6 Foods That Will Protect Your Skin

6 Foods That Will Protect Your Skin

There are many ways to protect out skin. We can use special lotions that enhance our skin's natural defenses, but they don't last very long and require re-applying. They can also add up to quite the expense. You can wear protective clothes, but in the summer it gets hot and stuffy. You can stay home but that takes all the fun out of your summer. Here's another idea - eat right. These 6 foods each contribute something to the fight between your skin and the harmful UV rays of the sun. Learn about the foods that protect your skin and fight against damage and the formation of cancer.

1. Strawberries vs. wrinkles Strawberries have one of the largest concentration of vitamin C and have the power to hold off wrinkles as well as help prevent the loss of skin elasticity that comes with the years. These are the findings of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The power of vitamin C to hold off wrinkles comes from its ability to get rid of those free radicals created by the sun's ultra violet rays as well as its role in manufacturing collagen, the material most responsible for the health and vitality of our skin. You can find lots of vitamin C in red peppers, broccoli and citrus fruit as well.

2. Coffee vs. Skin Cancer A study published at a European Journal of Cancer discovered that a cup of coffee once a day can decrease the risk of skin cancer. The study checked 93 thousand women and discovered that a daily dose of coffee significantly reduced the risk of skin cancer. The caffeine, also existing to a lesser degree in tea, helps kill off pre-cancer cells and damaged skin cells by blocking the protein they need to make fast replications (which lead to cancer).

3. Tomatoes vs. Sun damage The red color of the tomato is its secret weapon for protection from the sun's harmful rays. It is a pigment, a carotenoid called lycophen that filters the radiation of the sun and prevents the tomato from being damaged. This same effect works for the human body as well, as proven by a study that examined how an addition of tomato sauce to your daily diet affects the skin's resiliency.   The study discovered that 2.5 table spoons of tomato sauce a day were enough to significantly decrease the damage our skin took from the sun. This same effect can be achieved by drinking 1 and 2/3 of a glass of carrot juice every day. Carrots also contain carotenoid pigments. In fact, all red-orange foods will give this result, such as pumpkins, certain yams etc.

4. Soy beans vs. Flabby skin Soy is rich in a group of chemcial compounds called Isoflavones. A recent American study found that these compounds help prevent wrinkles that occur as a result of ultra violet radiation. The isoflavones prevent the deconstruction of collagen, the material that keeps our skin tight and flexible. This compound exists in all soy products, such as soy milk, tofu etc.

5. Corn vs. Sun Damage Corn has a yellow pigment called Lutein which is quite similar to the pigment found in tomatoes. Like the tomatoes, this is a chemical mechanism humans can benefit from, and the pigment supplies the skin with the protection it needs against the sun's rays. Lutein can also be found in egg yolk and spinach, and it not only helps the skin, but also the eyes, keeping them safer from macular damage.

6. Salmon Vs. Pre-Cancer cells The omega-3 fatty acid found in salmon has many health properties. One of the most important one if protecting our cells form free radicals caused by UV light. Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition kept track of 1,100 Australians, who get a lot of sun exposure, for 5 years, checking their eating habits. Findings showed a whopping decrease of 30% in the formation of pre-cancer cells for those living on a diet rich in fish with high omega-3 levels, such as salmon, tuna and sardines. In addition, omega-3 helps the body keep its collagen levels.