Lycopene for fewer lines
Posted Wednesday, January 27, 2010
You may be familiar with lycopene, the carotenoid found in red fruits—most notably, tomatoes. A number of beauty brands put this nutrient in their topical anti-aging products, but a recent study says oral lycopene supplements may be all you need to get smoother skin.
Researchers at Berlin's Charité University provided lycopene supplements of varying concentrations to 20 participants ranging from 40 to 50 years old, planning to assess skin roughness before and after supplementation with an optical in vivo technique.
After seeing an improvement in forehead lines and furrows, the researchers determined that higher levels of lycopene correspond to a greater reduction in the roughness of skin. Experts believe this could be due to the ample antioxidants in lycopene, which doesn't occur naturally in our own bodies.
If you're not interesting in eating tomatoes and berries all day every day, you can find affordable lycopene supplements in almost any vitamin aisle. One to try: Nature's Bounty Lycopene
Tags: antioxidants, carotenoids, fine lines, lycopene, research, study, tomato, wrinkles