Antioxidants Against Skin Damage

LycoRed Ltd. conducted a small pilot study to examine the effect of its oral lycopene formulation, Lyc-O-Mato, in protecting the skin from sunburn. The subjects were 10 adult men and women, half of whom took 85 milligrams of Lyc-O-Mato 6 percent capsules twice daily, and the other half a placebo twice daily. At the end of 10 weeks the subjects were exposed to two minimal erythemal doses of UV radiation from a solar simulator. Their skin cells were biopsied and assessed 24 hours later.

According to Zohar Nir, Ph.D., of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rohovot, Israel, and vice president of new product development for LycoRed, participants receiving the Lyc-O-Mato experienced a sunburn cell count six times lower than that of the placebo group. There was also evidence of reduced depletion of Langerhans cells in the Lyc-O-Mato group, which, Dr. Nir says, is important because “depletion of Langerhans cells negatively affects the important immune function of the skin.” The mechanism behind Lyc-O-Mato, which contains five milligrams of pure lycopene, along with a combination of such tomato-derived phytonutrients as phytoene, phytofluene, beta-carotene, tocopherols and phytosterols, is simple, says Dr. Nir. “The interaction of radiation with the skin creates reactive oxygen species, and lycopene is the most effective quencher of the ROS free radicals responsible for oxidative stress and, hence, damage to the skin.”

The study sample may be small, but according to David McDaniel, M.D., director of the Institute of Anti-Aging Research in Virginia Beach, Virginia, its results are still impressive. “Our research program has seen significant protection from UV damage from other topically applied superpotent antioxidants. We’ve also seen anecdotal evidence that oral lycopene supplementation in the five-to-10-milligram-daily-dose range may reduce the risk of sunburn in very sensitive, fair-skinned individuals. The apparent protection of Langerhans cells is also potentially significant,” he notes, adding, “Oral supplements such as this mixture of lycopene and related carotenoids need further studies like this one to expand our understanding of how oral antioxidants impact our skin—for both health and beauty.”

—Dr. Bob Goldman
www.WorldHealth.net

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Dr. Robert M. Goldman MD, PhD, DO, FAASP has spearheaded the development of numerous international medical organizations and corporations. Dr. Goldman has served as a Senior Fellow at the Lincoln Filene Center, Tufts University; as an Affiliate at the Philosophy of Education Research Center, Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, He is Clinical Consultant, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Korea Medical University; and Professor, Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Central America Health Sciences, Department of Internal Medicine. Dr. Goldman holds the positions of Visiting Professor, Udayana University School of Medicine, Indonesia; Visiting Professor, Huazhong University of Science & Technology Tong Ji Medical School, China; Visiting Professor, The Wuhan Institute of Science & Technology, China; Visiting Professor at Hainan Medical College, China; and Visiting Professor, School of Anti-Aging, Aesthetics and Regenerative Medicine, UCSI University, Malaysia. Dr. Goldman is a Fellow of the American Academy of Sports Physicians and a Board Diplomat in Sports Medicine and Board Certified in Anti-Aging Medicine. Dr. Goldman is a Fellow of the American Academy of Sports Physicians and a Board Diplomat in Sports Medicine and Board Certified in Anti-Aging Medicine. He has overseen cooperative research agreement development programs in conjunction with such prominent institutions as the American National Red Cross, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Department of Defense, and the FDA’s Center for Devices & Radiological Health.

Dr Goldman was awarded the 2012 LifeTime Achievement Award in Medicine &Science. Dr. Goldman is the recipient of the ‘Gold Medal for Science, the Grand Prize for Medicine, the Humanitarian Award, and the Business Development Award. He received honors from Minister of Sports and government Health officials of numerous nations. In 2001, Excellency Juan Antonio Samaranch awarded Dr. Goldman the International Olympic Committee Tribute Diploma for contributions to the development of sport & Olympism.

In addition, Dr. Goldman is a black belt in karate, Chinese weapons expert, and world champion athlete with over 20 world strength records, he has been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. Some of his past performance records include 13,500 consecutive situps and 321 consecutive handstand pushups. Dr. Goldman was an All-College athlete in four sports, a three time winner of the John F. Kennedy (JFK) Physical Fitness Award, was voted Athlete of the Year, was the recipient of the Champions Award, and was inducted into the World Hall of Fame of Physical Fitness. Dr. Goldman was awarded the Healthy American Fitness Leader Award from the President’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports and U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Goldman is Chairman of the International Medical Commission overseeing sports medicine committees in over 184 nations. He has served as a Special Advisor to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports. He is founder and international President Emeritis of the National Academy of Sports Medicine and the cofounder and Chairman of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M). Dr. Goldman visits an average of 20 countries annually to promote brain research and sports medicine programs.