Natural Sunscreen and A Healthy Diet Can Help Prevent Skin Disease Caused By UV RaysEveryone knows how important it is to protect skin from UV rays to avoid getting sunburn and sunscreen is usually the easiest way to lessen the risk. But did you know that many commercial sunscreens can be equally as harmful as sun exposure to both yourself and the environment? You can avoid or reduce your use of harmful chemical sunscreens without having to evade the sun altogether: after all a certain amount of sun exposure is necessary for good health. Fortunately for most of us our bodies have the natural ability to protect our skin from burning and, as always, a healthy diet boosts this natural defense. Many common foods contain vitamins, biochemicals and phytonutrients that either help to directly block UV rays or trigger your body to begin the tanning process instead of burning. Substances such as lycopene that is found in tomatoe products, polyphenols such as in olive oil, phytonutrients , epigallocatechins in green tea, caratenoids, lutein, zeaxanthin, all have natural sunscreen properties. Here is a list of foods that should be abundant in your diet to help protect your skin naturally from UV rays which also serve to boost your immune system, reduce the effects of aging, and fight or prevent cancer:
Bell peppers Broccoli Tomatoes Olive oil Papaya Strawberries Brussel sprouts Green tea Raspberries Blueberries Citrus foods Cauliflower Cabbage Kale Brussels Spouts Soy Garlic Flax seed oil Sweet potatoes Beans
(note: all of these foods with the exception of tomatoes are better consumed raw and unprocessed. The amount of lycopene is increased in processed tomatoe foods such as spagetti sauce, tomato juice and tomatoe paste.)
C E Selenium Zinc Titanium Dioxide What to Avoid
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