Lemon, celery and elements that affect aging – 09/04/2023 – Equilibrium

Summer afternoon, hot sun, barbecue with friends by the pool and a lime caipirinha. What could go wrong?

Very simple: genetic skin lesions. But why?

The book of life—DNA—is not immutable. Life itself damages it and, accordingly, reduces the cells’ ability to survive.

This is precisely the origin of natural aging. And this aging can be accelerated by elements we didn’t count on, like the combination of the Sun and lemon.

But let’s start at the beginning. Our genome has 3.3 billion letters, stored in 23 chromosomes. It is data that, presented in this way, is not impressive. But if we do a little calculation and convert it into pages of text in Word, we can get a better idea of ​​the amount of information involved.

If the text of the genome were written in Arial font size 11, with single space, it would occupy 250 km of A4 sheets.

As 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 500 km of genetic content.

‘Recipe’ that mutates easily

This extensive text contains the recipe for “cooking” each of the pieces of our cells. And also to integrate them all into a complex system, which includes everything from reproduction to the metabolism of food, passing through thinking and consciousness – the most amazing property of human beings.

The problem is that DNA can be altered by mutations that “subvert” the original text. The cause of these mutations is found, in many cases, in cellular activity itself, fundamentally in breathing.

In practice, it is estimated that, every day, around 50,000 chain breaks are produced in each cell, 10,000 nucleotide changes, 5,000 mutations by chemical products (such as tobacco derivatives), 2,000 injuries by the famous free radicals — and ten cross-linking events between the two DNA strands. Fortunately, our cells are capable of healing most of these genetic wounds.

The most persistent damage is the so-called cross-linking of DNA helices, which is uncommon and very dangerous. Its repair is more difficult and it is calculated that 40 injuries of this type are enough to kill a cell. This is because they totally block tissue regeneration, producing accelerated aging.

Cocktails in the sun, detox diets and accelerated skin aging

The scientific literature is full of reports of people admitted to hospital units with second-degree burns, due to having combined prolonged exposure to the sun with contact or consumption of fruits such as lemon and grapefruit.

These foods cause acute photodermatosis because they contain toxins known as furocoumarins — which, under sunlight, induce the formation of cross-links in DNA. The immediate consequence is usually cell death, inflammation and blistering of the skin.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg. In cases of low exposure, even when there is no obvious burn, prolonged contact generates permanent dark spots, accelerated aging of the skin and a greater probability of developing cancer.

Cases are also described of people who, following advice from digital influencers, carried out “detox cures” abusing lemon, grapefruit or celery, with harmful effects for the skin.

Beware of tangerine in perfumes

Another source of skin problems is the consumption of wild plants such as Chenopodium (also known as mastruz), medicinal plants such as Plantago, contact with fig leaves or the use of cosmetic essential oils (eg Psoralea).

There are also essences that are included in perfumes or hygiene products, such as tangerine, which contain large amounts of mutagenic furocoumarins. Recently, the International Fragrance Association highlighted the importance of developing solid methodologies to identify and quantify these toxins in cosmetics.

The European Commission has already limited the content of furocoumarins, establishing strict limits for the commercialization of sunscreens and tanning products. And essence manufacturers, considering the growing concern on the subject, already produce toxin-free essences with specific treatments that preserve the aroma.

Of course, natural is not always synonymous with healthy. Sometimes natural products must be chemically treated to be safe to use.

For skin care and the survival of our DNA, it is necessary to seek the guidance of real experts — and not follow the instructions of youtubers of fashion.

*This article originally appeared on The Conversation scholarly news site and is republished under a Creative Commons license. Read the original version (in Spanish) here.

This text was originally published here.