If you are not a big fan of sunscreen, but you still want to increase your sun tolerance, there are other ways to do it. Did you know that what you eat has a big effect on your skin’s sun tolerance? Yes, you can protect your skin from the harsh sun through proper diet. By eating the food with the appropriate nutrients, you can decrease your risk of getting a sunburn.

If you want to protect your skin from the sun, you must have a lot of good saturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants in your body. Yu should also avoid certain food content to avoid getting burned by the sun. You should not take in processed foods, sugar, and vegetable oils if you want to protect your skin from the sun without using sunscreen.

Here are the 10 food groups that will increase your tolerance to the sun:

1. Red Fruits

Tomatoes are rich in lycopene. Reed fruits are filled with this nutrient. Taking in a few tablespoons of tomato paste every day can increase your protection from the sun significantly. If you want something spicy, you can opt for chili powder, which is also very rich in lycopene. Red fruits are also rich in vitamin E, which is great for sun protection.

2. Sweet Potatoes

Among all the vegetables in the list, this has one of the highest beta-carotene content. This is a very effective sun protection agent. Purple sweet potatoes are filled with cyanidin, pending, and antioxidants, which can increase UV protection. Besides protection from the sun, sweet potatoes are very delicious.

3. Tea

Choose tea over coffee. Tea is filled with catechins and polyphenols, which are flavonoids that can protect you from UV rays. Green tea is the best option since it has high amounts of powerful polyphenol called the epigallocetechin-3-gallate. This element can slow down skin aging caused by the sun; it prevent skin cancer, and it can inhibit tumour cells.

4. Leafy Greens

Broccoli and other leafy green vegetables are amazing sun damage repairing and prevention agents. These types of foods are filled with beta-carotene, folic acid, vitamin A, C, and E. It is also an amazing source of sulforaphane, which reduces the risk of skin cancer among those who take it. If you are not a big fan of leafy greens simply add them up to dishes, you are used to eating to get the healthy lifestyle.

5. Fish

Salmon, trout, mackerel, sardines, and other cold-water fish are rich in omega-3, which is one of the best elements for sun damage protection.

6. Pomegranates

This food is abundant in antioxidants. It can increase your skin’s sun protection capabilities by about 25 percent. There are even studies that suggest it can inhibit the growth of certain cancer cells. Eat this type of food as salad or toppings to your baked desserts.

7. Flaxseed

Flaxseed is found in your whole grains. It is filled with omega-3, fiber, and lignans, which are antioxidants that can protect your skin from the sun. You can add this food to your smoothies, bread, salads, and more. You simply need a teaspoon a day.

8. Dark Chocolate

Look for dark chocolate that is 70 percent cacao, because it has four times more phenols and catechins that the other sources. It means it can increase your skin’s sun protection capabilities by about 25 percent. You need to take to ounces of this delicious food a day. Make sure you don’t substitute your dark chocolate with just any kind of chocolate because the milk in the commercialized milk chocolates prevents your body from absorbing polyphenols.

9. Coconut Oil

Most people use coconut oil superficially by applying it on their skin of hair, but taking it in as food can give you the chain fatty acid and saturated fat that your body need. You only need a quarter cup of coconut oil a day. You can mix it with certain foods if you like.

10. Almonds

Almonds are one of the best sources of vitamin E. Almonds are also rich in quercetin, which is a flavonoid that can protect your skin from UV ray damage.

References:

https://www.thebeautyinsiders.com/

http://www.med.umich.edu/umim/food-pyramid/

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/pyramid-full-story/#dga2005