subject: Want Healthy Skin? Then Give These Phenolic Acids A Try [print this page] The phenolic acids are a group of plant based nutrients. Unlike vitamins and minerals, the phenolic acids are not believed to be essential for human health. However, studies have shown that they can keep your skin healthy, reduce unnecessary inflammation and more. In this article I will be taking a detailed look at 2 phenolic acids, providing an overview of the richest food sources and listing their main health benefits.
1) CURCUMIN:
Curcumin can only be found in the spice turmeric with 100 grams (g) containing around 5g of this phenolic acid. It is a powerful antioxidant that can protect your body's cells from dangerous free radicals. Free radicals are harmful by-products that are released into your body's cells during oxygen related reactions and have been linked with cancer (a disease where your body's cells start to grow in a rapid, out of control way), diabetes (a disease where your blood glucose levels become dangerously high), increased visible signs of ageing and a weak immune system.
Early studies suggest that this phenolic acid may also be an antibacterial (a substance that prevents the growth of bacteria), antidepressant, anti-inflammatory (a substance that reduces unnecessary inflammation) and antiviral (a substance that prevents the growth of viral infections). Additionally, it may prevent Alzheimer's disease (a mental disorder that causes the loss of memory, loss of thought and ultimately the loss of speech), prevent replication of the human immunodeficiency virus (a virus that is often abbreviated to HIV and causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) which ultimately destroys the immune system) and prevent cancer. On top of this, curcumin may be able to treat arthritis (inflammation of the joints), cataracts (clouding on the lenses of the eyes), diabetes, psoriasis (a skin disorder that leads to the development of red, scaly patches), kidney disease and multiple sclerosis (a nerve disorder that causes depression, impaired mobility, muscular weakness and vision problems). Finally, it may be able to keep the blood healthy by preventing atherosclerosis (a condition where hard plaques form in the artery walls, restrict the flow of blood and increase your heart disease risk) and reducing blood levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (a type of cholesterol that blocks the arteries and increases your heart disease risk). However, more research is required before these provisional health benefits can be confirmed.
2) SALICYLIC ACID:
Salicylic acid is often used as a key ingredient in acne medications. It can also be sourced naturally from a wide range of fruits, herbs, nuts and vegetables with almonds, apricots, blueberries, green peppers, mushrooms, paprika, raisins and turmeric all being excellent sources of this phenolic acid.
In terms of health benefits, salicylic acid is very effective at treating skin conditions such as acne (an inflammatory skin disorder characterised by red pimples), calluses (thickened, hardened areas of skin), corns (thickened areas of skin on the foot), dandruff (the shedding of dead skin cells from the scalp), psoriasis and warts (small, hard, benign growths on the skin which are caused by viruses). It is also a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory which can prevent heart disease.
