Including watermelon, black grapes, berries and more

Can your diet actually help to prevent skin damage caused by the sun and environmental pollution? The answer, it turns out, is a definite yes. Especially if you&#39;re one of those people who, due to a genetic predisposition, unfortunately experience accelerated skin ageing&nbsp;when exposed to sunlight.&nbsp;

&ldquo;We are all a&nbsp;result of the interaction between our genes and&nbsp;environmental factors.&nbsp;Our lifestyle, our diet, our levels of physical activity and stress all contribute to modulating our genetic susceptibility,&quot; explains Dr. Marcelo Sady, geneticist and general director of the Laboratory Multigene. &quot;For example, the MMP1 genotype&nbsp;is associated with&nbsp;a collagen degradation that is&nbsp;eight times more severe after sun exposure. The COL1A1 genotype is also&nbsp;linked to reduced collagen production, while the absence of genotypes such as SOD2 and CAT compromise the antioxidant capacity of the skin in responding against free radicals.&quot;

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&quot;While food should not replace <a href="https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/beauty/the-best-broad-spectrum-sunscreens-for-your-next-getaway-or-every-day">proper SPF protection</a>, as the use of sunscreen helps protect against harmful ultraviolet rays and prevent&nbsp;skin cancer&nbsp;and photoageing, diet is&nbsp;nevertheless an important element in making the skin more resistant to environmental factors and avoiding collagen degradation,&quot; says medical nutritionist Dr. Marcella Garcez.&nbsp;

Below, we list the foods that Dr. Garcez recommends to strengthen the natural protective qualities of your skin:

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Tomato

A study by the University of Michigan revealed that lycopene, the&nbsp;antioxidant present in tomatoes, can help prevent the harmful effects of sunburn on the skin. Researchers&nbsp;discovered that people who consumed 40g of tomato paste every day (that is, about 16mg of lycopene), were better protected against ultraviolet rays as compared to those&nbsp;who consumed none.

&quot;Tomatoes also contain a pigment called lutein, which reduces harmful free radicals that originate from sun exposure, thus minimising the risk of oxidative stress on the skin,&quot; says Dr. Garcez.

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Watermelon

Another good source of lycopene is <a href="https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/beauty/7-watermelon-infused-skincare-products-in-tribute-to-harry-styles-watermelon-sugar">watermelon</a>.&nbsp;&ldquo;Ultraviolet rays promote the formation of free radicals that damage skin cells. Lycopene acts as a protective shield to defend cells from this attack. Additionally,&nbsp;watermelon is made up of 90 per cent water, which helps to keep your body and your skin hydrated,&quot; explains Dr. Garcez.

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Berries

Rich in&nbsp;antioxidants and <a href="https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/beauty/meet-vitamin-c">Vitamin C</a>, which help to protect the skin from environmental damage,&nbsp;berries also nourish our bodies with&nbsp;the nutrients necessary for the production of skin-supporting proteins, such as collagen and elastin.

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Dark Chocolate

<a href="https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/living/pink-chocolate-is-officially-the-healthiest-chocolate-to-try-right-now">Cacao</a> is&nbsp;an excellent source of antioxidants, including polyphenols and catechins, which research has proven to be effective in shielding the skin from sun damage.&nbsp;&ldquo;Cacao&nbsp;contains four times more polyphenols and catechins than tea.&nbsp;But be careful not to go overboard&nbsp;&mdash; stick to a&nbsp;daily dose of 25g to 30g of dark chocolate,&quot; says Dr. Garcez.

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Black Grapes

Rich in antioxidants, black grapes can help to block out ultraviolet rays, thus preventing&nbsp;wrinkles and increasing&nbsp;skin elasticity.&nbsp;&ldquo;The fruit is also an excellent source of Vitamin E and Vitamin C, which keep the skin hydrated and revitalise skin cells, respectively,&quot; says Dr. Garcez.&nbsp;&quot;What&#39;s more, black grapes also contain resveratrol, a polyphenol with anti-inflammatory properties.&quot;

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In addition to these foods, you can also take oral supplements to aid in photoprotection. &quot;Recently, there has been a lot of talk about prebiotics and probiotics associated with skin defense and immunology,&quot; says dermatologist Dr. Claudia Mar&ccedil;al. &quot;They function as protectors of the skin&#39;s immune cells, helping to preserve&nbsp;the structure and prevent the denaturation of cellular DNA, and in turn,&nbsp;reversing the&nbsp;inflammatory damage caused by overexposure to the sun.&quot;

&quot;Oral supplements to take note of include polipodium leucotomus, pycnogenol, astaxanthin, lutein, white and green tea extracts, resveratrol and pomegranate ellagic acid, along with&nbsp;organic silicon Exsynutriment, which improves the appearance of sagging, as well as Bio-Arct&nbsp;for antioxidative action&nbsp;and immunological and mitochondrial energy improvement,&quot;&nbsp;concludes Dr. Mar&ccedil;al. &quot;However, they still do not replace topical protectors like <a href="https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/beauty/the-best-broad-spectrum-sunscreens-for-your-next-getaway-or-every-day">sunscreen</a>!&quot;

5 Foods That Help Make Your Skin More Resistant To Sun And Pollution

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