Effective sun protection is FDA-approved

Recently, there have been increasing claims that certain supplements, foods and beverages may be used to protect skin from the sun’s damaging ultraviolet rays. The bottom line is that all products need to undergo strict review and rigorous clinical trials to be labeled as a sunscreen or a sun protective agent.

Experts at the Skin Cancer Institute at the University of Arizona Cancer Center say to beware of any food or beverage that claims to protect you from the sun or act as a sunscreen. The only currently known and clinically proven products which have the ability to do this are items that block, reflect or absorb ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

UACC skin cancer researcher Steve Stratton warns about one such product whose manufacturer claims it protects against the sun when added to water and ingested:  “This product’s claim violates the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act as there is no scientific basis for the claim. This product cannot be legally marketed in the United States as a sunscreen. All sunscreens in the United States must be Food and Drug Administration-approved, and all such sunscreens are applied topically.”

Get more information on how to properly protect yourself from the sun.

- June 11, 2014