Winter is the season of nutritious and delicious vegetables. In winter farmer’s fields are decorated with the vegetables of different colour and the sky is painted with its eternal blue. Due to cloudless sky in winter Ultra Violet (UV) rays can directly touch our skin without facing any filtering effect. Usually clouds and humidity act as filters, weakens the UV rays when they come down to the ground. Cloudless sky and less humid environment help reflect the Ultra Violet rays with stronger level. UV rays always damage the skin, darken its tone and makes the skin aged earlier. In winter, the damaging effect of UV rays is more. But the vegetables in winter have really a wonderful capacity to protect your skin from UV rays. Here the few vegetables which can do so.
Red bell peppers repair the damage
Though it is not easily available but now red bell pepper is grown in our country. A medium-size red bell pepper provides more than 200 percent of the daily value of vitamin C. Eating more vitamin C-rich foods may help protect skin cells from the sun’s harmful UV rays. Researchers suggested that vitamin C can promote the repair of DNA that’s been damaged by UV rays.
Tea and coffee is good for skin
Research suggests that caffeine in tea or coffee may help to protect your skin against skin cancer. Caffeine basically kills precancerous and ultraviolet-damaged skin cells by blocking a protein. A study said, caffeine inhibits the formation of skin tumors which is induced by UV rays.
Red tomatoes
Tomatoes specially red tomatoes are rich in lycopene. Lycopene is a carotinoid that makes tomatoes red. Consuming more lycopene can protect your skin from sunburn. A study showed that intake of 2.5 tablespoons of tomato paste daily can reduce the UV rays damage up to 50%. The same study also showed, lycopene supplement or synthetic lycopene weren’t significantly effective against sunburn.
Colourful Carrots
Carrots are very rich in carotinoids. Carrots contain the carotenoids beta carotene and lycopene — both of which may shield your skin against UV damage. In one study, participants who were exposed to UV light had almost 50% less skin reddening after they drank about 1 ⅔ cups of carrot juice daily.
Green spinach
Spinach contains lutein, a carotenoid that protects your skin from UV damage. A new research about spinach, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, reveals that spinach stored continuously under the light for three days boasted higher levels of vitamin C and preserved levels of vitamin K, E, folate and the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin.
