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Who doesn't want to show off a nice tan in summer? Dark skin makes us look more attractive and is synonymous with health.
Surely you have heard that carrots are a great ally to achieve this, but few people know that there are much better foods to show off the perfect tan.
FIRST OF ALL, WHAT ARE BETACAROTENES?
Carrots have always been associated with being a food that helps you get a beautiful and healthy tan. This is due to its high beta-carotene content.
But what is beta-carotene? It is a plant pigment that is a precursor to vitamin A.
You have very important functions. On the one hand, it inhibits free radicals , which arise, through oxidative reactions, after exposure to UV rays (mainly UVA and UVB).
On the other hand, it helps to achieve bright, shiny and smooth skin, especially in light-skinned people.
It may be better?
Yes, beta-carotene helps to achieve a beautiful skin color without having to expose yourself to the sun.
This happens because if it is in excess, it is eliminated through urine and the pores of the skin, through sweat.
If you are one of those who like to lie in the sun in summer, you should know that prolonged exposure can cause beta-carotene deficiency . This can create dry skin, burns and worse, increased risk of skin cancer and even vision problems.
So be careful.
WHAT ARE THE FOODS WITH THE HIGHEST BETA-CAROTENE CONTENT?
If you want to add this precursor pigment to vitamin A to your diet, there are many foods you can consume.
Carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and peppers contain this compound.
But there is one that stands out above the rest: spirulina . This algae contains 40 times more beta-carotene than carrots!
Yes, you heard right forty. Beta-carotene is mainly associated with the color orange, what happens is that the chlorophyll present in the spirulina algae masks that color.
As if that were not enough, spirulina has many more properties. It is therefore more than advisable to drink this summer.
In addition to spirulina, there are other foods that continue to take center stage from carrots. This is the case of goji berries .
They have more beta-carotene, but also many other interesting properties, such as the fact that they have all the essential amino acids, more vitamin C in proportion than oranges, and more iron than spinach, among others.
They are a perfect snack to snack on between meals.
But all that glitters is not gold, it is essential to choose quality spirulina and goji berries to enjoy their benefits and avoid problems, which I will tell you about in the next point.
HEALTHY TAN: THE IMPORTANCE OF CHOOSING QUALITY FOODS
You already know the great benefits of spirulina and goji berries to show off a perfect tan.
Now, if spirulina is not dried in a controlled manner and is excessively oxidized , it loses a large amount of beta-carotene and with it many of its properties.
That is why it is necessary to choose a serious supplier that guarantees the quality of their product. Something similar happens with goji berries.
The cheapest suppliers offer berries contaminated with heavy metals and insecticides. A good decision is undoubtedly to choose a seller of ecological products.
Generally, it is also not a good idea to buy brand name products that are on all surfaces. After all, they compete on price, and quality suffers the consequences.
Perhaps at this point, you are wondering what is the best way to incorporate these two foods into your diet. They are very versatile foods, but here I show you two recipes with which it will not cost you anything to show off an enviable tan.
TWO RECIPES TO LOOK TAN THIS SUMMER
During this time you always want something that is refreshing and so that you don't waste a minute, here I show you two smoothies that are easy to prepare.
SPIRULINA AND MELON SMOOTHIE :
Ingredients: 2 cups of ripe melon, cut into pieces
8 mint leaves
1 teaspoon spirulina
2 ice cubes
1/4 cup cold water
Preparation: In a powerful blender, add all the ingredients and beat until obtaining a homogeneous texture. Since the melon is sweet, you don't need to sweeten it with anything else.
PINEAPPLE AND GOJI BERRIES SMOOTHIE
Ingredients: 1 cup chopped fresh pineapple
1/2 orange in juice
1.5 tablespoons goji berries
1/2 - 3/4 cup coconut water (depends on taste)
1 piece of ginger powder
Preparation: If you don't have a very powerful blender, soak the berries first so that they soften (about 10 minutes is enough, although a little longer is better...) Pour all the ingredients into the blender until you get a smoothie texture and serve cold.
This smoothie is sweet, although it also depends on the sweetness of the fruit. If you want to sweeten it more, you can add a medjoul date and it becomes quite a treat!
THE RISKS OF A FAST AND ARTIFICIAL TAN
We all like to get things done quickly, but when it comes to tanning, it's not a good idea.
It is already well known that the damage caused by UVA rays increases the risk of developing melanoma by 59%, according to the World Health Organization.
Self-tanning booths are also not a good idea, they use a compound DHA (derived from sugar cane), the inhalation of which appears to be quite harmful .
Pills that promise to get a quick tan are not free from side effects . They have a compound, canthaxanthin, in large quantities. A study in the journal American Pharmacy concludes that ingesting these substances in large doses creates retinopathy in the eyes due to the accumulation of crystals. Better to stay away, believe me.
Finally , when beta-carotene is synthetic, it has a bioactivity up to 10 times lower and acts as a pro-oxidant, damaging cells and increasing the risk of cancer.
Other studies indicate that the higher conversion rate of synthetic beta-carotene into vitamin A causes its accumulation and increases the carcinogenic factor.
It seems that nature knows how to do things.
At Baïa Food Co. , we always care about finding natural, organic and highest quality foods possible, and always from small local crops.
At the moment, we can't do anything else for you, but remember, if you want to show off brown skin this summer, eating real, quality foods is undoubtedly your best option.
The brown starts from the inside.
