N. LOTHUNGBENI HUMTSOE
New Delhi, March 1 (IANSlife) Women across the country are aware of how nutrition is closely associated with skin health. The food we eat is as important as the products for our skin, as healthy glowing skin is hard to achieve on a poor diet even with the strictest skincare regime. It is evident in the survey that highlights a shift in consumers’ preferences towards a healthy lifestyle and natural alternatives for daily diet.
According to a recent survey conducted between 7th to 22nd December by YouGov, a research consulting firm, 72 per cent of women in India find healthy dietary changes as an important step for beautiful looking skin.
Overall, the results indicate that majority of the females prefer to snack on healthy and nutritious food items such as almonds and fruits as they recognize the beauty benefits of fruits and almonds in particular.
Talking specifically in terms of maintaining a healthy diet, most women see a consequent benefit of achieving beautiful looking skin with home meals, a fibre-rich diet and snacking on nuts like almonds. Almonds have emerged as a top choice amongst Indian women as they associate Vitamin E with better skin health. Besides, the survey highlights the fact that 59 percent of women consume almonds on a daily basis, mostly soaked or raw. This makes almonds the most regularly consumed nut.
Females of the age group 30-39 and Millennials rate almonds highly on aspects such as wrinkle reduction, skin glow and skin protection. Whereas Gen X highly associates the consumption of almonds with the reduction of wrinkles. This assessment is reinforced by their personal experience as they report having observed positive effects on skin after eating almonds. In fact, those who have been consuming almonds for over 6 months report positive impacts such as skin glow and younger-looking skin more than those who started consuming almonds lately.
Commenting on the results of the survey, Sheela Krishnaswamy, Nutrition and Wellness Consultant, said, “It is great to see survey results indicating stronger adoption of the idea that a healthy lifestyle, including healthy snacking, can elevate one’s skin health. For years now, I have been recommending almonds as a natural healthy snack for better skin health. Almonds are known to be a rich source of antioxidant vitamin E and deliver essential fatty acids and polyphenols, which make them a great choice. A recent study suggests that almonds can help improve facial wrinkles and skin tone, a finding that supports the belief that almonds promote skin health among survey participants. I urge women to include them into their daily diet, to support healthier skin.”
The quantitative survey by YouGov aimed to assess the correlation between beauty and snacking, and understand women’s snacking patterns for beauty benefits. The survey was conducted amongst a sample size of 3,959 women in cities like Delhi, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Jaipur, Indore, Kolkata, Bhubaneshwar, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Hyderabad and Chennai.
(N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe can be contacted at lothungbeni.h@ians.in)
