Functional Foods in Dermatology

Abstract

Functional foods, or whole foods that provide health benefits beyond their nutritional value, may provide multiple dermatological benefits. Research studies have documented benefits ranging from enhanced skin barrier function to improved wound healing, radiance, photoprotection, and hormonal regulation. Although the majority of research to date has involved small-scale human interventions or animal models, promising findings have been noted. In this review, we discuss the potential dermatological role of functional foods in hopes of advocating for larger-scale, evidence-based, human studies to expand this promising field.

Keywords

• functional foods
• diet
• dermatology