Bikini and Swimsuit wearers and sun worshipers.

Tomatoes may be the key says Xen swimwear

We all are aware of the damage UV has on our skin. A practical proof test on the skins ability to resist Sunburn was done in UK by the BBC’s “ The truth about food ” Eating Tomatoes was found to be the key to increasing resistance to sunburn. . If you have a fair skin or Tan, once a year while on holiday, this will be of some help in reducing the damage caused by UV rays.

Scientific proof - . Lycopene's antioxidant properties, is already known to aid the body in resisting the development of free radicals and the resultant damage to your body. A German scientific study has credited tomato paste's 16 milligrams of the antioxidant lycopene to increasing the body’s resistance to sunburn. But can laboratory studies compare to practical everyday living.

Practical study - In the BBC study they used 36 fair skin women known to Sun burn even when using regularly applied highest factor sunscreen. The test was split, half the women being subject to the tomato consumption test. The other left to normal lives.

All women were subject to the sunburn test. The area used for the test was the lower back under the panty line, an area where most do not get any sun.

In the first stage of the test a multi level UV light emitter was used to apply 6 levels of Burn onto the selected area. The skin damage for each level of burn was recorded.

The 13 women were then fed 50 grams or one and half ounces of Tomato paste per day for a period of three months. In all cases the tomato paste was spread on a crackers to aid palatability.

Practical study result - After the 3 month period the test was redone on new skin adjacent to the original test area. The results were astounding. Those who did not consume tomato diet showed no change. For the tomato eaters a 30% average improvement to the resistance to Sunburn and depth of tan was recorded. Further everyday sun exposure tests were compiled on the Tomato eating test subjects who confirmed the practicality of the laboratory test.

Authors comment
The proof study does not advocate that one uses tomatoes alone to help prevent sunburn. They suggest a combination of sun-screen and Tomato therapy They also do not say that mixing the tomato paste to make a Juice would work but it does seem that the key is the amount of Tomato consumed daily. I would also assume that this would be as pure form as you are able to get commercially without additive, filler or colorant. More tips and ideas


Hugh Robinson is the designer for Xen swimwear http://www.xen.co.za/. Designs that enhance the feminine mystique.