It is believed that if before taking sun baths to eat carrots or some other fruits and vegetables, the tan will turn out to be darker. We decided to check how justified such recommendations are.
The selection of products that need to be used to get a beautiful dark tan can be found in the media ("Komsomolskaya Truth","Sport-Express","Russian newspaper") And glossy magazines (Marie Claire, The Voice, The Symbol). Also, such tips are divided Portalsdedicated Cooking And Life style, users Platform blog And social networks.
Tan is protective reaction The skin on the effects of ultraviolet radiation of types A and B, which can damage the skin cells, contributing to its aging, the formation of burns and the development of cancer. Когда лучи достигают нижних слоёв эпидермиса (верхнего слоя кожи), клетки меланоциты начинают активнее вырабатывать пигмент melanin. It is he who determines the color of the skin, hair and eyes of a person. Melanocytes in the epidermis are able to produce Two types Melanin: Emlanin (pigment responsible for brown and black shades) and Feomlanin (red and yellow). The “basic” shade of human skin depends on their number and ratio. That is, in normal melanin is always present in the body, but if it is subject to ultraviolet radiation, its production can be stimulated. One of the functions of this pigment is the absorption of ultraviolet radiation, protecting the skin from damage. The side effect of this protective function is a change in skin shade. Accordingly, the more time a person spends in the sun, the more melanin is produced in his body. However, this is not an instant process, and if the melanocytes do not have time to produce the required amount of pigment in time, ultraviolet rays can harm the skin. In addition, only Emlanin provides some protection from the Sun - if melanocytes produce it in a small amount, then it will not work to light up (but turn red and get burns - quite).
Contrary to the common opinion, Zargs can hardly be called any good for health-provoking the body to the production of melanin, in addition to the beautiful color of the skin You can get it Sun burns, premature wrinkles and oncological diseases. In addition, with intensive exposure to ultraviolet radiation, even Eumlanin will not be able to protect the skin, so using sunscreen It is necessary for people by nature to be dark or already tanned.
The shade to which the skin can darken with tanning depends on the quantity Eumlanin, which can develop melanocytes of a particular person. If it is low, then even after a long stay on the sun, a person will not be able to get the same dark shade of the skin as the one whose melanocytes are more active. The ability of these cells to develop melanin Determined First of all, genes, which can be changed by any foods or food additives. Also, the level of this pigment in the body may affect Some diseases. One of them is albinism, when melanin is not produced at all or is produced in very small quantities. If some food products could really strengthen the production of the pigment, this is a hereditary disease easily treated with a transition to a certain diet, but to date there are no methods for therapy of albinism. With hormonal changes (for example, during pregnancy) or with age, age spots may appear on the skin, but “verified” could not detect cases when for these reasons the entire skin would evenly change its color.
The authors of many articles about food supposedly contributing to the tan, Consult Eat more products containing vitamins A, C, E and antioxidants. However, if you carefully study the content of such publications, it becomes clear that all these recommendations are not related to obtaining a darker skin shade, but with maintaining the natural production of melanin and a decrease in the harm that the skin receives with sunbathing. “Verified” failed to discover quality studies that would confirm that certain vitamins and other nutrients can somehow affect the production of melanin and, as a result, tan. As for the “help” of some products in protecting the skin, this is a topic for a separate analysis. However, any tan will look better on healthy skin, and its condition depends From the health of the body as a whole, therefore, use products rich in vitamins, as well as micro- and macro elements, in any case a good idea.
A product that is more often advised to use to enhance tanning is carrots. However, “verified” did not find any studies that confirm that the nutrients contained in this vegetable affect the level of melanin in the body. At the same time, there are carrots Beta-carotene - a substance that gives it (as well as the battal, apricots, mangoes, oranges and some other fruits and vegetables) orange color and helps the production of vitamin A. It is very important for the health of the organs of vision, skin and hair, but its excess is the same Dangerousas well as a deficit. Fortunately, beta-carotene is converted into vitamin and only when the body needs it. Otherwise, he simply accumulates, which can lead to unexpected consequences: a person who abuses carrots and other caroten -containing products will develop carotinemia, and his skin will begin purchase Orange or yellow tint (and this is in no way connected with the influence of ultraviolet rays). Fortunately, carotinemia is not dangerous and, if you adjust the diet, passes on its own. Yes, and it is not so simple to get it: for the skin to noticeably change its color, you need to consume 20-50 mg of beta-carotene daily for several weeks, that is, four to ten carrots medium size. IN mango And Apricots This substance is noticeably smaller, so they need to eat even more for the development of carotenemia. In some cases, an orange shade can really give a tan a color that a person will like more, but it is too individual to advise all the lovers of sunbathing on carrots. In addition, you need to start overwhelming with habiting products in order to get at least some effect, and it is pointless to do this just before going to the beach.
Also in some publications you can find a recommendation to use more products containing an amino acid Tyrosin, as she participates in the process development Melanin. However, this is one of the so -called replaceable amino acids, that is, the human body is able to produce it independently. In addition, Tyrosin is found in many foods, therefore it is unlikely that a person who adheres to a balanced diet may have his lack. If this amino acids obtained from food will not be enough, the body will begin to produce it more actively if an excess occurs - on the contrary, it will destroy unnecessary molecules. In other words, it does not make sense to specially lean on products with a high content of tyrosine or food additives with this substance, this will not affect the production of melanin and its amount in the body.
In some online stores You can find pills for tanning, which, judging by the promises of manufacturers, are able to strengthen the production of melanin and help acquire a dark shade of the skin when taking sunbathing. However, at the time of writing this analysis, there is no means approved by international medical organizations that stimulates the production of melanin in the body. Office for Sanitary Supervision of the Quality of Food and Medicines of the United States (FDA) directly warns From the use of such additives, since they do not have proven effectiveness and can lead to serious side effects.
Thus, the most dark tint of tanning is determined by the amount of melanin, which is able to develop the human body, and it is laid for the most part genetically. The production of the pigment is a protective mechanism of the skin, so the only way to activate this process is to expose the skin to intensive effects of ultraviolet rays, which carries serious health risks. At the moment, there are no scientific studies that confirm the effectiveness of any food or substances contained in them to stimulate the production of melanin or increase its natural level in the body. Food supplements that are sold under the guise of tiblests for tanning, have not passed approval by regulatory authorities, so you can take them only at your own peril and risk. In reasonable quantities, the use of carrots, other caroten -containing fruits, as well as products rich in vitamins and antioxidants, is a good idea, since these substances support the health of the skin and the body as a whole, but it is not worth counting on the fact that they will strengthen the tan.
Photo on the cover: Pixabay.com
Read on the topic:
- Webmd. What to Know About Tanning
- Is it true that ultraviolet lamps for manicure increase the risk of getting skin cancer?
- Is it true that blue light from electronic devices accelerates skin aging?
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