Beta-carotene could boost skin UV resistance

A paper sponsored by Dutch firm DSM Nutritional Products and published in a recent issue of Photochemistry and Photobiology analyzed data from seven clinical trials and found a possible link between the consumption of beta-carotene and skin resistance to ultraviolet radiation.

"We found that a diet rich in beta-carotene significantly protects the skin against sunburn if it is consumed for a long period of time," explained co-lead author Wolfgang Kopcke. "It does not offer the same powerful and almost immediate protection against UV radiation offered by modern sunscreens, but it can provide a basis of protection which should be topped up with sunscreen when intensive exposure to the sun is planned," he added. The natural orange pigment is responsible for the characteristic red-to-orange colors of carrots and tomatoes. Manfred Eggersdorfer, head of R&D at DSM Nutritionals, said "these findings show the importance of a nutritionally-rich and balanced diet. We are quite literally what we eat, and a healthy portion of beta-carotene should certainly be on our daily menu."