In this extract from her new book, The Food Fountain of Youth, beauty nutritionist Lonneke Botello Hernandez explains how ceramides help your skin, and what you can eat to get more of them.
Ceramides are lipids (fatty molecules) found in the top layer of the skin. They play important roles in maintaining skin barrier function and retaining skin moisture for the hydrated, smooth and supple skin we all desire.
These fatty molecules, which form an important part of the skin structure and provide hydration, exist naturally in the stratum corneum, the outer layer of your skin (the epidermis). This layer consists mostly of keratin and lipids. It’s the visible outer layer that sheds cells, which are replaced from the lower epidermal layers.
Ceramides act as water modulators to help the skin retain density and maintain moisture. They make up 35% to 40% of the lipids in the extracellular layer, acting as a glue to bind together protective cells in the outermost skin layer of the epidermis. They also play a role in the barrier function and moisturisation of the skin.
The ceramides we consume in our diet are known as phytoceramides, “phyto” meaning related to plants.
Think of ceramides as frontline soldiers for your skin cells. They unite the skin cells as a protective barrier, preventing too much water/hydration from leaving the skin and protecting the skin from environmental factors such as bacteria and UV light.
These ceramide soldiers help keep your skin hydrated, soft and supple by preventing transepidermal water loss (TEWL). When too much TEWL occurs, the skin can become excessively dry, wrinkled and dehydrated.
Ceramides act to repair the skin barrier, restore hydrating agents and prevent further water loss from the skin.
The skin barrier is disrupted in people who suffer from dermatitis, eczema, dry skin and even aged skin. Studies have shown that these skin disorders are mainly attributed to a significant decrease in levels of ceramides.
Ceramides: The Science
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Advertise with NZME.Consider the following scientifically proven ways that ceramides can assist in skin barrier function.
Ceramides:
- Provide skin barrier protection: Ceramides are the major lipids found in the top layer of the skin, providing structure that strengthens the skin barrier. They also protect the skin from environmental factors and the entry of bacteria.
- Moisturise the skin: As skin barrier support, ceramides prevent water loss via the skin, and thereby help replenish moisture, ensuring softer, more supple skin. Ceramides also have the ability to reduce dryness and flakiness of the skin, thus reducing the incidence of eczema and psoriasis.
- Reduce incidence of acne: When ceramides are insufficient in the skin, it can lead to a disruption in the skin barrier. This not only affects skin hydration and permeability, but predisposes the skin to inflammatory processes evoked by irritants and allergens, leading to acne. Ceramides have an anti-inflammatory effect, lessening acne occurrence by supporting the skin barrier and preventing the entry of bacteria.
- Lessen pigmentation: Melanin is a substance in your skin (hair and eyes as well) that produces pigmentation, which can change the colour of your skin. Ceramides have displayed promising results in decreasing pigmentation via the suppression of melanin synthesis in skin cells. Thus ceramides help prevent uneven skin tone and changes in pigmentation as we age.
Food List: Ceramides
Common foods that contain ceramides:
- Black (or purple) rice, and less in brown rice
- Bran and germ of wheat
- Konjac (a root vegetable)
- Corn
- Soybeans
- Sweet potatoes/kūmara
- Eggs
- Dairy
- Spinach
- Millet
The most common and readily available sources of ceramides are rice germ and bran. These food sources have been shown to support skin moisture and barrier function, suppress melanin synthesis, promote cell cell growth and have anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic properties. Studies have proven that phytoceramides derived from rice germ help prevent skin dryness and itching, particularly for those who suffer from atopic dermatitis. These benefits are due to the increase of water content in the skin, which leads to an improvement in skin smoothness, suppleness and exfoliation. Thus, rice germ qualifies as a skin-beautifying food.
Of all rice ceramides, one of the richest sources of ceramides can be found in the rice germ and bran of black, or purple, rice.
Once only fed to emperors due to its amazing health benefits, the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry reports that black rice contains phenolics, flavonoids and anthocyanins. These chemical compounds possess numerous health advantages, including beauty and anti-ageing benefits.
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Advertise with NZME.The darker pigment in black rice is what provides its many beauty benefits. Black rice contains about six to eight times more phenolic compounds and antioxidants than brown or white rice. Likewise, black rice bran contains a higher content of phenolics, flavonoids and anthocyanins, and has higher antioxidant activity than white rice bran.
The higher the phenolic and antioxidant concentration, the greater the ability these compounds have to protect the skin from UV radiation, lessen the prevalence of fine lines and wrinkles, and reduce irritation and inflammation in the skin.
The best beauty benefits of black rice derive from its ability to enhance elastin and collagen, and preserve hyaluronic acid:
- Elastin is a protein that’s a major component of the skin involved in skin elasticity and the prevention of skin wrinkling and sagging. Elastin is degraded in the body by an enzyme called elastase. When this degradation occurs, it results in a reduction of skin elasticity, thus allowing the skin to wrinkle and sag. Black rice has been proven to inhibit elastase, thereby inhibiting elastin degradation.
- Compounds found in black rice can also inhibit collagenase, the enzyme which degrades collagen. Collagen makes up 90% of the dermis of the skin, and is involved not only in its elasticity and strength, but its firmness and plumpness. Thus, when collagen is degraded by collagenase, it can lead to the same results as the degradation of elastin: wrinkles and skin sagging. Luckily, black (or purple) rice has been found to inhibit collagen degradation and maintain collagen quantity in the skin by inhibiting collagenase.
- Black rice has also been shown to inhibit hyaluronidase, which is the enzyme involved in the degradation of hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid plays a vital role in skin hydration, suppleness and plumpness. It also assists in cell protection, formation of skin tissue, skin water retention and flexibility. When hyaluronic acid degrades, it reduces the moisture and tension of the skin, which causes spots and sagging. Again, it’s black rice to the rescue, because it inhibits the degradation of hyaluronic acid via hyaluronidase.
Yet another benefit of black rice extract (particularly the germ and bran) is that it enhances the action of vitamin C and increases tyrosinase inhibitory action by 25%. Tyrosinase is an enzyme involved in melanin production, and melanin causes dark pigmentation or spots on the skin. So, unlike in the previous cases, here we want the enzyme to inhibit action. Black rice and vitamin C enhance the action of tyrosinase, which in turn inhibits melanin formation. This reduces problems with skin discolouration and dark spots and has a brightening effect on the skin.
Finally, the strong antioxidant effects of black rice decrease inflammation and cell damage, thus reducing signs of ageing to enhance skin beauty.
Recipe To Live For
Because of its many antiaging benefits, this recipe is dedicated to the ‘imperial’ black (or purple) rice.
- Heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat and add the shallot and garlic, stirring for about 2 minutes until golden. Next add the black rice and dried thyme, and saute for another 4-5 minutes.
- Add the chicken or vegetable stock, bay leaf and pepper, and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat to a simmer, cover the rice mix, and cook for about 35-40 minutes or until the rice is tender. You may need to add more water. (The rice will remain chewy, which is normal).
- Once cooked, let the rice sit for 5 minutes, then fluff it with a fork.
- Remove the bay leaf, add salt to taste and more pepper if you like, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
- Serve as a side dish, or add a lean protein such as grass-fed flank steak or organic free-range chicken breast to create a main meal.
The Food Fountain of Youth: Nutrients with science-based benefits for antiaging & beauty by Lonneke B. H, $45, published by Bateman Books. Available now.
More Ceramide-Rich Recipes
Eat your way to happier, healthier skin.
Black Rice Pudding Recipe With Banana And Coconut. A sweet, sticky dessert that can be adapted for breakfast as well.
Find Comfort In Kūmara And Pūhā Soup. If you’re expecting lots of people over the long weekend just double or triple the recipe.
Raspberry And Bran Muffins. Tastes good, does good for your skin.
Petite Kitchen’s Millet And Gruyere Frittata. Delicious served fresh or as leftovers the next day.
