This summer follow these diet tips for a better tan. Safety is also crucial !
When we are under the sun and expose our body to ultraviolet radiation then our body to protect itself produces melanin. Melanin is a brown pigment produced by cells called melanocytes. So sun exposure is the main stimulus for melanin production, which leads to induced skin pigmentation, or "tanning".
The main advantage of sunbathing is the production of vitamin D which we can hardly get from our diet and among other things plays a key role in bone health. On the other hand, excessive exposure to sunlight is harmful to the skin's collagen and can easily lead to the formation of wrinkles and sunspots on the skin. Other adverse conditions are melanoma or skin cancer.
Sunbathing with moderation and use of sun protection
Tip #1 - Vitamin A - Carotenoids
Studies show that vitamin A is important for melanin production and is essential for healthy skin. You get vitamin A from foods especially vegetables that contain beta carotene, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, cabbage and peas.
We can also get beta carotene from turmeric which we can add during cooking but also from pollen. Pollen is used as a supplement and we can add it for example to our salads or yogurt.
Tip #2 - Tyrosine
The amino acid tyrosine, which is mainly found in seeds and legumes, also plays a role in the formation of melanin.
Tip #3 - Antioxidants
Since sunbathing increases oxidative stress in our body and causes damage to collagen, what we can do is increase the antioxidants in our diet and vitamin C. In short, a variety of fruits and vegetables. Note that raw vegetables are a better source of vitamin C because the cooking temperature destroys it.
Vitamin E is also antioxidant which is found mainly in vegetable oils such as olive oil but also in nuts and avocados.
Tip #4 - Water
Do not forget WATER is very important