"Edible" Sunscreen

  • Research at the University of Alabama Birmingham
  • 19 Volunteers consumed grape powder; equivalent to 2 1/4 cups of fresh grapes per day for 2 weeks.
  • Volunteers were 75% more resistant to sunburn.
  • First study to show "oral ingestion has photoprotective effect."
  • Polyphenols in grapes protect skin from UV light damage.
  • May also limit inflammation linked to skin cancer, which affects 1 in 5 people aged 70 or above.
  • Topical extract may be developed too.
  • 1 pound of powder costs about $35-50. Fresh red, green, or black grapes work too.