Protect your skin without blocking vitamin D production
July is UV Safety Month, an opportunity to remind everyone that using sunscreen will reduce your risk of skin cancer and prevent premature skin aging. As with so many things, however, it may be possible to overdo it with the suncreeen. A limited amount of sun exposure (without sunscreen) may help to prevent vitamin D deficiency. See also this related post: Sunscreen, Vitamin D, and Cancer.
Eating certain foods can help protect your skin from the inside without interfering with vitamin D production in the skin. A combination of responsible sun exposure, an antioxidant-rich diet, and appropriate use of sunscreen may be the best of all worlds.
Foods that prevent and repair UV damage
Vitamins C and E are particularly effective in preventing and repairing ultraviolet damage to the skin. Eating foods rich in these nutrients has actually been shown to help prevent or lessen the extent of a sunburn!
Here's the tricky part: These vitamins are much more effective together than either is by itself, but there aren't many foods that are high in both nutrients. Foods high in vitamin C include red and green bell peppers, guava, kale, parsley, collard greens, turnips, and broccoli. Vitamin E is found in wheat germ oil, sunflower seeds, safflower and sunflower oils, almonds, and avocados.
To give your skin maximum protection, you'll need to combine foods from both groups. Guacamole with fresh red and green pepper strips would make a delicious, skin-loving snack! Try this guacamole recipe from Epicurious.com. Or, how about a crisp broccoli salad topped with slivered almonds? Here's my own personal recipe.
These foods help nourish and protect your skin, but remember to wear your sunscreen if you will be out in the sun for an extended period of time.
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Posted by: Health and Hygiene Blog | Aug 18, 2009 7:03:07 AM
I always apply sunscreens with SPF protection upon my facial skin. I also consider skin vitamins , namely vitamin E an D upon my physician's recommendation.
Posted by: Karen | Jul 27, 2009 6:52:02 PM
Buffet - I can assure you that a good solid Melanoma will make you far less virile than a lack of tanning.
Maybe I'm biased (I live in Australia, many people here die every year from skin cancer) It is easy to get vit D from supplements. If you are health conscious enough to avoid smoking, you should avoid tanning. It's just common sense.
Posted by: sharons | Jul 27, 2009 5:05:50 PM
ok all you sun worshipers. you are going to look ten years older than you are and I, an avid user of high spf, look 10 years younger than I am. so sorry for you! :)
Posted by: Anon | Jul 27, 2009 4:11:02 PM
Actually, during summer months the average person needs to stay in the sun for only perhaps 15 minutes to get enough Vitamin D.
As well, sunscreen labels often warn to put the sunscreen on 15 minutes before you go outside, to allow it to take effect.
Solution? Put the sunscreen WHEN you go outside. That way, by the time the sunscreen kicks in, you will have enough Vitamin D!
Posted by: Buffet | Jul 27, 2009 3:27:57 PM
You have but two choices in life. You can be pale and weak or tan virile and powerful. Take your pick.
Posted by: mohamed Aadan faarah | Jul 27, 2009 3:14:47 PM
Iam student tellme or please nutrition and mulnutrition Adult and dhildren help me please?
Posted by: Francesca | Jul 23, 2009 2:38:11 PM
The rate of incidence of all cancers (the number of people that get it, not necessarily die from it) is highest in the North East because sunlight there is around less often, there is more air pollution clouding out the sun rays, the ozone layer is thicker and people wear more clothes.
It's a fine balance between getting enough Vitamin D to stop you getting cancer in the first place and too much exposure which triggers skin cancer.
So getting extra nutrients from nutrient rich foods like super foods is really important to help balance things out.
Francesca
http://www.superfoodsplan.com
Posted by: Mooreganics | Jul 17, 2009 1:53:15 PM
Our family boosts our immune system with an antioxidant superfood (www.mooreganics.berryradical.com) and casual use of a non-synthetic Outdoor Balm that contains natural minerals that help reflect damaging UV radiation. I believe nutrition (eating REAL food) is a key factor in our body's own ability to protect itself from the sun. And, lathering on a bunch of chemicals will only increase the toxins in your body.
Posted by: Susan | Jul 16, 2009 10:32:32 AM
My dermatologist insisted I use the new "helioplex" 70 SPF and I did develop a vit. D deficiency. I now take a multivitamin and make sure I get sun during off hours but NEVER on my face. That fixed the problem and keeps my Dr. happy!
Posted by: Charles | Jul 16, 2009 9:38:44 AM
The AMA blundered horribly when it banned the sun. They forgot to insist on D3 supplementation which was beyond critical to human health as 90%+ of our vitamin D3 is from sun exposure. To their horror millions of people have developed chronic illness a a result.
The lethal consequences of avoiding the sun far outweigh the minimal risks associated with sunbathing. Keep in mind humanity evolved under the sun as did our ancestors all the way bakc to green algea. Accordingly the sun is a good thing, an absolute necessity and the doctors will have to resthink their horribky iatrogenic advice. Speaking of which what will the parents of 3 million autistic children say/do when it becomes clear vitamin D3 deficiency is the root cause of this disease?
in
Posted by: Kendall | Jul 14, 2009 10:51:00 AM
Thanks. After having a mole removed that had some abnormal cells, my dermatologist told me to wear sunscreen all the time. But reading about Vitamin D later on made me wonder if I should be concerned about these conflicting needs. Is the extra D from milk and other products with added D good enough? How short is a "limited amount" of sun--is my 5-10 minute drive to and from the gym each morning enough? (I don't put sunscreen on for that, but put it on just before going to work.) Etc. Thanks....
Posted by: Madison | Jul 13, 2009 3:05:44 PM
This is great advice that we all need to take. Particularly me, here in FL, spending a large bit of my time out doors as I do.
Thanks too, for the recipe link. I'm going to have to try that out.
Cheers,
Madison
www.morespatraffic.com
Posted by: Mike | Jul 13, 2009 2:57:15 PM
I burned until I was in my twenty's and started taking a good multi-vitamin from the health store. If you have a problem finding proper nourishment for your health and weight loss try www.shopherbalife.com/freeoffer I've had good results with their products.
