Dark Chocolate Sunscreen

 4376382115_4821e61752_bPhoto curtesy of Magic on Flickr

Minnesota summers are a magical time of year and provide a much-needed release from being cooped up during the harsh winter months, allowing ample opportunity to catch some rays and get vitamin D production going again. However, if you’re anything like me and have a rather fair complexion that always seems to be overly susceptible to sunburn, then many of your fun-days in the sun will lead to a red and painful day after. Even with the use of sunscreen!

So what makes some people more susceptible to sunburn than others, and is this a characteristic the can be quantitatively expressed? Surprisingly, yes. The minimal erythemal dose (MED) is a measurement that expresses the minimal amount of UVB ray exposure (time in the sun) to cause redness 24 hours after the initial exposure. A higher MED value means you can withstand a larger amount of UVB ray while a lower MED value means it’ll take you less time out in the sun to get burnt compared to someone with a higher MED value.

Finding a way to boost MED values would effectively lessen predisposition to sunburn and allow you to enjoy the summertime outdoor fun without always having to worry about getting burnt or dealing with a painful and annoying sunburn the couple of days after.

Luckily enough, studies have shown that the flavanols in dark chocolate effectively boost MED levels, thereby protecting skin from sunburn and, in the long-term, improving overall skin quality, by preemptively blocking sun-induced skin damage before it can even take place.

According to a study published in 2006 in the Journal of Nutrition it was found that the photo-protection due to a daily high dark-chocolate flavanol intake (330mg/d) was increased by nearly 25%. Additionally, the subjects consuming the flavanol rich cocoa experienced increased circulation to the skin, as well as increased skin hydration and density (Heinrich 2006). A second study, published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, found that a 20 gram portion of dark chocolate daily more than doubled the MED value of the subjects being studied, providing a significant improvement in UV protection (Williams 2009).

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A typical chocolate bar is 100 grams so one quarter of a bar would raise your MED value. 20 grams would be equal to two individual squares of Ghiradelli Chocolate or 43 Ghiradelli Dark Chocolate Chips or half of a 72% Cacoa Dark Chocolate Bar from Trader Joe’s (the red label) Just read the label and eat 20 grams. (Does this sound delicious or what?)

While future studies will help elucidate and shine light on which flavanol compounds in dark chocolate are responsible for increased photo-protection from UVB rays, it definitely won’t hurt to add dark-chocolate to your daily nutritional regimen. The high antioxidant content and numerous studies that have backed dark chocolate as a highly nutritious food for a variety of different purposes, in addition to increasing your skin’s natural sun protection, make it something to definitely get in to. Plus it tastes delicious! Happy Eating!

Blog Post By Drew Thomas – Nutritional Science 2015, University of Minnesota
Heinrich, U., Neukam, K., Tronnier, H., Sies, H., & Stahl, W. (2006). Long-term ingestion of high flavanol cocoa provides photoprotection against UV-induced erythema and improves skin condition in women. The Journal of nutrition, 136(6), 1565-1569.
Williams, S., Tamburic, S., & Lally, C. (2009). Eating chocolate can significantly protect the skin from UV light. Journal of cosmetic dermatology, 8(3), 169-173.
Image from Ghiradelli