7. Kiwi
One of vitamin C’s most powerful roles is producing collagen, a protein that gives your skin its elasticity. Collagen breaks down as you age and causes wrinkle formation, but a vitamin C-packed kiwi can provide 141% of your daily value and help counteract this effect, says dermatologist Lauren Ploch, MD, MEd, FAAD.
Varieties like golden kiwis have even more vitamin C, making them an exceptional source of the micronutrient. The body cannot make vitamin C, so it’s very important to get enough of this nutrient through food to protect the body from harmful pathogens. Kiwis are also over 90% water which can help hydrate the body too.
Kiwi can offer a vibrant addition to any fruit salad and can be incorporated into smoothies and yogurt parfaits. You can even add them to your favorite homemade salsa recipe for a sweet twist.
8. Grapes
Red, green and black grapes provide a combo of ellagic acid and resveratrol, two compounds that help combat oxidative stress. Researchers recently found that consuming grapes for two weeks was protective against UV light. Specifically, the study found that significantly more UV exposure was required to cause sunburn following grape consumption.
This doesn’t mean that you can ditch the sunscreen, but grapes may make for a skin-protective food on beach days and throughout the week. “The grape diet was also associated with decreased DNA damage, preservation of skin cells, and a reduction in inflammatory markers,” explains Courtney Romano, M.B.A., R.D., health advisor to the California Table Grape Commission.
Enjoy grapes as a snack by themselves or get creative by using them anywhere a tomato goes Romano says. “They provide a complete refresh to any dish from appetizers to salads to entrée accents to dessert, grapes work across the meal spectrum.”
