“Fruit Fix” Prevents Sunburn (Reduces CANCER risk!)
Happy New Year!
I’ll admit, with the holiday rush FINALLY over, I’m not entirely sure what to do with myself today.
Maybe that’s why I started daydreaming about taking a little “fun in the sun” trip to ward off the coming winter doldrums.
Honestly, there couldn’t be a better time to do it, either. We often don’t get enough sun exposure in the winter months. And sunlight is one of nature’s keys to good health.
Spending time in the sun throughout the day is essential for setting your circadian rhythm, getting plenty of vitamin D, and much more.
But while you DO want plenty of sun exposure, what you DON’T want is a sunburn.
Your skin produces a natural sun callous (a tan) that reduces the risk of burning. But you can take that protection one step further by eating more of one delicious fruit.
It turns out this popular produce provides compounds that act as an internal sunscreen, giving your skin plenty of protection against burning from the inside.
As strange as it sounds, the secret to a little added sun protection could be to snack on more GRAPES.
Researchers recruited 29 people for a small study on UV light. The participants consumed 2.5 cups of grape powder every day for two weeks.
Next, the recruit’s skin response to UV light was measured and blood, urine, and gut samples were taken.
The tests linked eating grapes to significantly better resistance against UV light damage.
In fact, a full month after they stopped eating the fruit, a small portion of the group still maintained some resistance to the UV damage!
This suggests eating grapes builds up resistance to sunburns.
Urine samples showed that three metabolites were lower in the people who developed a resistance to UV light.
One in particular—called 2’-deoxyribose—is a strong indicator of reduced sun damage.
Polyphenols in the grapes are likely responsible for this protection. These compounds naturally protect plants from UV damage. And it appears they can also provide some of the same protection for humans.
That could translate to a lower risk for skin cancer and less UV-linked skin aging.
You don’t have to eat handfuls of grapes every day to get this kind of skin protection from within. (Although you can if you want to!)
Other foods rich in polyphenols include…
- olives
- coffee
- tea
- flaxseeds
- nuts
- cocoa powder
- berries
Getting a good variety of these and other plant foods in your diet can provide an extra boost of sun protection, whether for a winter fling to the nearest sunny spot or a stroll in the sun this coming summer.
P.S. The colder weather and shorter days can cause a significant drop in vitamin D levels during the winter months. The sun is the best source of D, of course. But I shared 5 MORE ways to get this vital vitamin in the winter here.
SOURCE:
“Short-Term Grape Consumption Diminishes UV-Induced Skin Erythema.” Antioxidants 2022, 11, 2372. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox11122372
