Beta-carotene helps to protect against sunburn

If "an apple a day keeps the doctor away", a carrot a day might help to keep the sun burn away. That is the conclusion of a recently published analysis by Professors Wolfgang Köpcke and Jean Krutmann, of Münster University Hospital and the Institut für Umweltmedizinische Forschung in Düsseldorf, Germany, respectively.

In a paper published in Photochemistry and Photobiology, 2008, 84, Köpcke and Krutmann analyzed seven reports on clinical trials exploring the relationship between the consumption of Beta-Carotene and skin resistance to the ultraviolet (UV) radiation present in the sun's rays. Beta-Carotene is an orange natural pigment important for photosynthesis in plants. It is also responsible for the characteristic red-to-orange colors of carrots, tomatoes, and many other green leafy vegetables and fruits.

"We found that a diet rich in Beta-Carotene significantly protects the skin against sunburn if it is consumed for a long period of time," explains Professor Köpcke. "It does not offer the same powerful and almost immediate protection against UV radiation offered by modern sunscreens, but it can provide a basis of protection which should be 'topped up' with sunscreen when intensive exposure to the sun is planned." "This form of 'nutritional' protection against UV has two important advantages," continues Professor Krutmann. "It is permanently present in people who have enjoyed a diet rich in Beta-Carotene for many years, and it also benefits every part of the skin.

"While Beta-Carotene occurs naturally, it can also be synthesized. Nature-identical synthetic Beta-Carotene has an important role to play in many fortified foods and beverages as well as in dietary supplements. Manfred Eggersdorfer, Head of R&D at DSM Nutritional Products, a leading producer of Beta-Carotene, comments: "These findings show the importance of a nutritionally rich and balanced diet. We are quite literally what we eat, and a healthy portion of Beta-Carotene should certainly be on our daily menu."

US Strawberries: Do growers sacrifice taste for size?

When American Greetings introduced the rag-doll style character Strawberry Shortcake in 1980, she generated $500 million in sales for the company over the next two years, according to the company's Web site.

If that character hadn't been introduced at that time, and someone had the idea of creating a similar character today, I don't think the marketing people would approve.

Why, you ask? Because strawberries aren't cute anymore. Commercial strawberries that you get in the grocery store look more like goblin noses or deformed animal hooves. I can hardly look at them.

Some googling of how these monstrous strawberries came to be is revealed in an informative piece in The Boston Globe from 2006, where members of the California Strawberry Commission said they've gotten bigger because they've been bred to be bigger, because that's what people supposedly want.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture also pointed out that with bigger berries, a smaller amount can fill a pint, meaning fewer individual berries need to be picked, saving labor time.

They say larger strawberries don't taste different, but I wonder. Often varieties of produce bred to suit the producer - easier to pick, better for withstanding travel, etc. - lose their taste genes.

So what can we do? Support local berries. Apparently 88 percent of berries sold in America come from the West Coast. But handfuls of orchards and family farms still grow their own strawberries, and they're worth seeking out.

Strawberry festivals should be popping up at local churches during the next few weeks. Check them out, and ask where the strawberries came from. See if you can taste the difference.