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By Cyndy Muscatel
 IStock Photos |
Eating dark chocolate provides some of the same benefits as applying sunscreen. That’s the good news.
The bad news is that skin cancer rates in the United States have doubled since 1973. Most of these cases are sun related, the American Cancer Society reports.
But back to the chocolate: Recent studies show that the best protection from harmful rays can start from the inside out, and dark chocolate may be one of the best ways to repair and support skin cells.
One of the main enemies to healthy skin is free radicals, which cause oxidative damage to tissues. Pollution, ultraviolet radiation, cigarette smoke, and chemicals increase the levels of free radicals in our environment.
“They attack the healthy tissue in the skin — collagen and elastic fibers,” says Palm Springs dermatologist Timothy Jochen. “I am a big fan of antioxidants as a way of preserving your youthful appearance.”
First found to promote health in the 1950s, antioxidants not only defend against free-radical bombardment, but also repair cells. A recent flurry of studies shows promising results involving flavonoids, a large antioxidant family of polyphenols that create color in flowers, fruits, and vegetables. They are now thought to be more effective than antioxidant vitamins C and E and beta-carotene in absorbing ultraviolet rays. Flavonoids also make skin smoother and younger looking.
Green tea, one of these super antioxidants, is a powerful healer. Made from unfermented Camellia sinensis leaves, it is high in polyphenols. Drinking it increases blood flow, which helps the skin to better withstand the ravages of free-radical attack. You also can slather it on your skin, since it is available in many lotions.
Jochen prefers the internal route for antioxidants since some of them, such as certain forms of vitamin C, are fragile when exposed to light and are too big a molecule to get into the skin. “You have to eat them in order to get them to take effect,” he says.
A taste treat for most palates, chocolate comes from the fruit pod of the cacao tree. Standard manufacturing destroys its flavonoid value, but processed at a lower heat, chocolate can retain 70 to 95 percent of its antioxidant punch.
To get the benefits from flavonoids, USDA guidelines suggest a diet rich in fruits, dark green and starchy vegetables, and legumes. Since flavonoids do not last long in the body, experts advise eating flavonoid-rich foods often. They also warn against using too many antioxidant supplements (sometimes promoted as sunscreen in a pill) to avoid a toxic overload in the body.
High-content flavonoid foods include apples, apricots, blueberries, citrus fruits, cherries, cranberries, grapes, pears, pomegranates, tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli, peppers, legumes, asparagus, artichoke hearts, squash, sweet potatoes, parsley, dill, basil, thyme, and cayenne. (See the USDA Database for the Flavonoid Content of Selected Food, available for download at www.ars.usda.gov/services/docts.htm?docid=6231.)
Don’t like eating broccoli sprouts? Then apply it to your skin. John Hopkins scientists found that its antioxidant ingredient, sulforaphane, forms protective proteins at a cellular level. Studies have also shown the photo-preventive effects of black tea gel and pomegranate extract.
Natural foods play only a part in the arsenal of skin defense. The adage that only “mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun” is not easily dismissed. The FDA recommends staying out of the sun from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Although this is impossible for some people, hikers, golfers, and tennis players should get out early or late in the day.
“Every two hours, sunscreen should be applied. SPF loses its effectiveness from perspiration, you sweat it off, and oxidation occurs — the active chemicals break down and become unstable,” Rancho Mirage dermatologist Dr. Wendy Roberts says. It’s not a case of giving up what you love to do. It’s about making adaptations to enhance your well-being.
On days when the sun is bright, we’re more aware of the sun’s power. But ultraviolet rays penetrate clouds. They also permeate thin clothing, plastic, and glass (meaning harmful rays can still reach you in your car). Apply sunscreen 15 minutes before you go out into the sun.
The effectiveness of many sunscreens has been called into question. Sunscreen claims are said to be misleading, giving the consumer a false sense of protection.
“No sunscreen can totally block the ultraviolet rays of the sun,” says Dr. Judith Feldman, a Westlake Village dermatologist. “You get UVB protection with many products, but many don’t actually give you UVA protection. You also need to understand that you’re getting protection, not blocking. That’s why you need to avoid being out in the direct sun as much as possible.”
The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit public health and environmental research group, studied more than a thousand name-brand sunscreens. “Our comprehensive scientific review indicates that 86 percent of 1,017 sunscreen products offer inadequate protection from the sun or contain ingredients with significant safety concerns,” they report (www.ewg.org/sunscreen).
Last August, the FDA published proposed amendments to its monograph for sunscreens. Strict new rules would require a four-star system to indicate a product’s effectiveness against UVA rays, which penetrate skin more deeply than UVB rays. Labeling changes include changing “sun protection factor” to “sunburn protection factor” and mandatory directions that the sunscreen be applied “liberally” or “generously” every two hours.
The best skin protection comes from sunscreen in conjunction with consumption of antioxidants. Jochen urges his patients to eat more vegetables and take supplements.
“I am a firm believer in a healthy diet leading to healthy skin,” he says. “I think it’s part of a whole package: diet, exercise, getting oxygenation into your system, avoiding the sun, and avoiding smoking.”
An Ounce of Protection
* Eat foods rich in flavonoid antioxidants.
* Use sunscreens that include zinc oxide and titanium to block the sun’s rays; Avobenzone, Parsol 1789, and Mexoryl to absorb harmful rays; antioxidants to neutralize free-radical damage; and anti-inflammatory agents to soothe the skin and prevent redness.
* Limit sun exposure from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
* Use sunscreen and reapply it at least every two hours.
* Wear a hat, sun-protective clothing, and sunglasses.
* Get frequent skin checkups from your doctor.
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