Nutrients for the sun exsposed skin

Photoprotective measures reduce the risk of skin cancer, photoaging and other skin damage. Important support for skin protection is also provided by certain nutrients whose the positive effects has been proven by numerous scientific studies.

Photoprotective behavior is extremely important for the prevention of malignant skin cancer, which, according to available data, is caused by excessive exposure to UV radiation in as many as 80% of cases. The term photoprotection refers to all protective measures that try to reduce the harmful effects of the sun on human skin. Photoprotective behavior reduces the risk of skin cancer, photoaging, and other skin damage. It includes the use of protective clothing and glasses, the use of sun protection products (topical and oral), as well as avoiding being outdoors during the period when UV radiation is strongest. Significant support for skin protection is also provided by certain nutrients, the positive effects of which are indicated by numerous scientific studies.

UV radiation causes complex processes on specific molecules, the response of which results in damage to the connective tissue of the skin. Photoaging is manifested by the appearance of wrinkles, skin redness, dryness, loss of elasticity, telangiectasia, and pigment changes.

In the chronological aging process, free radicals are formed during normal metabolism. Due to the influence of external factors such as UV rays, smoking, and alcohol consumption, the formation of free radicals also occurs, and according to today's knowledge, it is considered that at least 50% of UV­induced damage to the skin is due to the UV­induced formation of free radicals. Free radicals are highly reactive molecules with unpaired electrons that can directly damage various cell membranes, structural lipids, proteins, and DNA. The generation of free radicals increases with aging, while the endogenous defense mechanisms that oppose them decrease. This imbalance leads to progressive damage to cellular structures, and thus to accelerated aging.

The body has endogenous defense mechanisms such as antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase) and non­enzymatic antioxidant molecules (vitamin E, vitamin C, glutathione, ubiquinone) that protect against free radicals, reducing and neutralizing them. Some of these antioxidant mechanisms can be inhibited by ultraviolet light. On this basis, it was hypothesized that the use of antioxidants can neutralize some of the effects of free radicals, thereby reducing and preventing the signs of skin aging.

Antioxidants can protect against endogenous and exogenous oxidative stress by removing free radicals and reducing their action. Some combinations of antioxidants, applied together, show synergistic effects and thus greater efficiency.

Properly dosed combinations of certain antioxidants, such as beta­carotene, astaxanthin, lycopene, zeaxanthin, vitamin B­complex, selenium and zinc, vitamins C and E, vitamin B3, can certainly contribute to the photoprotective capacity of the organism. More recent ingredients that are thought to contribute to UV protection (systemic photoprotection) are certainly Polypodium leucotomos , green tea, pycnogenol, caffeine, genistein, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Carotenoids

Carotenoids are a large group of lipophilic molecules, which act as powerful antioxidants. Some of the most famous representatives of these compounds are beta­carotene, lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin.

Beta-carotene, the provitamin of vitamin A, accumulates in the skin, giving it a golden yellow color. Lutein and zeaxanthin accumulate mostly in the macula and protect the retina from oxidative damage caused by UV radiation. More recent studies talk about the impact of lycopene on atherosclerosis and its potential to lower LDL cholesterol in a similar way as statins do in patients with mildly elevated cholesterol levels. Carotenoids are synthesized in plants through the process of photosynthesis, and animals and humans must take them into the body through food.

Beta­carotene is the best­known representative of carotenoids. The results of a large number of studies show that it has a protective effect against damage caused by exposure to UV radiation. It reduces oxidative stress and promotes keratinocyte differentiation, leading to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Absorption of carotenoids in the human body ranges from 10­30%. Fats from food stimulate it and dietary fibers reduce it.

Unlike other carotenoids, after absorption, betacarotene is metabolized into vitamin A, according to the body's needs. Therefore, by taking sufficient amounts of beta­carotene, we provide the body with optimal amounts of vitamin A, which is very necessary for its many functions. There is a distinction between natural and synthetic beta­carotene.

Synthetic consists of one molecule (trans­beta­