February 15, 2006 – Before going out in the sun, apply sunscreen … and drink tomato juice! Lycopene is indeed one of the best antioxidants for protecting the skin against UV rays, according to the results of a German study.1.
Researchers have just established that the consumption of certain foods rich in beta-carotenes and other carotenoids, such as lycopene, can prove to be an appreciable protection against the harmful – and potentially carcinogenic – effects of the sun.
The research team analyzed several studies carried out on the issue in recent years. Lasting 10 to 12 weeks, these studies reported the daily consumption, by a dozen volunteers each, of different amounts of antioxidants: 40 g of tomato paste and 10 g of olive oil (l equivalent of 16 mg of lycopene per day), two 200 ml glasses of carrot juice (10 mg of lycopene and 5.1 mg of beta-carotene), two 250 ml glasses of a drink rich in lycopene (8 , 2 mg of lycopene and 0.4 mg of beta-carotene), a natural lycopene supplement (9.8 mg of lycopene and 0.4 mg of beta-carotene) as well as a synthetic supplement of 10.2 mg of lycopene.
The participants’ skin response to exposure to UV rays was then measured. The most effective protection would have been conferred by the drink rich in lycopene, which had been prepared from an extract of tomato juice. Carrot juice and tomato paste also provided an interesting protective effect.
It was already known that carotenoids protect plants against damage caused by sunlight. They could have the same effect on the skin of human beings. At the end of these different studies, the carotenoid content in the skin of the participants was 1.2 to 1.4 times higher than the initial level.
The authors of this study warn that the consumption of products high in carotenoids cannot replace the use of sunscreen (cream, gel, lotion), even if it could offer long-term protection against the dangers of the sun. .
Note that among the 600 carotenoids found in nature, lycopene is the one found in greatest quantity in human food in the West, beta-carotene coming second. Lycopene is found in tomato and tomato-based products (tomato paste, juice, ketchup) as well as in watermelon, guava, and pink or red grapefruit.
Jean-Benoit Legault – PasseportSanté.net
1. Stahl W & al. Lycopene-rich products and dietary photoprotection, Photochem Photobiol Sci, 2006 Feb; 5 (2): 238-42. Epub 2005 Aug 12.
