A woman’s physical beauty depends on many attributes, including her vitality and the health of her skin and hair. Beauty comes in all shapes, sizes and ages, but unhealthy living and excessive stress takes its toll on the physical body, which promotes tissue breakdown and loss of vitality. Supplements that claim to promote physical beauty are numerous and quite divergent, but ones particularly helpful for maintaining healthy skin, hair, nails and weight include vitamin C, biotin, essential fatty acids and human growth hormone.
Vitamin C
Humans are one of the few species that don’t synthesize vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid. Vitamin C is important for strong immune function and required for the production and maintenance of collagen. Collagen is a type of elastic-like protein used to make connective tissue, such as skin, ligaments and cartilage. Adequate production of collagen provides numerous benefits, such as firm, healthy skin and strong blood vessels. Collagen-enriched creams can be absorbed and used directly by your skin. Vitamin C also aids iron absorption, which prevents hair loss and thinning due to anemia from iron deficiency.
Biotin
Biotin, or vitamin B-7, helps produce essential enzymes and plays a role in keeping sweat glands, nerve tissue and bone marrow functioning normally. Biotin is also needed for gene expression and cellular proliferation. Initial signs of biotin deficiency include hair loss, brittle hair and nails, dry skin, fungal infections and facial rashes. Taking biotin can stimulate the growth of healthy hair, clear skin and strong fingernails. Biotin supplementation may also help reverse graying hair in those with biotin deficiency. Research shows that daily doses of biotin increases nail thickness by 25 percent, making nails less apt to split and break, according to the guide “PDR for Nutritional Supplements."
Essential Fatty Acids
Essential fatty acids, such as omega-6 and omega-3 types, provide a number of benefits that can contribute to a woman’s health and physical beauty. Gamma-linolenic acid, or GLA, is an omega-6 fatty acid that may help reduce inflammation as well as promote healthy skin, hair and nails, according to the "Textbook for Functional Medicine." Rich sources of GLA include evening primrose oil, black currant oil and hemp seeds. Omega-3 fatty acids also reduce inflammation and contribute to cardiovascular health and metabolism. Examples of omega-3 fatty acids include alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA, eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA.
Human Growth Hormone
Human growth hormone, or HGH, is reputed to slow down the effects of aging through a number of physiological mechanisms, according to the book “Public Health Nutrition: From Principles to Practice.” HGH increases bone density, muscle mass and exercise capacity while decreasing body fat. As such, HGH injections may be helpful in preventing osteoporosis, flaccid muscles and obesity. While no long-term studies have been conducted on the anti-aging effects of HGH, it is an FDA-approved drug; the FDA approval covers the use of HGH for anti-aging purposes.
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