Lemon, lime, celery and other foods that affect skin aging

Summer afternoon, warm sun, barbecue with friends by the pool and after dinner with some cocktails flavored with lime or lemon. What could go wrong? Very easy: genetic damage to the skin. But why?

The book of life, DNA, is not immutable. Life itself damages it and consequently reduces the cells' ability to survive. And that is precisely the origin of natural aging. An aging that can be accelerated by elements that we did not have, such as the sun and lime or lemon cocktail.

But, let us start at the beginning. Our genome has 3 billion letters, packed into 300 chromosomes. This information, as it is, leaves us cold. However, if we do a small calculation and convert it into pages of text in Word we can get a better idea of ​​the volume of information contained: if this text were written in the Arial font, size 23 points and single spacing, it would be 11 kilometers of A250 pages.

Since we have two genomes in each of our cells, one inherited from the father and the other from the mother, the “pages” of our genome would add up to a total of 500 kilometers of genetic content.

A “cookbook” that mutates easily
This extensive text contains the recipes to cook each of the pieces of our cells. But also for the integration of all of them in a complex system that includes everything from reproduction to food metabolism, through thought and consciousness – the most surprising emerging property of human beings.

The problem is that DNA can be altered by mutations that “disrupt” the original text. The cause of these mutations in many cases is in the cellular activity itself, mainly in respiration.

In practice, in just one day it is estimated that in each cell there are around 50 chain breaks, 000 nucleotide changes, 10 mutations due to chemicals - such as those derived from smoke -, 000 injuries due to the famous free radicals. And 5 bonding events between the two DNA strands. Fortunately our cells are capable of healing most of these genetic wounds.

The damage that most resists them are the so-called links of the DNA helices, which are rare and very dangerous. These are the most difficult to repair and it is estimated that 40 lesions of this type are enough to kill a cell. And all because they completely block tissue regeneration, producing accelerated aging.

Cocktail in the sun, detox diets and accelerated skin aging
The scientific literature is full of people admitted to hospitals with second-degree burns due to combining prolonged exposure to the sun with contact or consumption of some vegetables, including limes, lemons and grapefruits. These foods cause acute photodermatosis because they contain toxins called furocoumarins that, under sunlight, induce the formation of bonds in DNA. The immediate consequence is usually cell death, massive inflammation and blistering of the skin.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg. In cases of low exposure, even if no obvious burn occurs, continued contact over time leads to permanent dark spots, accelerated skin aging and a greater likelihood of developing cancer.

There are also reported cases of people who, following the advice of influencers, have carried out “detox cures” abusing lime, grapefruit or celery with harmful effects on their skin.

Be careful with bergamot in perfumes
Another source of skin problems is the consumption of some wild plants such as Chenopodium, medicinal plants such as Plantago, contact with fig leaves or the use of cosmetic essential oils (for example Psoralea). In addition, there are essences included in perfumes or hygiene products, such as bergamot, that contain large amounts of mutagenic furocoumarins.

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Source: The Conversation. Authorship: Antonio José Caruz Arcos Professor of Genetics, University of Jaén.

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