Can tomatoes stop sunburn?

Tomatoes contain an amazing component that research shows, protects our skin from UV damage. It’s called lycopene and it’s a very effective antioxidant.Studies have shown that eating as little as 20 g of tomato paste ( 1-5 tablespoons) per day, can reduce your risk of sunburn by 33 %. Please note you still need to use sunscreen!

Wear a minimum of SPF30 on your skin when outdoors.

So, this summer if you are planning a trip to the beach or spending time outside, add some tomatoes to your meal plan!

Tips:

Cooked tomato heated with a small amount of good oil, provides more bioavailable (easier to absorb) lycopene than fresh. This is one of those times that fresh is not best.  Some lycopene is found in pink guava, watermelon and pink grapefruit but not as easily absorbed.

You can obtain the same of amount of lycopene as in 20 g of tomato paste, in the following

1.5 – 2 Tablespoons Tomato paste each day (cook it in something you like) or eat with the good fat of avocado.

OR ½ cup tomato juice*

OR    5 tablespoons of ketchup*

OR   1 slice of pizza with marinara sauce or red sauce*

*Go for  healthy brands or make your own. Have fun with it.