If you’re like most people, you probably love to lie out on the beach to enjoy a summer day while the waves lap the shore and the sun beats gently down on your skin. After a relaxing day like this, you may be thrilled to show off your new tan. Or if you haven’t been careful, you’ll be more likely to regret the sunburn on your back as you slump away from the beach. Of course a day at the beach is fun, but without the proper protection and care of your skin, instead of looking healthy and young, you’ll be nursing your sunburned and damaged skin.
The bottom line is, UV rays from the sun are damaging to the skin. If you spend too much time out in the sun without the proper protection, you’ll soon find your skin prematurely aging, sagging, wrinkling, and generally showing obvious signs of disrepair. If you want to take good care of your skin this summer, start from the inside out.
There are several foods that make a big difference in protecting your skin against the damage that comes from extended exposure to the sun’s UV rays. Foods like seafood, citrus fruits, nuts, whole grains, and red and green vegetables. These foods contain ingredients like Vitamin E, Vitamin A, Omega-3 fatty acids, Zinc, and Vitamin C, which all contribute to skin health in different ways. Vitamin E is known to fight inflammation and reduce skin-aging free radicals in the skin. Vitamin C also fights inflammation and neutralizes free radicals that prematurely damage and age your face. It also aids the body in its production of collagen, an essential protein that forms the basic structure of your skin. Omega-3 fatty acids reduce dryness and inflammation in the skin and also help to clear the heart’s arteries to improve circulation. Good circulation is crucial to skin health. Zinc is also an important nutrient that assists in new cell production and the process of pushing off dead skin, which helps to give the skin a nice glow.
All of these foods are very good for the skin. But the next secret skin-protecting food may surprise and delight you: Chocolate. Believe it or not, chocolate actually has some super nutrients of its own. It contains catechins and flavonoids. Polyphenols, such as the catechins found in cocoa, are actually reported to absorb UV light, which may contribute to the recent findings that daily cocoa consumption actually reduces UV sensitivity in the skin. These catechins are also responsible for improved blood flow, which is so important for healthy skin. Flavonoids are also a little understood nutrient in cocoa with substantial health benefits to the skin. Recent studies show that a diet rich in flavanols decreases sensitivity of human skin to UV light and helps maintain skin health by improving skin structure and function.
Now this doesn’t mean you should lie on the beach with a giant candy bar in your hand, thinking that gnawing away will protect your skin. Nothing can replace a good sunscreen (at least SPF 30) when it comes to true UV protection. But diet is important and of course, chocolate should be consumed in moderation. There is a new type of healthy chocolate that provides the perfect bite-sized portions for a healthy daily dose. It also comes complete with added nutrients and vitamins that help promote overall health as well as skin health.
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