Study Healthy Tanning with Vegetable-Rich Nutrition?

Tanned skin tone: Sun protection through a vegetable-rich diet

For most Europeans, tanned skin is considered a beauty ideal. However, health experts point out again and again that you should not forget the sunscreen when tanning and should be based on the UV index. German researchers are now investigating whether certain foods can protect the skin from UV rays.

Sunbathing endangers your health

Although experts repeatedly point out that the tan achieved by sunbathing is not healthy, but many Germans love to lie in the sun at hot temperatures. Especially in people with fair skin, the skin then burns quickly. However, this should be avoided at all costs and the health risks should not be underestimated. Every single sunburn is added to your own skin account. This increases the risk of skin cancer. Therefore, it is important to always pay attention to sufficient sun protection. Maybe the right nutrition can help here. Because some foods can provide some sun protection. German researchers now want to investigate how certain ingredients can protect the skin from UV rays.

A high-vegetable diet with lots of carrots and tomatoes offers some sun protection because the storage of carotenoids in adipose tissue leads to an orange skin tone. Researchers now want to investigate whether carotenoids can also protect against time-delayed damage. (Image: travelbook / fotolia.com)

Carotenoids lead to orange skin tone

Australian scientists reported last year on a study that showed that the frequent consumption of fruits and vegetables make the skin look younger and much more attractive.

A vegetable-rich diet, however, brings even more benefits. It has long been known that a carrot and tomato-rich diet offers a certain degree of sun protection, because the storage of carotenoids in adipose tissue leads to an orange-colored skin tone.

This applies to the time directly after exposure to UV radiation. In addition, there has been increasing evidence in recent years that cell damage can occur even hours after exposure to light.

Protection against delayed damage?

Based on this, nutritionists from the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena and the Heinrich Heine University of Dusseldorf now want to investigate whether carotenoids can also protect against these time-delayed damage.

The joint research project "Protective effects of carotenoid-rich foods against DNA damage from reactions of chemically induced triplet states of melanin derivatives" is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).

"Excessive sun exposure is the main risk factor for the development of skin cancer," explains PD Dr. med. Volker Böhm from the Institute of Nutrition Science of the University of Jena in a statement.

"For the prevention of malignant skin tumors, the use of a sunscreen is generally recommended. We will examine whether, as a complementary measure, food ingredients such as carotenoids offer endogenous protection. "

Intensive sunbathing has become a real recreational sport

After sunbathing, the brown pigment melanin forms in the skin as a sunscreen. However, unwanted side reactions may also result in reactive compounds that cause oxidative damage to cells and possibly lead to skin cancer.

"We look at whether carotenoids, which act as antioxidants, interrupt this reaction chain and whether it can be counteracted with them," explains Prof. Dr. med. Wilhelm Stahl from the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I at the University of Düsseldorf.

Carotenoids are introduced into the skin cell or into the cell model both in isolated form and in foods such as tomato or carrot concentrate.

Thus, the proof is to succeed, if the reddish coloring pigments can prevent the time-delayed formation of DNA damages in the skin.

"Especially in times when intense sunbathing has become a recreational sport, and in view of the aging society, the relevance of this issue is increasing," says Dr. Böhm.

Positive nutritional recommendations

"Afterwards, we would like to give positive nutritional recommendations that contribute to the protection of the skin during sunbathing," says Prof. Stahl as a result.

Carotenoids such as lutein and lycopene are secondary plant ingredients and are found in many fruits and vegetables. Their share in carrots, tomatoes, spinach and pumpkin is especially high.

In addition to proper nutrition, it is still important for sun protection not to save cream. It depends on the skin type. In addition, it is advised to spend a lot in the shade. (Ad)