I travel over 20,000 miles a year uncovering exotic healing herbs from all around the world.
But there are also some incredible healing herbs right here at home. They’re loaded with plant chemicals called flavonoids that can have important anti-aging benefits.
You see, your body pulls off a neat trick when it comes to eating and drinking…
Chemicals found in fruit, leaves, bark, roots, stems, and flowers give plants protection from the environment. So when you eat fruits and vegetables, take an extract, or drink wine or tea, those plants pass on the benefits to you.
There are more than 4000 flavonoids and we’ve just scratched the surface of learning what they all do. But many protect your skin.
Take the flavonoid apigenin, for example. Korean scientists found apigenin blocks the activity of a certain skin-aging enzyme. This enzyme speeds the breakdown of collagen, the main protein in your skin.1
Apigenin promotes healthy skin by slowing skin breakdown.
And a team at the University of Kansas exposed two sets of skin samples to intense ultraviolet (UV) light. One set was untreated skin. The second set was treated with apigenin. The skin treated with apigenin were protected from developing tumors.2
Several other studies – including one published just last year – agree that apigenin increases the skin’s defenses against overexposure to UV light.3
Other studies show apigenin…
- Boosts the skin barrier against microbes and helps hold in moisture.4
- wiped out fungal infections.5
- Switches on genes that trigger DNA repair.6
How do you get more apigenin for its skin-beautifying and protective benefits?
1) Parsley is the richest food source of apigenin.
You may not think of parsley for better skin… it’s often there on your dinner plate, completely ignored. You probably even toss it away without eating it. But parsley is full of vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin A and flavonoids like apigenin.
Eat some parsley every day, or a pretty good substitute is parsley leaf powder in supplement form.
2) Celery, artichokes, peppermint and rutabaga have a fair amount of apigenin.
Iceberg lettuce, bell peppers, and some fruits also contain a little.
You’ll find it in the spices basil, thyme and chamomile, too. Red wine also has a good amount of apigenin.
3) Probably my favorite source is the chrysanthemum flower (Chrysanthellum indicum).
Chinese herbalists have used this flower to promote younger-looking skin for over 2,500 years. They also made an anti-aging tea from it.
Chrysanthemum tea is delicious, and Chinese specialty stores carry it as Ju Hua. You can use chrysanthemum alone, or with the addition of other herbs to enhance the effect.
- Chrysanthemum and mulberry can clear up a wind-rash from your skin if you’ve been out in the cold this winter.
- Chrysanthemum and Gou Qi Zi (Lychee berries) helps give you clear skin by detoxing your liver.
To get apigenin by drinking chrysanthemum tea, add hot water and about 5 grams of Ju Hua together in a cup. If you want, add lychee or mulberry and cover. Steep for 5 or more minutes. The tea smells nice and tastes excellent.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
1 Lim, H. and Kim, H.P., “Inhibition of mammalian collagenase, matrix metalloproteinase-1, by naturally-occurring flavonoids,” Planta Med. 2007; 73(12): 1267-1274.
2 Abu-Yousif, A.O., et al, “Enhancement of UVB-induced apoptosis by apigenin in human keratinocytes and organotypic keratinocyte cultures,” Cancer Res. 2008; 68(8): 3057-3065.
3 Byun, S., et al, “Src kinase is a direct target of apigenin against UVB-induced skin inflammation,” Carcinogenesis. 2013; 34(2): 397-405.
4 Hou, M., et al, “Topical apigenin improves epidermal permeability barrier homoeostasis in normal murine skin by divergent mechanisms,” Exp Dermatol. 2013; 22(3): 210-215.
5 Singh, G., et al, “Treatment of dermatophytosis by a new antifungal agent ‘apigenin’,” Mycoses. Aug 2014; 57(8): 497-506.
6 Das, S., et al, “Apigenin, a bioactive flavonoid from Lycopodium clavatum, stimulates nucleotide excision repair genes to protect skin keratinocytes from ultraviolet B-induced reactive oxygen species and DNA damage,” J Acupunct Meridian Stud. 2013; 6(5): 252-262.