3 Foods That Reduce Wrinkles & Dark Spots, According To Research

What you eat plays a huge role in how you age, from joints and muscles to even skin. In fact, the intricate connection between nutrition and skin health is one that is fairly well studied.

For example, we know that the gut-skin axis1 plays a huge role in skin inflammation management and that eating a pro-inflammatory diet can end up causing inflammation in the skin.

We also know high-glycemic foods can trigger acne flares2 for people who are genetically predisposed to the skin condition. Or, another example, we also know that eating too much sugar can lead to hardening and fragmentation of collagen3, weakening the skin foundation and leading to premature aging. 

There's an upside, though: We're also learning about what specific foods can actually support skin health with age—even helping reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Sounds pretty appealing, no?

For a midday snack to keep you satiated and reduce wrinkles, grab a jar of almonds. Recently Jessica Maloh, N.D., who specializes in Integrative Dermatology and Research, shared insights from a prospective randomized control trial she worked on that found snacking on almonds had the power to ease wrinkles and dark spots4. 

"One study done on a group of postmenopausal women examined almond consumption on a variety of skin parameters," she said in this TikTok video. "And the results of this study suggest that daily almond consumption may reduce wrinkle severity and facial pigment intensity. This may be associated with the antioxidant components in almonds, like vitamin E." 

Salmon is another skin-care-expert-approved main, as it is rich in protein, fatty acids, and antioxidants. 

"​​Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to increase skin hydration, decrease UV-induced skin stress, decrease photo-aging, and provide photoprotection," board-certified family physician and functional medicine expert Alejandra Carrasco, M.D., once told us about foods that can firm the skin. 

But it's not just the fatty acids that are impressive. It contains loads of antioxidants, particularly an impressive one called astaxanthin. It's a free-radical-fighting powerhouse that is clinically shown to improve skin hydration, increase elasticity, improve skin texture, and reduce fine lines and age spots.

For example, in one randomized controlled trial with 46 healthy female participants—researchers found that those who took astaxanthin capsules for six weeks had significantly decreased wrinkle parameters compared to participants who took a placebo pill.

Another randomized controlled trial studied 65 healthy females and found that participants who took astaxanthin supplements had reduced wrinkles5 after 16 weeks compared to the control group. 

For those who have a sweet tooth, mangos are a fantastic fruit to snack on—just be mindful of how much. Maloh explains in the video that when consumed in moderation, they can reduce wrinkle size. But when consumed in access, they may cause the opposite effect.