Healthy diet means fewer wrinkles, study shows

Apr 17, 2006, 8:58 GMT

Berlin - People who eat lots of fruit and vegetables are likely to have fewer wrinkles, according to a new study.

Even normal eaters can make their skin look younger by changing their diet to include lots of tomatoes and red paprika, the German magazine The Dermatologist said in its latest issue.

Free radicals - unstable oxygen molecules - are a major factor in premature skin aging and skin cancer. Antioxidants contained in the body are supposed to stop free-radical damage.

But the body cannot produce enough antioxidants on its own and has to make up for them with ingredients such as vitamins A, C, D and E as well as beta carotene.

Vegetables such as carrots, tomatoes, paprika and kale contain plenty of antioxidants as does green tea.

A study conducted at the Berlin Charite hospital found that people with a high concentration of antioxidants in the skin look younger because they have fewer wrinkles, according to The Dermatologist.

The study showed that vegetarians had more antioxidants in their bodies than non-vegetarians.

But the magazine warned that an 'overdose' of antioxidants through a large intake of food supplements could accelerate free radical damage.

However, this was unlikely if supplements were omitted and fruit and vegetables were eaten instead.