Every year, dermatologists insist on the importance of protecting themselves against sun’s radiation. Either with solar creams, cover with clothes or caps and avoid the hours of more radiation, professionals insist that the DNA damage and skin cancer. But another measure that becomes increasingly strength is oral photoprotection, whose news has been shared in the 52nd Congress of the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (AEDV) that is celebrated from May 7 to 10 in Valencia.
Salvador González RodríguezProfessor of Medicine at the University of Alcalá, in Madrid, he has been developing these drugs for 30 years and explains to SNC that they have a great future as a complement to other measures.
“These oral photoprotectors They neutralize the damage induced by the radiation of the sun at DNA level, in addition to protecting the immune system associated with the skin, ”he says.
Oral photoprotectors neutralize damage induced by solar radiation in DNA
Salvador González, Univ. Alcalá
A compound of a Central American fern
One of the most promising compounds, according to González, is extracted from fern Polypodium leucocotomosoriginally from Central America. This vegetable evolved from being aquatic to terrestrial, and developed defense mechanisms to protect from the sun and repair their damages that now make it ideal to produce oral drugs of sunscreen.
The fern ‘Polypodium leukocotomes’ has photoprotective properties. / Wikimedia Commons
“These photoprotective substances have an affinity for the skin, so when they take them they travel directly there. When they arrive, the Antioxidant systems and manage to reduce the damage caused by the Sun to the DNA and the immune system associated with the skin, ”explains González.
-Polypodium Leukocotomes evolved from being aquatic to terrestrial, and developed defense mechanisms to protect from the sun
The dermatologist emphasizes that these substances are an essential complement to patients with high risk of skin damageas people with photodermatosis or other ailments that worsen with light.
In this sense, a review of studies published in the magazine Journal Of Clinical And Aesthetic Dermatology In 2014, it showed that orally substances derived from Polypodium leucotomos improved inflammation of Patients with vitiligo and melasma (dark color plates in the skin).
Another substance that González stands out is nicotinamidewhich has demonstrated efficacy to prevent skin cancer in high -risk patients, as ensures a review of studies published in the magazine Experimental Dermatology In 2019. In addition, the vitamin d With this same purpose, although the dermatologist values that he still needs more studies to support him.
Sun protection in dark skinned people
In addition, in this session of the 52nd Congress of the Dermatologist Susan TaylorPresident of the American Academy of Dermatology, has indicated that sun protection recommendations should not only take into account the previous diseases of a patient, but also the peculiarities of people with dark skin.
43 % of dermatologists in the United States do not take into account the patient’s skin to make their recommendations
The American dermatologist has stressed that it is common for these people not to use sun protection and has warned that 43 % of dermatologists in the United States do not take into account the patient’s skin color to make their recommendations.
However, during his speech he stressed that, although they have better protection for some types of radiation, they are more Vulnerable to the radiation of visible light. “We have to tear down the myth that dark skin people do not need sunscreen. We must recommend tinted suns, which are the most protect from visible light radiation,” he said.
