Beta-Carotene for Sun Protection

Beta-carotene supplements may help protect against sunburn, a new study reports.

Researchers from Germany explained that nutritional protection against skin damage from sunlight is increasingly advocated to the general public, but its effectiveness is controversial.

The meta-analysis systematically reviewed human supplementation studies that tested the effectiveness of beta-carotene in protection against sunburn. A review of literature until June 2007 was performed in PubMed, ISI Web of Science and EBM Cochrane library. The researchers identified a total of seven studies.

The researchers found that (1) beta-carotene supplementation protects against sunburn and (2) the study duration had a significant influence on the effected size. The data suggested that protection required a minimum of 10 weeks of supplementation with  the protective effect increasing at an average of 0.5 standard deviations with every additional month of supplementation.

The authors concluded that beta-carotene supplements may protect against sunburn in a time-dependent manner.

Comments

[Rachel]

I'm very interested in any nutritional way to boost skin health that doesn't involve slathering topical blocks on my skin. Green tea polyphenols have been advocated for sun protection, and there is some evidence examining this as well. I've also heard about people using broccoli and black tea for sun protection, but I'm not sure what evidence is out there supporting this. Really - this evidence just goes to show that if we all eat well, we can heal ourselves with foods.

[mo]

Does the beta-carotene have an effect on the melanin in the skin? I know that melanin, the pigment in the skin that provides color (and that is lacking to varying degrees in people with albinism), is involved in the body’s natural sun protection. I wonder if the beta-carotene increases the capacity of melanin to absorb harmful UV rays? A biochemistry professor of mine once told me that his son, who loved to eat canned packed pumpkin, actually turned orange. Might that change in skin color, even if only slight, add to sun protection?

[Drake]

The researchers told NutraIngredients.com that beta-carotene's sun protection factor (SPF) was "at best" about four. So you should still continue to wear regular sunblock when you're outside for extended periods. But I guess it's still good to know that it helps a little.

[Cindy]

"Topical application of sunscreens and systemic photoprotection with beta carotene are not competing strategies which are intended to replace each other, but instead they are complementary in nature and should be combined," the researchers wrote. "In this regard, beta carotene intake would serve to provide a basic, all day protection against sunburn, which would affect all parts of the skin, whereas sunscreens would be used "in addition" in particular to prevent sunburns under conditions where the consumer anticipates increased exposure of selected skin areas to UV radiation."

[Rachel]

Even though beta-carotene is not nearly as strong as regular sunscreens, it protects ALL of the skin from sun damage.

[Pete]

I wonder if these protective effects increase when taken with lycopene. Small and limited research suggests that lycopene in combination with other carotenoids, such as beta-carotene, may protect the skin from ultraviolet (UV) skin damage.

[Wendy]

Here is a good primer on sunscreen from the FDA:

http://www.fda.gov/cder/Offices/OTC/understanding_spf_sunscreen.htm

[Shoshanna Karp]

Beta-carotene can change skin color in light-skinned people, based on stories in the medical literature (not to mention an episode of “House”) about people turning orange from eating large amounts of carrots and/or tomatoes. I haven’t read anything about supplements having the same effect, though, and in any case, I’m skeptical about relying on a pill for protection against sunburn. Plus, it doesn’t even seem to do much until you’ve taken it for 10 weeks. Better to just train yourself to put sunscreen on and go for the local instead of systemic solution.

[fb]

Some argue that sunscreen can actually INCREASE the risk of skin cancer. Pamidate O, which is an ingredient in many sunscreens, has been shown to cause more DNA damage by generating free radicals when it is activated by sunlight. See here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8405372

[PABA-free]

Para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) is another known "photo-mutagen"

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11797837

Many skin care products say "PABA-free" on their labels.

[mo]

I wonder if future applications of this may include combining beta-carotene with other supplements that increase sun sensitivity. One of the main side effects of St. John’s wort, which is commonly used to treat mild-to-moderate depression, is increased photosensitivity. This could be a wise move on the part of the supplement companies!

[Michelle]

Has anyone ever tried Ayurveda sunblock made from herbs? I wonder how effective it is compared to conventional sunblock.

As a side note, if you're prone to burning, I recommend getting a little aloe plant. Then, you just cut off a stem, squeeze out the aloe and rub it on your skin. It works really well, and it's a much more sustainable option than the commercial aloe gels that are out there.

[ATAD]

Rachel, you are right. Beta-carotene is actually from the carotenoid family, which provides the rich colors of fruits and vegetables. Scientifically, beta-carotene is a precursor to vitamin A. Nonetheless, if you were to “overdose” on beta-carotene supplements, it could lead to the condition known as carotenemia, which makes your skin change to an unpleasant yellow shade for up to five months!! I have found no benefit for this product in sun protection.

[DT]

Since it will take weeks to get a resolve, I don’t think that many people will take it. Using sunscreen is quick and easy. It would be nice if beta-carotene is one of the ingredients in the sunscreen. This will help prevent sunburn and skin cancer.

Here is article more about beta-carotene related to sun protection
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15830922?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=4&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed

[SJ]

This looks very promising! How wonderful to be able to take something natural that already has a proven nutritional value and find protection from the sun’s rays. There is already rising evidence that the sunscreen "cure" may actually be compromising our physical safety.

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1696865468]

This is good news. I would also guess that a multi-carotenoid formula, similar to what we get by eating a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables, would also provide sun protection. There is another supplement that's available called Glisodin that also has research proving it protects against sun exposure.

[James]

After reading http://blog.naturalstandard.com/natural_standard_blog/2008/06/beta-carotene-f.html, I thought this might be a useful resource for your site:

http://www.biomedsearch.com

The site is free and perhaps the most comprehensive biomedical site on the web. It has all PubMed and MedLine documents, plus millions more, including full-text journal articles and a large database of theses and dissertations.

And, you don't have to register, but if you do, you can use portfolios to save documents, share documents (and comment on them) between users, and set up automatic alerts.

[sue ingram]

There are many different nutrients that are said to provide the skin with boosted capabilities to combat the potential harmful effects of the sun. Antioxidants, present in many supplements, are definitely beneficial where they may be required to combat free radicals caused by damaging UVA or UVB rays. Lycopene, carotenoids, glisodin, black tea, green tea, etc., all contribute to better, healthier skin as far as I am concerned. Some of these may even be in a sunscreen, but at the end of the day, when I know am going to be exposed to the sun's rays longer than I can cope on my own without any help, I use sunscreen too.

[Sunburn options]

I totally agree; the sun is more damaging now than it has ever been. We are more aware of the powerful effects the sun has now more than ever before.

It only stands to reason that you would combine supplements, organic foods, sunscreens and something that hasn't been mentioned...plenty of hydration. Water not only helps prevent sunburn, but in the event that you do get burnt, you will fare much better if you are properly or hydrated or at least close to being hydrated.