(NaturalNews) Also known as "liver spots," age spots have nothing to do with health changes to the liver and everything to do with the skin and its exposure to sunlight as well as the natural process of aging. Although the Mayo Clinic says that they "are harmless and don't need treatment," (1) many people seek to remove the flat, colored skin spots via surgery or using creams that promise to diminish their sometimes unsightly appearance.

Still, there are those who have deeper concerns about age spots, saying they indicate that the body is out of whack. For example, one raw food expert writes on the blog BeautifulonRaw.com, that age spots are telltale signs that the body has toxins and that such outward signs "of deteriorating appearance should be viewed as warning signs of degeneration taking place inside." (2)

Many natural foods exist to help fight the appearance of age spots, so other questionable and costly measures need not be considered.

Best foods to eat to fight age spots

Dr. James F. Balche, a Certified Nutritional Consultant who is a member of the American Medical Association and a natural health advocate, suggests eating more raw vegetables (3). He advises that upwards of 50 percent of diets should involve raw foods, since they include nutrients that boost skin health while also getting rid of toxins in the body that can contribute to the development of age spots.

Oranges in particular are suggested to promote skin health. Dr. Balche explains that their high vitamin C content helps repair cell damage in the skin as well as prevent any new damage from developing in the first place (3). It's also good to know that the George Mateljan Foundation's web site, The World's Healthiest Foods, says that oranges have been shown to fight certain cancers, including skin cancer (4).

Antioxidant-rich foods known to fight damaging free radicals in the body make a difference in skin appearance; Dr. Oz explains that they help with everything from reducing wrinkles to fighting off diseases (5). Topping his list of the number one antioxidant food is beans (kidney, black, pinto, etc.), which he says has even more antioxidant properties than blueberries or cranberries.

Still, that's not to say that cranberries are void of skin-saving nutrients. Dr. Oz says that red foods such as cranberries, raspberries and pomegranate should be eaten to prevent free radical damage, as they too are part of his list of ultimate antioxidant-rich foods.

Sources for this article include:

(1) http://www.mayoclinic.org

(2) http://www.beautifulonraw.com

(3) http://www.livestrong.com

(4) http://worldshealthiestfoods.com

(5) http://www.doctoroz.com

http://science.naturalnews.com

About the author:
Raw Michelle is a natural health blogger and researcher, sharing her passions with others, using the Internet as her medium. She discusses topics in a straight forward way in hopes to help people from all walks of life achieve optimal health and well-being. She has authored and published hundreds of articles on topics such as the raw food diet and green living in general. >>> Click here to see more by Michelle