Protect Your Skin Inside Out: Natural Sun Protection Foods
Did you know that you could eat your sunscreen? Not literally, of course, but as you have already figured out from the title, effective sun protection doesn’t always have to include products like sunblock creams and lotions. In fact, some of the healthiest and most powerful natural sun protection methods involve eating certain foods.
According to many prominent dermatologists and nutritionists, the best way to protect your skin from sun damage is three-fold:
- Avoid over-exposure to sun rays during peak hours
- Wear quality protective sunscreen
- Eat sun protection foods
As you can see, proper sun protection and skin care aren’t just about the products you smear across your skin, it is also about the foods that you choose to eat. Much like our overall health depends highly on what we consume and how well we are eating, the condition of your skin and its ability to fight off negative influences of UV rays can be boosted or hindered via your diet.
However, we at Artesian Tan are obligated to mention that, even though the foods we will talk about in this article indeed have sun-protecting powers, you should have in mind that most of them are meant to be utilized complementary to your conventional methods of sun protection.
That being said, here are some of the most potent sun protection foods to consider:
1. Green Tea
We cannot even begin to explain how healthy green tea really is. This beverage is packed with catechins - a type of phenolic compound that is able to keep some diseases at bay and protect your skin from sunburns, skin inflammation, and other long-term damages caused by UV radiation.
Green tea also packs a lot of tannic acid and the EGCG antioxidants – both extremely potent at keeping your skin safe from sun damage, relieving the pain caused by sunburns, and reversing long-term genetic damage within your skin cells, that is caused by over-exposure to UV radiation.
Other benefits of drinking green tea:
- Improves overall health
- Improves cognitive functions
- Increases the process of burning fat
- Improves your physical performance
- Can lower the risk of certain cancers
- Helps with fighting off Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases
2. Red Bell Pepper
All bell peppers are very healthy, but the red ones are those that have lycopene. Lycopene, the substance that provides this vegetable with its distinctive red color, is also able to protect skin from experiencing damage that comes from ultraviolet B. These peppers are also rich in beta-carotene, a carotenoid that can reduce your skin’s sensitivity to burns and irritation.
Other benefits of red bell pepper include:
- Contain an extremely high dosage of vitamin C
- Packed with vitamin B6 and folate
- Helps with maintaining healthy vision
- Contain various antioxidants
3. Dark Chocolate
We already know that dark chocolate is among the healthiest sweets out there, but what many of you probably don’t know is that this treat can act as a sunblock as well. Namely, dark chocolate that contains flavanols, a naturally-occurring compound, is quite effective when it comes to protecting the skin from dangerous UV radiation.
Other benefits of eating dark chocolate include:
- Protects from free radicals that cause diseases
- Can prevent certain types of cancer
- Great for heart health
- Great for cholesterol
- Improves cognitive function
- Good for balancing blood pressure and blood sugar
- Rich in antioxidant
4. Salmon
One of the most potent (and delicious) sun protection foods is the almighty Salmon. This type of fish meat is packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which provide a plethora of health benefits to humans.
Aside from anti-inflammatory properties, and its ability to reduce the risk of skin cancer, this amazing superfood also has the following benefits:
- Healthy protein source
- Rich in Vitamin B
- Rich in potassium
- Packed with Selenium
- Contains the Antioxidant Astaxanthin
- Great for heart health
- Helps with weight loss
5. Broccoli
Perhaps the king among vegetable superfoods is broccoli. It is quite rich in antioxidants, especially those that can help keep skin cancer, and other minor skin diseases at bay. It can also help with inflammation.
Broccoli also contains:
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Bioactive Compounds
What is your favorite natural sun protection? Feel free to visit Artesian Tan for more articles like this one, but also for some pretty neat deals on spray-on tanning products and equipment!