Reduce your risk of developing skin cancer—from the inside out.

While there is considerable evidence that what we eat is a major factor in the development of internal cancers such as breast, prostate, colon, and lung cancer, there has been little focus on diet’s role in skin cancer. The irony is that because of the skin’s specialized role as a protective outer layer and its constant need for nutrients, the skin may be even more responsive to dietary strategies to reduce cancer risk than internal tissues. This may be especially true for the more serious forms of skin cancer; evidence shows that dietary factors can play a significant role in preventing these forms of the disease.

In fact, what we eat is extremely important to the health of our skin. It is critical to provide the skin with essential nutrients required for normal function and cell division—virtually every known nutrient is important. And research points to the Mediterranean diet as possibly the best diet for healthy skin and the prevention of skin cancer. This does not mean to simply eat more Italian food. The Mediterranean diet reflects food patterns in the early 1960s typical of Crete, parts of the rest of Greece, and southern Italy. The traditional Mediterranean diet has shown tremendous benefit in fighting heart disease and cancer, as well as diabetes.

It has the following characteristics: 

• It centers on an abundance of plant food, including fruit, vegetables, potatoes, beans, nuts, and seeds.
• Foods are minimally processed and there is a focus on seasonally fresh and locally grown foods.
• Fresh fruit is the typical daily dessert, with sweets containing concentrated sugars or honey consumed a few times per week at the most.
• Dairy products, principally cheese and yogurt, are consumed in low-to- moderate amounts.
• Fish is a consumed on a regular basis.
• Poultry and eggs are consumed in moderate amounts, about one to four times weekly.
• Red meat is consumed in small amounts.
• Olive oil is the principal source of fat.
• Wine is consumed in low-to-moderate amounts, normally with meals.

The two components of the Mediterranean diet that have received a lot of attention are red wine and olive oil. In terms of skin health, a particularly important component of the Mediterranean diet is the olive itself. Population-based studies have shown a negative correlation between the consumption of olives and wrinkle formation. In other words, a higher intake of olives is associated with fewer wrinkles. One of the key compounds in olives is verbascoside, a polyphenol molecule that is found in the fruit, but not in olive leaves. The polyphenols from olive fruit have also been shown to have good bioavailability and actually increase antioxidant defenses within the skin against sun damage.

Other components in the Mediterranean diet are also important. In a study conducted in Rome, Italy, after controlling for smoking, sun exposure, skin pigmentation, and other factors, researchers found a protective effect for weekly consumption of fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids (50 percent reduced risk) and high consumption of vegetables (also a 50 percent reduced risk). Consumption of carrots, cruciferous and leafy vegetables, and citrus fruits was also associated with a near 50 percent reduction in risk. Other studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acid intake is inversely related to melanoma. In other words, higher intakes of omega-3 fatty acids are associated with a significant reduction in the risk of developing melanoma.

Dietary factors are not limited to those contained in the Mediterranean diet, however. Studies also indicate that green tea consumption is protective against skin cancer. The beneficial compounds are the polyphenols, similar to those found in olives.