1 week Ago By The Hans India
Sun protection, Antioxidant-rich foods, Skin health, UV protection, Summer diet, Protective foodsr-ups is an absolute must for excellent skin health and UV protection. Even if you’re not sunbathing at the beach, you might experience incidental sun exposure as you go about your day. In terms of protecting yourself from sun damage, sun protection is the most important.
However, certain lifestyle changes can also help shield the skin from sun damage. The food items we incorporate into our daily diet play a crucial role in protecting the skin from harmful UV rays. I would place diet right behind sunscreen because there are so many components in foods that have various protective effects.
In the quest for healthy, glowing skin, antioxidant-rich foods should be your best ally during the summer season. Make sure your skin receives high levels of nutrients during the summer to help limit sun damage. 1.
Herbs Herbs like elderflowers, rosemary, and certain oils such as coconut and red raspberry seed oil can protect the skin from sun damage. Herbs have high potential due to their antioxidant activity. Although isolated plant compounds show great potential for protecting the skin, whole herb extracts offer even better protection due to their complex composition.
Rosemary extracts, in particular, are helpful against the sun’s UV damage. Various studies have concluded that taking an extract of rosemary and lemon regularly for more than eight weeks significantly decreased UV damage in humans. Rosemary extract is widely used in sun care creams.
The sunscreen’s photoprotective efficacy is enhanced by adding rosmarinic acid. Walnut extract has also been shown to be very effective as a self-tanning sunscreen agent. It contains compounds that react with keratin proteins in the skin to form colored compounds that protect against UV rays.
Lavender, known for its lovely scent, has been found in studies to inhibit the generation of free radicals, which cause much of the damage from UVA/UVB radiation. 2. Cocoa How can you protect your skin this summer? Wear sunscreen, avoid tanning salons, and eat chocolate.
Yes, it’s true! As if we needed another reason to love chocolate, cacao and cocoa are excellent sources of antioxidant-rich polyphenols, helping to protect the skin from sun damage. Fresh cocoa beans are exceptionally rich in flavanols, which offer significant photoprotection and can thus be effective at shielding human skin from harmful UV effects. Cocoa flavanols, powerful antioxidants found in high-quality dark chocolate, can protect the skin from sun damage when consumed regularly.
Regular intake of 20 grams of a cocoa-based beverage for more than three months has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of UV-induced skin damage. Cocoa not only offers sun protection but also improves skin elasticity and reduces wrinkles. The high-cocoa beverage increased blood flow and moisture retention in the skin.
Other forms of cocoa, such as chocolate, likely have similar effects, but it’s important to stick with bars that contain 70 percent or more cocoa, as they have a greater concentration of flavanols and less added sugar. It’s important to note that not all chocolate contains beneficial flavanols. Conventional chocolate does not offer these effects.
The one exception is dark chocolate labeled “preserved with HF (high flavanol) levels.” Opting for lower-sugar options like dark chocolate is a great way to enjoy chocolate’s benefits without excess sugar. 3.
Salmon Bursting with omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, salmon is a delicious fish that can reduce inflammation from sunburns and block cellular damage caused by UV rays. Salmon contains nutrients that can safeguard the skin from hazardous UV radiation. Salmon is particularly rich in astaxanthin, which is more powerful than Vitamin C and CoQ10, and 1,000 times more effective than Vitamin E! Astaxanthin can improve skin health by reducing cell damage caused by free radicals after prolonged sun exposure.
In a way, you can think of astaxanthin as “sunscreen” on your plate. For an even more powerful meal, add vegetables like cauliflower, carrots, and leafy greens to your salmon dish. This combination can give your skin an extra boost of protective nutrients.
4. Red Grapes Using grapes in your beauty regimen is an excellent way to protect yourself from harmful UV rays. Red grapes are packed with resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant that can strengthen your skin’s defenses against sun damage.
Regular intake of red grapes has been shown to prevent sunburns caused by UV-light exposure. A grape-rich diet acts as a form of ‘oral sunscreen’ that can complement topical sun protection. The antioxidants found in grapes provide an additional layer of defense against sun-induced skin damage.
This is why including grapes in your diet can be a helpful addition to your overall sun protection routine. Although sunscreen and protective clothing are the first lines of defense against sun damage, a diet rich in antioxidant-packed foods can also offer crucial UV protection. Just make sure to consume these foods throughout the day to fully support your skin against harmful UV radiation.
(The author is international fame beauty expert and is called herbal queen of India).
