Antioxidants in Asian-Korean and Caucasian Skin: The Influence of Nutrition and Stress

Abstract

Background: The antioxidant status of the human skin provides protection against the destructive action of free radicals. Most antioxidants cannot be synthesized by the human organism itself, but have to be ingested with a healthy nutrition rich in fruit and vegetables. The Korean cuisine is known to be one of the healthiest worldwide. This binational study investigated the cutaneous carotenoid concentrations in German subjects, South Korean subjects and immigrant Korean subjects resident in Germany and examined whether dietary- and lifestyle-related differences are reflected in the cutaneous carotenoid concentrations. Methods: Measurements of the carotenoid concentrations of 714 healthy volunteers were performed using a non-invasive spectroscopic measurement system based on reflectance spectroscopy. Results: In the present study South Korean residents showed a significantly higher antioxidant status than both native German residents and Korean immigrants living in Germany (p < 0.001). The first generation of Korean immigrants to Germany over the age of 50 mostly preserved Korean dietary habits, showing significantly higher concentrations (p < 0.001) than the German-born second and third Korean generations under the age of 50. Conclusion: The results of the study indicate that a healthy nutrition alone does not provide a high antioxidant status unless the stress exposure can be reduced simultaneously.

Effect of Fluid Intake on Hydration Status and Skin Barrier Characteristics in Geriatric Patients: An Explorative Study

“…Empirical evidence suggests relationships between fluid intake and skin properties [7, 8]. An additional intake of water seems to influence skin barrier parameters like stratum corneum hydration (SCH), in particular in individuals with lower prior water consumption [9, 10].…”

Influence of the Systemic Application of Blue–Green Spirulina platensis Algae on the Cutaneous Carotenoids and Elastic Fibers in Vivo

“…As genetic factors cannot be changed, the lifestyle and environmental exposure have to be controlled individually [3]. Excessive exposure to solar irradiation [4][5][6][7], pollutant exposure [8,9], alcohol abuse [10,11], high stress exposure [12], and smoking [13] can lead to the generation of an enormous amount of free radicals in the skin, which can result in the development of oxidative stress in the tissue. The manifestation of oxidative stress can give rise to the development of premature skin aging [14,15], inflammation, and even malignant cellular changes [16,17].…”

Multiple spatially resolved reflection spectroscopy to monitor cutaneous carotenoids during supplementation of fruit and vegetable extracts in vivo

“…5,6 Various studies have shown that this group of antioxidants is depleted by solar radiation, stress, smoking, alcohol consumption, and infections or by other radical inducing effects. 5,7,8 Carotenoids can be measured noninvasively by different methods. 9 The highly sensitive and specific values measured by resonance Raman spectroscopy correlate with ingested fruit and vegetables.…”

“…13 Furthermore, reflectance-based sensors have shown to monitor changes in the cutaneous carotenoids. 7,14 In this study, a newly developed sensor based on multiple spatially resolved reflectance spectroscopy was used to monitor the carotenoid values on 20 healthy volunteers before, during, and after the intake of a drink rich in antioxidants.…”