As we slather on our SPF creams, did you know certain foods that contain Phytochemicals and antioxidants can actually boost your body’s ability to protect itself against sun damage? Read on to learn more.

TOMATOES

Lycopene, the antioxidant in tomatoes, has been found to reduce sensitivity to sunburn. Drinking tomato juice or taking 10 milligrams of lycopene daily for three months cut signs of sunburn from a UV lamp by 25 to 48 percent.

POMEGRANATE

At the University of Wisconsin, antioxidant-rich pomegranate extract inhibited changes in human cells exposed to UV light.

CHOCOLATE

According to German research, women who ate dark chocolate and drank hot cocoa high in flavanols daily for three months had 25 percent less reddening after UV exposure.