While some celebrities turn to Botox and other cosmetic treatments to look youthful, Olivia Munn recently revealed she prefers natural anti-ageing methods. She admitted to eating Japanese potatoes daily. The actress bakes them with olive oil and cinnamon. In a post on Instagram, Olivia wrote, "I've talked about this before and I still stand by it: Japanese potatoes that are high in Hyaluronic Acid help keep wrinkles away. Look up this video: 'Connie Chung Yuzihara' to learn all about it. There are Hyaluronic Acid pills and vitamins but I think that the best way to get it in your system is by eating them in foods that naturally have them." Can these really do wonders for one's skin?
WEIGHT LOSS BENEFITS
Dr Madhuri Agarwal, Mumbai-based dermatologist says Japanese potatoes have great health benefits. "It is known for reducing weight as it has a large fibre content. With positive dietary effect, Japanese potato also has the potential to fill you up. Besides, it also contains a good amount of Vitamin C that helps in fighting wrinkles and ageing. Due to their high fibre content, the potatoes are substantial enough to replace one meal. Therefore, it is enough to consume them once a day. However, since they are rich in Vitamin C, they are very unstable and protected by starch. It is recommended to steam the potatoes rather than fry them. Just don't expect results to show instantly." Many other food products have high hyaluronic acid content. "To name a few, green vegetables like kale and spinach are good sources of hyaluronic acid. Additional potatoes and other roots vegetables such as carrot and sweet potatoes are also rich in this. Besides, you can also find high concentration of hyaluronic acid in Asian vegetables such as imoji, konyaku and satoimo as well," she adds.
AGEING BENEFITS QUESTIONABLE
Dr Rajat Kandhari, Principal Dermatologist, Dr Kandhari's Skin and Dental Clinic says there are various kinds of Japanese potatoes. "There are ones with the orange flesh (high in beta carotene content, a good antioxidant) and some purple ones, also known as the okinawa potatoes, which are rich in anthocyanin (a phytochemical which is a powerful antioxidant). These potatoes have the ability to limit free radical damage which may affect the heart, digestive tract, bones and the skin, thereby leading to lesser inflammation. Further these potatoes are rich sources of hyaluronic acid, dietary fibre, vitamin C and A — which makes them great not only for good skin but also in losing weight," says Dr Kandhari adding, "One may speculate that these sources can help in stalling the biological clock but there are various things one may need to consider — Should we cook these vegetables as the HA is actually sensitive to heat and maybe destroyed. Further after ingestion, the HA and other sources undergo fast degradation. So although these may be nutritious foods with good properties but how much they can help in reversing the ageing clock remains to be seen."
MAINTAINS SKIN MOISTURE
The high vitamin content is helpful says Dr Soma Sarkar, Consulting Dermatologist, About Face Clinic. "Vitamin C is a good antioxidant whose role is to reduce oxidative stress and simultaneously work on collagen synthesis. This is required to increase skin firmness, reduce fine lines and wrinkles and also negative effects of sun damage. You can eat them daily, but it should not be overdone. Today people age prematurely, so to maintain the moisture in the body this is a good source."
