There’s no shortage of dire warnings about the damaging and cancer-causing potential of unprotected exposure to the sun. While sunscreens and sun blocks do provide protection from sunburn (UVB exposure) and arguably some protection from the long-term effects of UVA exposure, a number of factors can diminish their effectiveness and there’s some cause for concern about the accuracy of SPF ratings. As if that weren’t bad enough, now many doctors are warning that over-use of sunscreens impedes your body’s natural ability to synthesize Vitamin D –a vital nutrient that can protect you from other common cancers like prostate, breast, and colon cancer.
But it’s not all bad news out there. There is one promising area of research that doesn’t receive much attention from the media, but may hold the key to protecting your self and your loved ones from the damaging effects of UV radiation. There’s plenty of evidence to suggest that a diet low in saturated or trans fats, supplemented with certain foods and nutrients rich in select vitamins and antioxidants can also help protect your skin from the inside out.
Even better, preliminary and ongoing research indicates that many of the antioxidants found in vitamins and botanicals when added to sunscreens AND taken orally — significantly boost the skin’s natural UV-filtering properties while enhancing its defenses against free radical formation.
Here’s how it works … prolonged exposure to sunlight, especially ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths, can induce the formation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), the most potent of which are free radicals that can cause genetic DNA mutations. These DNA-damaged cells then become the precursors for cancerous tumors. An antioxidant-rich diet can neutralize free radicals, counteract the sun’s damaging effects, and in some cases even reverse it.
Most of these protective vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients are readily available in the foods you already eat. The ones holding the most promise are Vitamins C and E, the mineral Selenium, and carotenoids like Beta Carotene (the natural form of vitamin A and the source of color in carrots) and Lycopene (the carotenoid that gives foods like tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit, and guava their red and pink color).
While not necessarily antioxidants, Zinc, Copper and Manganese are minerals that support the process of neutralizing free radicals. Glutathione-rich foods like asparagus, avocado, garlic, parsley, acorn squash, zucchini, tomatoes, can also protect the body from carcinogens.
