Sun exposure is almost inevitable for everyone. If you’re an outdoor freak, your skin is more prone to get affected by harmful ultra violet radiation of sun. Protect your skin from dreaded sunburn before going outdoors. Besides a variety of cosmetic sunscreens available in supplies, many foods may improve your skin’s UV resistance from deep inside naturally. Make them a part of your daily diet and enjoy the best way to protect your skin from sunburn and other perilous side effects of prolonged exposure to ultra violet rays. These foods act as a natural sunblock in the form of food.
Foods rich in vitamin A: Sweet potatoes, carrots and cantaloupe rich in vitamin A may help promote regeneration of cells damaged by harsh sun. Boiled or baked sweet potatoes, raw carrots and cantaloupe in any form are good to have daily to enjoy a flawless skin free from sun damage.
Beta carotene rich foods: These foods have natural sunscreen properties. They may protect your skin from sun damage and reduce the intensity of sunburn. Beta carotene rich fruits and vegetables like mustard greens, turnip greens, spinach, kale, cabbage, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, apricots, papaya, mango and squash can help repair sun harm.
Foods rich in ellagic acid: Eat pomegranate fruit or drink its juice as it contains high levels of ellagic acid. It increases the skin’s resistance to UV rays by up to 20 percent.
Selenium rich mushrooms: Being rich in selenium mineral, mushrooms help in production of free radicals by skin cells when exposed to sun’s UV radiations. Mushroom can be called a free radical warrior. Eat it steamed or baked adding healthy spices and herbs.
Vitamin E rich nuts and seeds: Almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and avocado are laden with vitamin E. Vitamin E helps in protection of skin from sun damage. Eat a handful of almonds as a snack between two meals or sprinkle these seeds on your salads or fat-free yogurt. Eat avocados to gain the most from vitamin E content when it comes to skin protection from UV rays.
Polyphenols and antioxidants rich green tea: Add fresh lemon juice to green tea already loaded with polyphenols and antioxidants to boost its performance in defending free radicals produced by sun exposure.
Fruits rich in vitamin C: Strawberries, blueberries, oranges, cherries, red or pink grape fruit and kiwis are enriched with vitamin C. The nutrient is a big fighter against free radical damage caused by exposure to UV radiation. These fruits boost production of collagen that promotes the youthful appearance.
Foods containing omega-3 fatty acids: Salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, flax seeds, fish oil and chia seeds are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. All these are natural anti-inflammatory foods that may give protection against sunburn and cellular damage that may lead to skin cancer.
Red apples with their peel: The peel of red apples contains phytochemicals that can help repair sun damage and prevent skin cancer as well.
Lemon water: Replace sweet and aerated drinks with lemon water whenever you’re going out in sun. You may add lemon peel to enhance the benefits of skin protection from UV rays and repair sunburn damage.
All these foods are skin care experts. They act as a kind of internal sunscreen. Help yourself to reduce sun damage with these natural super foods – minimal hassle!
Note: Stay away from sugar and simple carbohydrates like pasta and white bread as much as possible. These foods can severely damage your skin’s ability to manage UV exposure appropriately.