What foods should you choose to boost your tan?

The first rays of sunlight appear, the birds chirp and the flowers bloom? Finally, summer is here ! As this beautiful period arrives, we all want to enjoy a golden, tanned complexion. Luckily, we can promote tanning through nutrition. First of all, it is necessary to remember how our skin tans.

The mechanism is simple, in contact with the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays, the skin burns and is attacked. In response, she makes melanin. Melanin is a dark pigment, it filters UV rays to limit burns.

Note that UV rays also cause overproduction of free radicals. Free radicals “damage” cells and inhibit their functioning. In the long term, oxidative stress increases the risk of skin cancer.

Melanin and free radicals are themes of approach in nutrition. Indeed, the biosynthesis of melanin is enabled and stimulated by certain nutrients. Concerning free radicals, the body has an antioxidant defense system, represented by certain vitamins and enzymes. Antioxidant enzymes require the presence of trace elements to function effectively. Nutrition ultimately has two roles to play for the skin in summer.

• Stimulate melanin production, by :

• tHE carotenoids (alpha-carotene, beta carotene, lycopene, zeaxanthin): these plant pigments give a yellow, orange, red or green tint to plants. These fat-soluble substances accelerate the production of melanin.

• tHE copper : this trace element is involved in melanin production. It is a cofactor for tyrosinase, an enzyme responsible for the synthesis of melanin.

• Protect the skin in neutralizing free radicals thanks to antioxidant micronutrients. They directly neutralize free radicals or react with antioxidant enzymes. We find vitamins (E, C and B2), trace elements (copper, iron, manganese, selenium and zinc), phytonutrients (carotenoids, polyphenols, terpenes, isocyanates, phytic acid, etc.) and cysteine. .

Rich in carotenoids and antioxidants, fruits and vegetables accelerate the production of melanin and the protection of the skin. All plants are not equal, if we want to put all the chances on our side, we focus on those which are full of carotenoids: beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin. 

Fruits and vegetables can be consumed in liquid form (juice or smoothie) or dried. These two preparation methods limit the food volume while providing plenty of micronutrients

We recommend you :

• a month before exposure to the sun, half of your plates must consist of foods rich in:

• beta-carotene (pro-vitamin A) : sweet potato, carrot, pumpkin, cabbage, spinach, salad, pumpkin, melon, apricot, mango, pepper, tomato and morello cherry. 

• lycopene : tomato, guava, watermelon and grapefruit. Note: to benefit from the lycopene in tomatoes, you must eat them cooked with their skins.

• lutein and zeaxanthin : cabbage, watercress, spinach, chard, zucchini and leek.

• 20 to 30 g of dried fruits per day. L'dried apricot is the dried fruit richest in beta-carotene. Eating 25 g of dried apricot provides approximately 0.5 mg of beta-carotene, or 75% of the daily recommendations.

• to respect the seasonality of these fruits and vegetables: seasonal plants contain more micronutrients.

• a cure of Urucum : urucum (or achiote) is the fruit of the achiote tree, a tree from South America. Its fruit contains red seeds extremely rich in beta-carotene: approximately 1305 mg per 100 g. Less than one gram of Urucum powder covers the daily beta-carotene requirement. We recommend 1 teaspoon (3-4 g) per day, every morning for 30 days to promote tanning. 

Dried seaweed is a little nutritional bomb. Extremely rich in carotenoids, they stimulate skin pigmentation while inhibiting free radicals.

We recommend you :

• to integrate dried seaweed into your eating habits. Due to their richness in iodine and salt, it is best to consume them in moderation.

• the dried seaweed richest in beta-carotene are: Japanese kombu, wakame, dulse, bladderwrack and sea bean. On average, less than 5 g of dried seaweed is enough to meet the daily requirement for beta-carotene.

Side antioxidant, contribution in copper and carotenoids, spices and aromatic herbs have nothing to be ashamed of! It's a good way to easily supplement your plate to activate melanin production. and limit the effect of free radicals.

We recommend you :

• to complete each meal with spices and aromatic herbs:

• the most interesting spices are: cumin, pepper, turmeric and paprika.

• the most interesting aromatic herbs are: parsley, coriander, sage, basil, thyme, chives, oregano and mint.

Nuts are vectors ofantioxidants and of copper. It is wise to add some oilseeds and nuts to your diet to ensure beautiful tanned skin.

We recommend you :

• to consume 15 g of seeds and nuts per day. 15 g of seeds and nuts per day represents 0.5 g of copper, or approximately 10% of the daily nutritional recommendations.

• the seeds and nuts richest in copper are: sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, Amazon nuts, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and pistachios.

There tyrosine is an amino acid. It seems to be closely related to skin pigmentation. Indeed, tyrosine is the precursor of melanin. However, the data are insufficient to define a dose necessary to observe this action. Cheeses are the foods richest in tyrosine.

We recommend you :

• 30 g of cheese per day.

• the cheeses richest in tyrosine are: Parmesan, Gruyère, Emmental, Edam, Gouda, Port-Salut, Bleu, Brie, Goat Log and Mozarella.

• Water, without limit: hot days rhyme with sweating and dehydration. We remind you that it is more than essential to drink regularly throughout the day. Your skin will thank you.

• Protect yourself from the sun effectively: diet does not prevent sunburn. The only effective protection is sunscreen and covering clothing. Also pay attention to exposure times: between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. UV rays are the most intense in France. Be sure to be extra vigilant during this period.

• Vegetable oils: certain vegetable oils are known to participate in the activation of melanin synthesis, while nourishing the skin. Apply every morning from carrot oily macerate, l'apricot Kernel vegetable oil or theburiti vegetable oil to enhance the tan of the skin.