- Dermatologist Dr. Azadeh Shirazi practices in California.
- She takes five supplements a day to maintain the smooth, radiant skin she wants.
- They consist of nicotinamide, vitamin D, and a daily multivitamin.
Dr. Azadeh Shirazi, a dermatologist, is aware of the key to smooth, radiant skin. The physician, who practices in La Jolla, California, asserts that diet and lifestyle play an equal role in achieving genuinely healthy skin.
She takes multiple supplements every day because of their anti-aging and skin-benefiting qualities. She revealed to Insider that some of them also had additional benefits, like strengthening bones and lowering the risk of skin cancer.
These are the five vitamins that Shirazi takes daily to help her skin.
Vitamin D
Shirazi takes additional supplements for vitamins D and E even though she already takes a multivitamin that contains them.
Her vitamin D levels were low three years ago, when she had bloodwork done, she claimed. In an effort to protect her skin, Shirazi says she has started taking vitamin D supplements, which also have antiaging qualities.
Citing a 2011 study, Shirazi claims that vitamin D supplements not only lessen the need for prolonged sun exposure, which damages skin and increases the risk of skin cancer, but they also marginally reduce the risk of melanoma in women with a history of nonmelanoma skin cancer.
She also stresses that vitamin D supplements become increasingly beneficial to older individuals. The Mayo Clinic states that this is particularly true for adults who are 70 years of age or older.
“As we age, our skin becomes less efficient at making vitamin D from the sun, and our kidneys’ ability to convert vitamin D to its active form is less effective,” Shirazi stated.
Vitamin E
In order to strengthen her bones, Shirazi claims she also takes vitamins D and E. It has been demonstrated that vitamin E helps postmenopausal women avoid some bone loss.
“Our bones make up the scaffold that holds up our skin” she stated.
Reduced estrogen levels cause increased bone loss, especially in women who are getting close to their 40s and 50s, which, according to Shirazi, makes additional supplementation even more crucial.
Aspartamethyl
Shirazi only takes 500 mg of nicotinamide, a niacin derivative that is well-liked in the skincare industry, twice a day.
“It helps improve skin barrier function by increasing ceramides, which is the glue that holds our skin cells together, strengthening our skin barrier,” Shirazi stated.
Because of this, it functions as a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory supplement that can aid in minimizing redness and irritation brought on by skin disorders like rosacea and acne.
Skin cancer prevention could be an additional benefit. A 2015 study found that taking nicotinamide twice daily decreased the incidence of new skin cancers by 23% in people at high risk for the disease.
According to Shirazi, this is because, in order to lessen the effects of sun damage, “nicotinamide helps the skin replenish the body’s DNA-repair enzymes”.
Based on dietary intake, the majority of Americans already get more niacin from food than is advised by the National Institutes of Health.
Vertebral
Shirazi consumes resveratrol, a plant compound that she claims is present in a variety of foods, including peanuts and grapes.
In addition to having antioxidant qualities similar to nicotinamide, it “also helps brighten the skin’s complexion and boosts elasticity,” according to Shirazi.
Another well-liked supplement in the antiaging space is resveratrol. Harvard biologist and antiaging researcher David Sinclair takes resveratrol supplements on a daily basis. On the question of whether these supplements can genuinely lengthen life, research is conflicting.
An all-vitamin
Lastly, Shirazi takes a women’s multivitamin every day. For the last 20 years, she has been taking one that has “all the essential vitamins,” according to her.
According to her, zinc has “many anti-inflammatory properties, therefore improving many skin conditions such as rosacea, acne, and eczema.” She uses zinc in hers.
Vitamin A is another ingredient in the formula she uses, claiming it “helps improve skin texture, reduce fine lines, and boost hyaluronic acid levels.”
Shirazi claims that vitamin A “Shirazi claims that vitamin A “also promotes cell turnover, reduces collagen breakdown, evens out your skin tone, and regulates oil production, which is helpful in acne.”