Maintaining our health is essential, and every day new methods and tricks emerge for us to find the best way to take care of our bodies.
In addition to a life filled with varied foods rich in minerals and vitamins, physical activity, good quality of life, and happiness complement the recipe for a healthy life.
However, often the ideal amount of vitamins and minerals is not ingested, making dietary supplementation necessary to maintain skin health and prevent diseases. In addition to the well-known vitamin and mineral supplements, a new line of products has recently emerged that combines nutrition and cosmetics, called nutricosmetics.
Nutricosmetics are also known as beauty pills or oral cosmetics. They are composed of ingredients such as antioxidants (carotenoids and flavonoids, for example), amino acids, vitamins (A, C, E, D), and minerals (selenium, zinc, iron, among others) that can systematically act against aging, weak nails, sagging, and cellulite.
Thus, pharmacy shelves are filled with beauty pills. But what exactly are these pills? How can beauty be promoted or maintained from the inside out?
First, we must understand that nutricosmetics emerged from the intersection between cosmeceuticals and nutraceuticals. The term cosmeceutical was introduced in the 1980s and refers to topical products capable of generating changes in skin status due to the presence of a bioactive, but that are not considered drugs or cosmetics. The term nutraceutical refers to any food or part of it that can bring health benefits and even prevent diseases. Thus, nutricosmetics are capsules that do not replace physical exercise, a good diet, or even the use of sunscreen and daily creams. They are ideal for those who have some nutritional deficiency that may be affecting them aesthetically (Anunciato, et al, 2012).
As mentioned earlier, the compounds in these capsules are diverse, as are their effects. Gonzalez and collaborators studied, in mice, the effect of UVB radiation on the skin of animals on a diet rich in two types of carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin. After a 14-day treatment followed by exposure to UVB radiation, they observed photoprotective effects such as: reduction of local inflammatory response, number of apoptotic cells (cell death process), and hyperproliferative cells in the epidermis. These results show that these carotenoids, in addition to having a photoprotective effect, may also play an important role in cancer prevention (which also has inflammatory and hyperproliferative characteristics) (González, et al, 2003).
Other studies show that carotenoids also contribute to better skin elasticity and hydration as well as provide antioxidant protection against reactive oxygen species generated by solar radiation (Anunciato, et al, 2012). Additionally, other micronutrients can also improve skin circulation as well as hydration (Heinrich, et al, 2006; De Spirt, et al, 2012) and even prevent diseases.
The variables studied in the research are diverse, as are the effects of the nutrients in question. Thus, the combined intake of carotenoids (lycopene, beta-carotene, tocopherol, and lutein), selenium, and vitamin E showed another type of positive effect now on skin texture and appearance. Using ultrasound techniques (B-scan) and images taken of the skin (Surface Evaluation of Living Skin B-Scan), an increase in thickness and density was measured after a 12-week supplementation period.
These data are always encouraging, aren't they? But before rushing to “see” how they work, remember that beauty pills should be prescribed by specialized doctors who will indicate the best treatment to enhance your beauty. Excess of these components in our body can be toxic, and the result may not be as beautiful as expected.
Carolina Lavini Ramos is a biologist graduated from the Institute of Biosciences at USP and holds a master's degree in Medical Sciences, with an emphasis on Immunology, from the Faculty of Medicine at USP. She currently teaches science for elementary education, guides students in developing pre-scientific initiation projects, and is a member of the scientific review committee of the journal InCiência. She has a special interest in educational and outreach activities that bring scientists closer to society.
Contact: ca_Lavini@hotmail.com
References
Anunciato TP, da Rocha Filho PA. Carotenoids and polyphenols in nutricosmetics, nutraceuticals, and cosmeceuticals. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2012 Mar;11(1):51-4. doi: 10.1111/j.1473-2165.2011.00600.x.
De Spirt S, Sies H, Tronnier H, Heinrich U. An encapsulated fruit and vegetable juice concentrate increases skin microcirculation in healthy women. Skin Pharmacol Physiol. 2012;25(1):2-8. doi: 10.1159/000330521. Epub 2011 Aug 5. PubMed PMID: 21822034.
González S, Astner S, An W, Goukassian D, Pathak MA. Dietary lutein/zeaxanthin decreases ultraviolet B-induced epidermal hyperproliferation and acute inflammation in hairless mice. J Invest Dermatol. 2003 Aug;121(2):399-405.
Heinrich U, Neukam K, Tronnier H, Sies H, Stahl W. Long-term ingestion of high flavanol cocoa provides photoprotection against UV-induced erythema and improves skin condition in women. J Nutr. 2006 Jun;136(6):1565-9.
