Can certain foods optimize the tan?

It's not just UV sessions or food supplements to prepare and enhance your tan.

During the summer period, many of us think that certain sun-kissed foods can perfect the complexion.

Really ?

Nina Roos, dermatologist in Paris, and Jean-Michel Lecerf, nutritionist at the Institut Pasteur in Lille, disentangle fact from fiction.

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A carrot or a watermelon to tint the skin

There is no longer any hope of sunbathing with your fork.

According to nutritionist Jean-Michel Lecerf, no study demonstrates the accelerating or preserving properties of tanning by food.

“What can nevertheless tint the skin are the orange pigments mainly present in beta-carotene, an antioxidant from the carotenoid family”, nuances the specialist.

"To a lesser extent, lycopene, another antioxidant from the same family, can also act on the color of the skin," adds dermatologist Nina Roos.

In practice, these molecules present in food are fixed in the tissues which are under the skin, to turn it yellow.

To benefit from it, we will therefore fill up with tomatoes, watermelons and grapefruits rich in lycopene, but also carrots, mangoes, apricots, oranges or peppers rich in beta-carotene.

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UV protective antioxidants

If they do not accelerate tanning, foods rich in antioxidants have the primary advantage of protecting the skin from UV rays and oxidative stress.

Contained in fruits and vegetables, beta-carotene would be the most effective in this role, according to dermatologist Nina Roos.

"It deposits in the epidermis a large film acting as a screen against the penetration of harmful rays", details the specialist.

But fruits and vegetables are not enough to protect against the harmful effects of the sun.

In addition to the consumption of antioxidants on the plate, the dermatologist also recommends the use of a sunscreen with an index of 50, applied three weeks before exposure, "so that all the layers of the epidermis are protected" .

Beware of dietary supplements

When you are reluctant to swallow a carrot or a pepper, you might be tempted to supplement yourself with food supplements, rich in antioxidants.

Big mistake according to the two specialists.

"The antioxidants present in the plate are better absorbed by the body than food supplements, because the complex structure of food leads to better interactions with the digestive tract", underlines the doctor nutritionist Jean-Michel Lecerf.

As a general rule, these capsules should be limited to people who are intolerant to fruits and vegetables or very deficient.

If this is the case, beware of excessive consumption of food supplements.

"Exceeding 5 to 10 milligrams per day of beta-carotene would increase the risk of contracting lung cancer", warns Dr Jean-Michel Lecerf.

According to the nutrition specialist, two scientific hypotheses can explain this harmful effect to date: either antioxidants would protect all cells, including cancer cells, or they would have a “pro-oxidant” effect by accelerating the cancer process.

In order to protect ourselves as much as possible, we will therefore stick to a varied diet, limited exposure and appropriate protection, just to approach the holidays serenely!