nutrients are the conditionally essential ones, which can be synthesized by the body in case it is working at optimal efficiency. But when the body isn’t working in top condition, due to disease, advanced age, stress or intoxication, there is a good chance that the body will lose the ability to synthesize sufficient quantities of these nutrients, making the body switch over in order to try to obtain them from food. Insufficient intake or synthesis of some conditionally essential nutrients may lead to the breakdown of the functions of several organs such as the skin. Using supplements for the conditionally essential nutrients can help to produce positive results with regards to skin care, particularly in case the reason for their lacking in the first place is due to old age, stress or other such health related issues.
Lipoic Acid is essential for skin care
Lipoic Acid
A conditionally essential nutrient is lipoic acid, which is required by cells in order to produce energy from carbohydrates as well as other fuels. It can also be a very efficient antioxidant as well as a neutralizer for heavy metal. The body can make its own lipoic acid in moderate amounts but will produce them at lower than sufficient levels during illness or stress. Lipoic acid levels tend to decline as you age.
Lipoic acid is more versatile than most of the antioxidants, as it is soluble in both fat and water which makes it capable of protecting all the body’s tissues as well as systems. It is highly effective against most kinds of free radicals such as superoxide anion, hydroxyl radical, singlet oxygen as well as hydrogen peroxide. It also binds as well as neutralizes the ions of metals, such as copper, cadmium, iron, lead as well as mercury that catalyze free radical formation. Lipoic acid can help to lower blood sugar levels as it is an unusual combination of metal neutralizer and antioxidant. Lipoic acid can also act as an inhibitor of cross linking as well as glycation, which are the two components of the main mechanisms of aging besides playing a vital role in the formation of wrinkles.
Q10 (Coenzyme) aids in skin care
Q10 (Coenzyme)
CoQ10 (coenzyme Q10) serves two key purposes. Besides being a key part of the cellular respiration systems found in the mitochondria it is also an antioxidant. CoQ10 can improve the efficiency as well as the rate of cellular energy production besides simultaneously protecting the mitochondria from free radical attack. CoQ10 can be produced by a healthy body but factors such as illness, age, malnutrition as well as cholesterol lowering drugs can impair the body’s production mechanisms for CoQ10. It is a biomarker of aging as its level in the body is in correlation to the aging process as well as degenerative diseases. One study showed that giving mice CoQ10 supplements could increase their life expectancy by nearly 50 percent. Studies have also shown the effectiveness of CoQ10 in the treatment of heart disease besides congestive heart failure. Hypertension, lowered levels of immunity as well as muscular atrophy can also be helped with CoQ10 supplements. Bit there are a few studies about the effectiveness of using CoQ10 for skin care, though it is possible that the increased energy produced by CoQ10 is quite good for the skin as well.
Cysteine and methionine assist in skin care
Cysteine And Methionine
Cysteine as well as methionine are amino acids which contain sulphur. Besides being key parts of the structure of proteins they also act as anti-oxidants besides assisting with the removal of heavy metals from the body. Cysteine is a component of glutathione which is the main water soluble antioxidant found inside cells. Methionine only comes from food, as the body is not able to produce it. Cysteine is created from methionine and would become essential only in case the levels of methionine aren’t sufficient. The levels of both methionine as well as cysteine lower with age. Using supplements of these two key amino acids has been shown to increase the life span of mice. There is also indirect proof that the optimal levels of these two amino acids can provide better health, longevity, as well as healthy skin.