Can You Eat Your Way Out of a Sunburn?

Plus discover the power of turmeric

Today, we’re taking on a topic we’ve been seeing everywhere: Can you actually eat your way out of a sunburn? We’re sharing our opinions - plus taking a deeper look at the foods that can help support and protect your skin. These are simple, proactive steps anyone can take for healthier skin from the inside out.

We’re also spotlighting the powerful, anti-inflammatory spice, turmeric. With so many potential benefits, you won’t want to miss our breakdown of why it matters and how to easily incorporate more of it into your daily routine - including through our Turmeric Tea recipe.

We’d love to hear from you:

How do you care for your skin? Is it all about SPF and sun protection? A skin-supportive diet? Or something else entirely? Let us know in the comments!

(P.S. Become a paid subscriber to unlock the full conversation.)

Can You Eat Your Way Out Of A Sunburn?

Dr. Weil's Take:

Living in Arizona for the past 40 years, I take skin health and sun exposure seriously. I apply sunscreen to my head and face every morning and wear a hat when I go outside. Every time.

That said, I do believe diet can play a supportive role in protecting the skin from UV damage - when practiced alongside good sun habits. However, I absolutely do not recommend discarding your sunscreen.

One study I found particularly compelling looked at the effects of grape consumption - specifically, whole-grape powder – equivalent to eating about 2¼ cups of grapes per day for two weeks. That’s quite a bit more than most people typically eat. Still, the findings were impressive: participants required more UV exposure to get sunburned, and they showed reduced markers of DNA damage and inflammation.

Please know that eating a bowl of grapes right before heading to the beach won’t provide immediate protection. The benefits seem to come from