There are all kinds of diets to lose weight. But is there a beautiful skin diet?

According to dermatologist Susan C. Taylor, MD, what we eat has a significant impact on our skin, which is the largest organ in the body.

But we’re not just talking about the effect of food on skin conditions like acne, rosacea, or eczema. Diet may also affect the aging and wrinkling of your skin.

So what does a beautiful skin diet consist of?

To make sure your skin is getting optimal nutrition from your diet, you may want to eat the following foods:

• 3 ounces or more each day of whole grain cereals, rice, breads or pasta…

• Calcium-rich foods like low-fat milk…

• Various fruits and vegetables, with special emphasis on orange and dark green vegetables…

• Various lean meats, poultry and fish…

Studies have shown that that the antioxidants in vitamins C and E may protect the skin from sun damage and reduce aging.

You’ll find vitamin C in oranges, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, strawberries, and spinach.

Vitamin E is in whole grains such as wheat and oats, leafy green vegetables, egg yolks, nuts and seeds.

Another vitamin, A, maintains and repairs your skin tissue. It can be found in many vegetables and fruits like carrots, mangoes, spinach, cantaloupe, and sweet potatoes.

Biotin, a B vitamin, forms the basis of skin cells. Biotin is in egg yolks, liver, green peas, oats, walnuts, soybeans, and brown rice.

In 2001, a study of Swedish women found that those who ate the most vegetables, olive oil, and legumes, but ate less milk/dairy products, margarine, butter and sugar had less wrinkled skin even though they were regularly exposed to the sun.

Eating fewer milk/dairy products seems to conflict with the advice above to eat calcium-rich foods. But the difference may lie in the fat content of the foods. Low-fat appears to be preferable to high-fat in dairy.

Dr. Taylor also recommends drinking a lot of water on your beautiful skin diet.