Food Article - Eating Right Helps Protect Skin From Sun, Too

by Pat Melgares

Grab some sunblock, a straw hat and your protective clothing, then also think about the food you eat to help guard against skin cancer.

That's the advice from Mary Meck Higgins, a nutrition educator at Kansas State University, who says that many common foods can help protect skin against damage caused by normal exposure to the sun.

"My recommendation is definitely to use the sunscreen. In addition, eat a healthful, well-balanced diet so that you get more of the nutrients you need," Higgins said. "When we eat we're not only nourishing the inside of our bodies, but also keeping our skin healthy."

In addition to helping prevent skin cancer, good nutrition can help reduce wrinkles later in life. When the body gets the nutrients it needs, it is better able to replenish damaged skin and other cells.

The sun is the biggest culprit for causing skin damage. Studies using special photography have shown skin damage from the sun in children as young as four years old. Freckles and liver spots, for example, can be a sign of sun damage, Higgins said.

But, she adds, a healthy diet can partially offset the effects of being out in the sun: "The food you eat on a regular basis influences the amount of damage the sun has on the skin."

"There's a variety of ways that nutrients work to protect skin," Higgins said. "Some foods have antioxidants - such as vitamins A, E and C; and selenium - that help skin repair damaged cells. Some of the best food sources include fruits and vegetables, whole grain products, nuts, seeds, legumes and green tea.

"The antioxidants in foods are good for the skin because when oxygen is loose - that is, the molecule is not attached to anything - it causes damage to cells," Higgins said. "Aging of the skin is speeded up in the presence of these molecules. Also, cancer cells can form as a result of the oxidation process. Thus, we need to nourish the body's cells with antioxidants."

"If you have lots of antioxidants in your diet," she adds, "they reduce cell damage, and the cell is better able to repair itself and be healthy..........

Article continued at: http://www.culinary.net/articlesfeatures/nutritionhealth/eatingright.html