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Some foods offer protection against sunburn, wrinkles, psoriasis

July 4, 2004 1:08 am

DESPITE THE PLETHORA of supplements that are available, you needn't spend lots of cash to help your skin.

Eating right can offer additional help. It provides mild protection against sunburns, wrinkles and psoriasis, although not acne.

Keep in mind that nutrition is still the second line of defense for most skin problems. Sunscreen and medications are still more potent.

At this time of year, sunburn is a concern for everyone, particularly fair-skinned people like myself. Although dark-skinned people are also vulnerable to sunburns and skin cancer, my darker-skinned friends can play in the sun longer than I can before burning.

Carotenoids, a family of pigments that color orange and dark-green vegetables and fruits, protect skin against the sun. Beta-carotene is the most widely known carotenoid, but others such as lutein, zeaxanthin and lycopene seem important as well.

In fact, lycopene may be the most potent, and it's easier to get it from food than pills. In a German study, volunteers ate about 1 tablespoons of tomato paste with 2 teaspoons of olive oil daily for 10 weeks. When exposed to ultraviolet light, the tomato-paste-eating volunteers suffered 40 percent less sunburn than volunteers who didn't eat the paste. The researchers say that lycopene, which makes tomatoes red, was responsible.

I wish I had known about this study last month, when my husband and I honeymooned at the Outer Banks. I still would have slathered myself with sunscreen before our daily pilgrimages to the beach, but I'd have eaten pasta with marinara sauce more often.

In my mind, although there is less research on lycopene, it seems more promising than some of the other carotenoids. Dozens of studies on beta-carotene and other carotenoids show mixed results, but most provide skin with mild protection from sun damage when people eat carotenoid-rich supplements long enough and at high-enough doses.

My theory is that the results are conflicting because isolating a single carotenoid, such as beta-carotene, in pill form, is less effective than eating a vegetable that contains many different carotenoids.

Rather than buying beta-carotene supplements, I'll stick to eating dark-orange fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, winter squash, sweet potatoes, red peppers, cantaloupe, mangoes and papaya. Dark-green leafy vegetables are good sources, too, including dark lettuces such as Romaine, along with spinach, broccoli, kale and collard greens.

Many of the studies of carotenoid supplements show they are more effective against sunburn when combined with vitamins C and E. Some studies combining the carotenoids with zinc and selenium supplements also seemed promising.

This makes sense to me because we have long known that vitamin C and zinc are important for wound healing, another of the skin's functions. A study in Detroit showed that nearly one-third of elderly people had mild zinc deficiencies, so supplementing zinc should help skin.

The carotenoids, vitamins C and E, and selenium are all antioxidants, meaning they protect the skin from the damaging oxidative rays of the sun.

Sunburns are a major risk for skin cancer. Eating patterns are also a risk. Researchers at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md., surveyed 1,000 people, 500 of whom had melanoma, an aggressive type of skin cancer. They found that those who had eaten foods with the most vitamin D and carotenoids, including beta-carotene, cryptoxanthin, lutein and lycopene, had the lowest risk of melanoma. Drinking alcohol seemed to raise the risk of skin cancer, the scientists reported in January.

Australian researchers have also reported that alcohol can raise the risk of skin cancer.

Beyond short-term sun protection, some foods may offer long-term protection against wrinkles. Australian researchers report that older people with the smoothest skin ate spinach, eggplant, asparagus, celery, onions, leeks, garlic, lima beans, yogurt, eggs, cherries, grapes, melon, prunes, apples, pears, multigrain bread, jam and tea.

According to the researchers, prunes, apples and tea seemed exceptionally powerful. All three foods contain polyphenols, known antioxidants.

In the same study, whole milk, red meat (especially sausages), potatoes, sodas, cakes and pastries were associated with extensive skin wrinkling. The researchers say that sugar and saturated fat may be the culprits.

Interestingly, unsaturated fats, particularly olive oil and the omega-3 fats found in salmon and other fatty fish, are associated with lower rates of both sunburn and skin cancer in several studies.

Fish-oil supplements have also been shown to reduce symptoms of psoriasis, a painful skin problem characterized by itching, flaking and sores.

Other types of skin sores can be related to food allergies or to celiac disease, a problem in which people are sensitive to wheat. A physician can test the skin for allergies or do a blood test for celiac disease.

Unfortunately for myself and others plagued by acne, food is not terribly helpful for preventing most cases of acne. Contrary to popular belief, fatty foods such as pizza and chocolate do not cause acne according to recent research.

For some women, there is a link between acne and hormonal imbalances, such as diabetes and polycystic ovarian syndrome. For these women, getting treated by a gynecologist and eating moderate amounts of carbohydrates may be useful.

In short, for healthy skin, consider eating foods made with tomato sauce once or twice a week to get lycopene; try to eat at least one serving of bright-orange or dark-green fruits or vegetables daily; drink a cup of tea daily if you like; eat apples and prunes if you like them for protective polyphenols; and choose fatty fish such as wild Alaskan salmon, chunk light tuna, herring, small mackerel and sardines for their healthy, omega-3 fats. A glass of orange juice and a handful of almonds can supply you with vitamins E, C, selenium and zinc.

Since most studies of food and sunburn show it takes several weeks for the protection to kick in, think about eating well all the time, not just when sunning.

If you drink alcohol, practice moderation. And most important, don't forget your sunscreen!

JENNIFER MOTL welcomes reader questions via her Web site, brighteating.com, or mailed to Nutrition, The Free Lance-Star, 616 Amelia St., Fredericksburg, Va. 22401.