Lutein May Help Prevent Skin Cancer

Lutein May Help Prevent Skin Cancer

BOSTON--Lutein, an antioxidant found in dark green leafyvegetables, may protect skin from sun damage, according to a report released byHarvard Medical School. The research was funded by a grant from Des Moines,Iowa-based Kemin Foods, which had announced the award at the 58th Annual Meetingof the American Academy of Dermatology (www.aad.org)in San Francisco, March 13, 2000.

Salvador Gonzalez, Ph.D., M.D., research leader and professor of dermatologyat Harvard Medical School, showed that mice fed lutein-rich diets did notdevelop skin cancer as quickly as control mice when both were subjected to UVBlight. UVB light is non-visible sunlight, responsible for producing sunburn,tan, skin cancer and aging changes in the skin. Additionally, when tumors didappear, there were fewer of them in the treatment group than in the controlgroup, and they were smaller in size.

In order for the skin to reap the most benefits from lutein, applying theantioxidant in a topical form is recommended by Kemin. However, the Harvardstudy was based on ingested lutein only.