Sunscreen is definitely the most effective anti-aging treatment that exists. But sunscreen is not only what we put on the skin, the most effective sunscreen is what we eat. Certain nutrients help protect us from the sun.  Sunscreens that we use on the skin have the function of not letting the sunlight penetrate into the skin, the foods we eat help the radiation that does manage to penetrate not cause us harm. The foods make your body resistant to the sun, but remember that you always need to put sunscreen on the skin to be safer.  Foods that help protect us from the sun are those that provide antioxidants. Nutrients that have been found effective and can be easily consumed are:

Lycopene:  Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that fights inflammation caused by the sun’s rays. Tomatoes (both raw and cooked) have a large amount of lycopene that can be absorbed by the body easily.  To increase the action of lycopene, you can put a bit of turmeric oil to cook the tomatoes.

Vitamin A and beta-carotene: The main function of vitamin A is to protect the skin and eyes. Fruits and vegetables that are yellow, red and orange (carrots, watermelon, strawberries, lemons, papayas, etc.) are the best sources.

Vitamin C: Vitamin C is important for skin health because it is essential for the production of collagen in the body. Can be obtained by eating citrus fruits, papaya, peppers (sweet chile), strawberries, broccoli, etc.

Vitamin E: Vitamin E helps with the regeneration of tissues. This can be found in nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables like spinach, peppers (sweet chile), cereals, wheat germ and corn, among others.

Lutein:  Lutein and zeaxanthin help the skin and eyes from damage from the sun. You can get it by eating green leafy vegetables, broccoli, and eggs. This nutrient is very sensitive to cooking so we must try to eat raw vegetables or slightly steamed.

What foods to eat to protect skin? Fruits and vegetables, obviously, are the best. The same nutrients that protect plants from sunburn are the ones that protect our body too.