Oral Supplements and Photoprotection: A Systematic Review.

Abstract

Photoprotective effects of various nutritional components and supplements have been demonstrated in animal and in vitro studies. The objective of this systematic review is to assess the photoprotective effects of various dietary supplements. A systematic review of studies assessing dietary supplements on photoprotective outcomes was performed. Human studies were retrieved from PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane in February 2023. Supplement keywords included "dietary supplements," "vitamins," "minerals," "carotenoids," "lutein," "isoflavones," "polyphenols," "Polypodium leucotomos," "heliocare," "herbal medicine," "probiotics," "prebiotics," "astaxanthin," "rosmarinic acid," "botanical," and "herb," and outcome keywords included "photoprotection," "ultraviolet rays," UVA," "UVB," and "blue light." A total of 47 studies were included in the systematic review. Studied supplements included carotenoids, polyphenols, Polypodium leucotomos (PL), melon concentrate, vitamins, coenzyme Q, squalene, and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Some studies evaluated mixed supplementation and incorporated other active ingredients such as selenium and probiotics. The greatest evidence of photoprotection exists for polyphenols, carotenoid-based, and PL supplementation. While flavanol supplementation exhibited dose-dependency, dose-dependency could not be consistently demonstrated for polyphenol supplementation. The weakest evidence exists for photoprotective effects of isolated vitamin or coenzyme Q supplementation. Dietary supplements may promote enhanced photoprotection, although current evidence is limited by small sample size and short duration. Supplementation with photoprotective active ingredients may be especially favorable for individuals with predisposed ultraviolet sensitivity, such as those with polymorphic light eruption. Future research is necessary to determine optimal dosing and supplementation duration for intended photoprotective outcomes.