Pairing these foods, herbs, and spices with a healthy fat, such as olive oil, avocado, or nuts and seeds, can help the body absorb them better. Beta Carotene is a natural orange-red pigment that is common in many vegetables. Your body converts a small portion of beta-carotene into vitamin A which is also known as Retinol. While the great effects of Retinol on the skin are known, surprisingly almost no one knows about how amazing Beta Carotene is for your skin. What effects does Beta Carotene have on the skin We get 686 mcg of beta-carotene for every 174 g cup of uncooked pitted prunes. Raw plums contain about 314 mcg for every 165 g cup. Timoneda J, Rodríguez-Fernández L, Zaragozá R, et al. Vitamin A deficiency and the lung. Nutrients. 2018;10(9):1132. doi:10.3390/nu10091132 Yu N, et al. (2015). Association of dietary vitamin A and β-carotene intake with the risk of lung cancer: A meta-analysis of 19 publications.

Whilst preparing your body for better tanning from the inside out may not be something you have thought about before, consuming beta carotene in the form of a supplement or from fruit and vegetables can not only protect your skin from the sun but can also aid in getting a deeper tan. Related Questions Does Beta Carotene Make Your Skin Darker? Beta carotene is also an antioxidant, which help our bodies to fight free-radicals, or unwanted waste substances produced by the body in response to environmental changes. People who consume high-antioxidant foods are less likely to suffer cell-damage when putting the body through “oxidative stress activities”. Beta carotene, intrinsically linked to vitamin A, can help you tan better by boosting cell renewal and possibly stimulating melanin production (more studies are needed). Rudrapal M, Khairnar SJ, Khan J, et al. Dietary polyphenols and their role in oxidative stress-induced human diseases: Insights into protective effects, antioxidant potentials and mechanism(s) of action. Front Pharmacol. 2022;13:806470. doi:10.3389/fphar.2022.806470.Normally when people tan they go brown, but the henna adds a hue of golden to your color, making it a really beautiful shade. The henna also prolongs the life of your tan so that it fades more slowly and more evenly after you stop going in the sun/ on sunbeds. So you will find that your tan will last for weeks longer than you are used to! Beta carotene may improve your cognitive function, according to some studies, due to its antioxidant effects. Canned, drained spinach supplies 12585 mcg of beta-carotene for every 214 g cup. Boiled spinach 11318 mcg per 180 g cup. Frozen boiled spinach 6875 mcg per 95 g. 17) Swiss chard

Satia JA, et al. (2009). Long-term use of β-carotene, retinol, lycopene, and lutein supplements and lung cancer risk: Results from the vitamins and lifestyle (VITAL) Study. DOI: Before we look at whether beta carotene really is helpful for tanning in more detail, let’s explore what it is and what it does in our body. What is Beta Carotene?Rutjes AW, Denton DA, Di Nisio M, et al. Vitamin and mineral supplementation for maintaining cognitive function in cognitively healthy people in mid and late life. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018;12(12):CD011906. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD011906.pub2. In addition, people who eat plenty of food that contains beta carotene might have a lower risk for certain kinds of cancer, including lung cancer. And if you still really can’t decide (we know, it’s hard!), then we recommend you go with whichever scent you prefer. Our products can be used in the sun or on sunbeds, it can be applied over SPF lotion. Contains wheat germ oil. If you have skin sensitivities or are gluten intolerant, please consult your dermatologist prior to use. Using a sunscreen or tanning oil that contains beta carotene will help you tan when your skin absorbs the beta carotene. You will immediately see a golden glow on your skin when you apply these products, because of the pigment. This isn’t actually a tan but looks amazing whilst you’re sunbathing.

There are several factors that affect the carotenoid absorption, bioavailability, breakdown, transport, and storage. For example, the dietary intake of fat (in the form of salad dressing, cooking oil for instance extra virgin olive oil or whole egg) at the same meal with carotenoid consumption (cooked vegetables or raw vegetable salad) has been found to effectively increase the absorption of some carotenoids [ 56, 57, 58, 59]. The bioavailability of carotenoids may reduce when consumed within the same meal due to the competition between carotenoids during absorption [ 60]. In addition, dietary fiber from plant sources, for example guar gum and pectin, were found to decrease carotenoid absorption [ 61], and the localization of carotenoids with the chromoplasts and chloroplasts of plants may reduce the bioavailability [ 62]. A study reported by Hornero-Mendez and Mínguez-Mosquera [ 63] evaluated the impact of cooking on carotenoids in the plant. The data showed that although heat reduces the carotenoid content, the bioavailability of the carotenoids was enhanced compared to the control (uncooked) [ 63]. Furthermore, Baskaran et al. [ 64] evaluated the micellar phospholipid in relation to the intestinal uptake of carotenoids in in vivo study. The data showed that phosphatidylcholine suppressed the accumulation of lutein and β-carotene in plasma and liver, suggesting the phospholipids derived from food and bile could influence the cellular uptake of carotenoids solubilized in mixed micelles formed in the intestinal tract. In addition, the rate of bioaccessibility of carotenoids is highly affected by the food matrix. The previous study revealed that in vitro transfer rate of β-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin, and lutein is nearly 100% from fruits such as sweet potato, grapefruit, kiwi, and orange compared to the vegetables such as spinach and broccoli, which is between 19 to 38% [ 65]. This observation indicates that the release of carotenoids from a food matrix followed by absorption is a determining factor for delivering potential health benefits.

Carrot juice for a tan: My verdict

So, is it better to take a supplement or try to eat hundreds of carrots? Beta carotene tan dosage is much easier to control if you take a supplement, which will have been designed to give you the right amount. Beta carotene is also very sensitive to degeneration through light, so supplements avoid this problem. So if you can, try to eat these foods fresh, blend them into a smoothie, throw them in a salad, make a lovely warm soup, or even put them in a cake (carrot cake!) and start warming up your skin tone! Step 2: Feed your tan