Getting protection from summer’s damaging sun could be as simple as eating foods made with tomato sauce. Researchers at Manchester and Newcastle universities in the United Kingdom found that eating five tomatoes a day helped protect against both sunburn and premature aging.
Researchers studied the skin of twenty people. Half were given five tablespoons of tomato paste (the equivalent of five or six cooked tomatoes) with olive oil and the other half was just given olive oil. At the end of twelve weeks, those eating tomatoes had a protective boost of 33 percent. In addition, the tomato group also had an increase in procollagen levels, a molecule that helps keep skin firm and looking youthful.
The helpful ingredient in tomatoes is lycopene which neutralizes the harmful skin-damaging free radicals produced by ultraviolet light. Although found in many fruits and vegetables, it is most abundant in tomatoes and is freed during the cooking process.
“You don’t have to eat an excessive amount of tomatoes to experience the effect if you are already eating a tomato-based diet with plenty of things like spaghetti and pizza toppings,” said Newcastle University dermatology scientist Mark Birch-Machin.
“Eating tomatoes is going to have this benefit in the sun, but it still is important to use conventional methods of protecting yourself against the sun such as sunscreens, shade and clothing,” said Birch-Machin.
The researchers also hope to discover whether eating tomatoes will protect against skin cancer.
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