Nutritional supplements to protect the skin in summer
Human skin is continuously exposed to external influences that can alter its condition and functioning. As a result, it can suffer alterations that lead to photoaging, in addition to inflammation, immune dysfunction, electrolyte imbalance, among others. That is why nutritional science is constantly researching to gain new insights into the relationship between food intake and health, and how the effects of food ingredients may be biologically relevant to optimal skin condition. In today’s post we address the protection of the skin through nutritional supplements.
Nutraceuticals and nutricosmetics
The convergence of food and cosmetics is a major trend in recent years, plus the concept that beautiful skin starts with diet is a growing phenomenon. That’s why today, food-based skincare products have studies that demonstrate anti-aging properties.
For some years now, concepts such as nutraceuticals and nutricosmetics have been appearing. Nutraceuticals were defined by Dr. DeFelice, as “any food or part of a food that provides health or medical benefits.” This concept began to gain more attention in the 1980s with discussion about the benefits of food components and the role of each active component in human health. These active agents were considered key elements in protecting the skin from damage and anti-aging effects.
Nutricosmetics, on the other hand, can be described “as the consumption of oral foods or supplements to produce a benefit in appearance and are also called ‘beauty pills”, ”beauty from within” and even ”oral cosmetics”. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2019.11.015
At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the increase in life expectancy was seen as a new concern for industrialized countries and for nutritional science, whose challenge was to offer new strategies to improve the quality of human life. In this context, nutritional supplements began to be used, not only to optimize the diet and, consequently, improve quality of life, but also to respond to this new need to look healthy and attractive. In addition to the traditional use of topical care, nutritional supplements began to emerge as a new strategy to improve beauty and protect the skin.
Considering that skin health is not only significantly affected by aging, but also by a variety of lifestyle-related factors, such as sun exposure, physical activity, eating habits, smoking, and alcohol consumption, consumers today are looking to improve the health and appearance of their skin not only through the use of cosmetic products, but also through the use of cosmetic products, but also through the intake of food supplements.
Nutritional supplements to protect the skin in summer
As we said before, the concept of nutritional supplementation has emerged as a new strategy in the daily practice of dermatology as well as a complementary approach to topical cosmetics in the field of beauty. Focusing on scientific data, this article proposes to illustrate the link between skin health and nutrition and exemplify the beneficial actions of nutritional supplementation on skin health, beauty, and protection. This review will include research on antioxidant properties and improvements in protection against damage induced by ultraviolet radiation.
1. Vitamins, carotenoids and fatty acids:
In 2001, some researchers reviewed the effects of supplementation with vitamins, carotenoids, and fatty acids to optimize skin condition and prevent skin diseases and concluded that nutritional factors show potential beneficial actions on the skin. Supplementation with these nutrients was shown to provide protection from ultraviolet light, although the sun protection factor was relatively small compared to topical sunscreens. An increase in delayed-type hypersensitivity skin responses after nutrient supplementation has been shown to be beneficial, especially in older people, and may increase cell-mediated immunity. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/73.5.853
On the other hand, the increasing incidence of skin cancer despite the use of externally applied sun protection strategies, along with research showing that nutrients reduce photooxidative damage, suggest that nutritional approaches could play a beneficial role in skin cancer prevention. Type A ultraviolet radiation, which is penetrating photooxidative, reduces skin antioxidants and damages cellular components, including DNA. Antioxidant vitamins, minerals, and dietary phytochemicals, in addition to n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, n-9 monounsaturated fatty acids, and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, have demonstrated protective properties. The presence of these elements in the traditional Mediterranean diet may have contributed to the low rates of melanoma in the Mediterranean region despite high levels of solar radiation. DOI: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.2009.00264.x
The most frequent damage induced by UV exposure is sunburn, and evidence of nutritional supplementation in the prevention of sunburn has been reported. β-carotene (15 to 180 mg/day) and lycopene (up to 10 mg/day), two effective singlet oxygen inhibitors, have been shown to prevent sunburn in humans. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/131.5.1449
2. Vitamins C and E:
Exposure of the skin to ultraviolet radiation causes, directly or indirectly, through the generation of reactive oxygen species, a wide range of photodamages that affect lipids, proteins and DNA in cells. These reactions are involved in the appearance of erythema, premature skin aging, photoimmunosuppression and skin cancer. At the molecular level, UV irradiation causes DNA damage, such as cyclobutane-pyrimidine dimers and photoproducts, which are usually repaired by nucleotide cleavage repair (NER). Chronic exposure to ultraviolet radiation causes photoaging, immunosuppression, and ultimately photocarcinogenesis. Photocarcinogenesis involves the accumulation of genetic changes as well as modulation of the immune system and ultimately leads to the development of skin cancers. https://doi.org/10.1034/j.1600-0781.2002.180307.x
Systemic administration of antioxidants such as vitamins C (2 mg/day) and E (1000 IU/day), as well as fish oil rich in omega-3 fatty acids (2 g/day), decreased erythema. A study shows that intervention with a normal dietary component rich in lycopene protects the skin against UV-induced erythema formation. Although the effectiveness of protection is not comparable to using a sunscreen with a high sun protection factor, dietary intake can provide baseline protection. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/131.5.1449
Another epidemiological study showed that the use of multivitamins was associated with longer telomere length in women. A total of 586 women between the ages of 35 and 74 participated in the study. Multivitamin use and nutrient intake were assessed with a 146-item food frequency questionnaire, and the relative telomere length of leukocyte DNA was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction.
The result was that multivitamin use was associated with longer telomeres. Compared to people who did not use these supplements, the relative telomere length of leukocyte DNA was on average 5.1% longer among daily multivitamin users. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.2008.26986
Using a national health and nutrition examination survey, associations between nutrient intake and skin aging were examined in 4025 women aged 40 to 74 years. The appearance of skin aging was defined as wrinkled appearance, senile dryness, and skin atrophy. The result showed that higher vitamin C intake was associated with a lower likelihood of wrinkles and senile dryness. Higher intake of linoleic acid was associated with a lower likelihood of dryness and skin atrophy. On the other hand, an increase of 17 grams in fat intake and 50 grams in carbohydrate intake increased the likelihood of wrinkles and skin atrophy . Estas asociaciones fueron independientes de la edad, la raza, la educación, la exposición a la luz solar, los ingresos, el estado menopáusico, el índice de masa corporal, el uso de suplementos, la actividad física y la ingesta de energía. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/86.4.1225
The main skin collagens are types I and III, which are produced less with aging. The effects of using vitamin C in cosmetics include skin tightening, prevention of free radicals, stimulation of collagen production or skin radiance. To present the functions mentioned above, the cosmetic must include the active and stable formula of the vitamin, mainly vitamin C, in the form of an ester. Vitamin C, in addition to its antioxidant properties, also facilitates sun protection, preventing UVA and UVB rays. However, it also exhibits additional properties, such as antioxidant properties, which are crucial in maintaining healthy skin. Vitamin C is one of the key promoters of collagen formation, but the scientists further observed that vitamin C in the form of squalene significantly increases epidermal thickness and preferentially favors the production of collagen III in human skin, as well as promotes the production of glycosaminoglycans to a greater extent compared to L-ascorbic acid in free form https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13020615
Vitamin E is a lipophilic antioxidant that occurs naturally in eight forms, the most biologically active being α-tocopherol. This vitamin is widely used in cosmetics as it has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Vitamin E can also be found in various supplements that aim to relieve skin conditions from the inside. Deficiency of vitamin E in the diet has been observed to cause worsening of the overall skin condition and deterioration of skin appendages, wound healing problems, or excessive hair loss. The function of vitamin E is to protect membranes from lipid peroxidation and therefore oxidative damage. An experimental study suggested that vitamin E has anti-tumor, photoprotective, and skin barrier stabilizing properties https://doi.org/10.3390/biom10010019
3. Vitamin D:
Vitamin D can also be supplemented externally in various supplements or medications, but it is also found in cosmetics mainly in the form of an oil solution, but also in the form of capsules for external use. Vitamin D supplementation (either external or internal) can be very helpful for sensitive, capillary, mature, and aging skin. The crucial thing is that the specific metabolism of vitamin D depends on CYP11A1, whose activity is associated with products such as lumisterol or 7-dehydrocholesterol that are involved in regulating the skin’s protective barrier and controlling the skin’s immune functions. https://doi.org/10.1159/000093118
4. Omega 3 fatty acids:
Omega-3 fatty acids are a group of polyunsaturated fatty acids common in nature and in almost everyone’s diet. They are widely known for their positive influence on the human body and their therapeutic effects on organs such as the skin. It has also been known for a long time that omega-3 acids play a very important role in inflammation or autoimmune processes. By recomposing cell membranes, modifying their metabolism and many other mechanisms, the aforementioned acids contribute to curing a considerable group of diseases or preventing UV radiation. https://doi.org/10.1177/1203475420929925
Conclusion
As you can see, there is overwhelming evidence of a clear link between nutrition and skin condition, demonstrating the impact of nutrition on skin health and beauty. The review of the literature, as well as published works, shows that adequate nutritional supplementation is beneficial in the prevention of the harmful effects of exposure to UV rays, in the treatment of skin aging, among other conditions.
It is known that skin health depends on both extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Intrinsic skin aging is a natural consequence of physiological changes over time due to a genetic predisposition, while extrinsic aging is controllable and is a consequence of exposure to environmental factors.
Unfortunately, dietary intervention alone is inadequate to prevent photoaging or treat skin conditions, mainly due to the biology of the skin. Overall, the data from different studies show that a balanced diet associated with cosmetics and/or oral supplementation at nutritional doses and/or drugs could represent a globalized approach to improving skin health and beauty.
