4 Must-Eat Foods for Healthy Skin
Give your skin inside-out protection from the sun by putting these four items into your shopping cart: pomegranates, tomatoes, dark chocolate, and tea.
The antioxidants in this tasty quartet of treats may help thwart skin cancer, according to John La Puma, MD, author of ChefMD's Big Book of Culinary Medicine.
Sunblock Effects
No food can replace the awesome sun-busting power of sunscreen, but some foods may work their way from the inside out to give your skin a little extra protection. The antioxidants in pomegranates, tomatoes, dark chocolate, and tea "can migrate to upper layers of your skin, bolstering resistance to ultraviolet damage," La Puma writes. (Browse his book online.)
3 Steps to Super Skin
Most of us know someone who's had something worrisome removed. Save yourself from joining their ranks by taking these simple skin-saving steps:
- Slather it on -- lots of it. You don't want to skimp on sunscreen. Find out how much you need to be truly covered.
- Check yourself -- and your loved ones. Regular skin self-exams can reduce your risk of dying of melanoma by 44 percent! Here's what to look for.
- Start early. About 50–80 percent of a person's lifetime risk of skin damage happens during childhood. So teach your kids steps like these.
Test your sun-protection knowledge -- and learn how to stay safe -- with this RealAge quiz.
RealAge Benefit:
Safely getting enough sun can make your RealAge as much as 1.7 years younger.
ChefMD's Big Book of Culinary Medicine. La Puma, J., New York: Crown Publishers, 2008.
