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<\/div>A multicoloured diet\u00a0can lead to a brighter complexion<\/p>\n
Coldsnowstorm\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n
This article is part of a special issue investigating key questions about skincare. Find the full series here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n Your skin<\/a> is under constant assault. Exhaust fumes, cigarette smoke, particulate pollution, heavy metals and ozone can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) that attack DNA, rupture cell membranes and unravel life\u2019s essential proteins. Perhaps the most harmful are UV rays, which generate ROS as well as disrupting DNA directly.<\/p>\n The human body can mop up ROS and neutralise them, but it needs molecules found in fruit, vegetables and leafy greens to do so.<\/p>\n Carotenoids are among the nutrients that have been most extensively studied for these benefits. These are the pigments that give the likes of pumpkins their bright colour. \u201cThey are very good antioxidants and they are particularly good at neutralising singlet oxygen [a type of ROS],\u201d says Jean Krutmann<\/a> at the Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine in D\u00fcsseldorf, Germany, who recently analysed<\/a> 50 years of data from human clinical trials involving carotenoid supplements. \u201cThe carotenoids catch them and neutralise them before they can do damage.\u201d<\/p>\n These substances are best at protecting against longer wavelengths found in UVA light. UVA penetrates the deepest layers of the skin, generating ROS that can cause skin ageing, wrinkling and cancers. Carotenoids can\u2019t prevent the direct DNA damage caused by the rays themselves though, meaning they can\u2019t be considered a replacement for sunscreen.<\/p>\n Good dietary sources include carrots and tomatoes. To get the greatest benefits,\u2026<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n