Good News for the Summer: Beta-Carotene Helps to Protect Against Sunburn
03/06/2008 10:31
PR Newswire
KAISERAUGST, Switzerland, June 3 /PRNewswire/ -- If "an apple a day keeps the doctor away", a carrot a day
might help to keep the sun burn away. That is the conclusion of a recently
published analysis by Professors Wolfgang Köpcke and Jean Krutmann, of
Münster University Hospital and the Institut für Umweltmedizinische Forschung
in Düsseldorf, Germany, respectively.
In a paper published in Photochemistry and Photobiology, 2008,
84, Köpcke and Krutmann analyzed seven reports on clinical trials exploring
the relationship between the consumption of Beta-Carotene and skin resistance
to the ultraviolet (UV) radiation present in the sun's rays. Beta-Carotene is
an orange natural pigment important for photosynthesis in plants. It is also
responsible for the characteristic red-to-orange colors of carrots, tomatoes,
and many other green leafy vegetables and fruits.
"We found that a diet rich in Beta-Carotene significantly
protects the skin against sunburn if it is consumed for a long period of
time," explains Professor Köpcke. "It does not offer the same powerful and
almost immediate protection against UV radiation offered by modern
sunscreens, but it can provide a basis of protection which should be 'topped
up' with sunscreen when intensive exposure to the sun is planned." "This form
of 'nutritional' protection against UV has two important advantages,"
continues Professor Krutmann. "It is permanently present in people who have
enjoyed a diet rich in Beta-Carotene for many years, and it also benefits
every part of the skin."
While Beta-Carotene occurs naturally, it can also be
synthesized. Nature-identical synthetic Beta-Carotene has an important role
to play in many fortified foods and beverages as well as in dietary
supplements. Manfred Eggersdorfer, Head of R? at DSM Nutritional Products, a
leading producer of Beta-Carotene, comments: "These findings show the
importance of a nutritionally rich and balanced diet. We are quite literally
what we eat, and a healthy portion of Beta-Carotene should certainly be on
our daily menu."
For more information please visit http://www.dsmnutritionalproducts.com
Contact:
DSM Nutritional Products
Charlotte Frederiksen
Tel.: +41-61-815-75-03
Fax: +41-61-815-88-90
E-mail: charlotte.frederiksen@dsm.com
Contact: DSM Nutritional Products, Charlotte Frederiksen, Tel.: +41-61-815-75-03, Fax: +41-61-815-88-90, E-mail: charlotte.frederiksen@dsm.com
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