I keep a little container of cloves on my kitchen counter to pop in my mouth after a meal. Aside from a perfect breath-freshener, they’re INCREDIBLE for skin health. What’s more, they encourage skin collagen production!
Our bodies store a trace mineral called manganese that’s vital for skin’s integrity, namely the production of collagen.1 As we age, our ability to repair itself through collagen production is diminished. Increased manganese levels can not only boost this production, but can also protect against free radical damage, oxidative stress, increased skin regeneration, and provide UV protection.2
Cloves are the most nutrient-dense source of manganese, with a whopping 127% daily value! If you can add the powder to your cooking, that’s great. Or try my trick: Buy some online or from the bulk section at Whole Foods and store them in a little container. Pop one in your mouth like you would a mint. Just spit it out after the flavor is gone.
Don’t love the taste or smell of cloves (think pumpkin pie)? Other great sources of manganese are oats, brown rice, pineapple, collard greens, legumes, cinnamon, and raspberries.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23467724 ↩
- This is never to say skip the sunscreen though. ↩
PUt these out at my last dinner party. such a cute idea! Ppl loved sucking on them as we had our after dinner drinks. I told them about the skin benefits and they thhought I was a genius! Thank you!
Ok maybe this can replace my collagen protein ?