Americans are obsessed with getting a sun tan. The question is “ At what expense to the skin .” We need to worry about Actinic keratosis ( AK - precursor to malignancy) as well as basal cell carcinoma ( also known as the rodent ulcer) Sunscreen is only effective in 24 % of the AK lesions. There was a study showing amazing results with nicotinamide for prevention of AK
There is a better solution. It is the use or consumption of green tea. Green tea contains polyphenols which have several properties to protect the skin from damaging UV radiation. The most active component is called EGCG ( epigallocatechin 3 gallate ) . We do know that increasing doses of green tea in drinking water reduces sunburn and delays tumor development on the skin. The same was seen when the Green tea was applied topically.
Green tea is the most extensively studied herb for its benefits for a multitude of diseases The polyphenolic compounds are effective chemo-preventive agents for many of the adverse effects of sunlight on the human body