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'Inside-Out' Approach to Skin Health Shows Promise In Reducing Appearance of Premature Aging

DES MOINES, Iowa, July 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Slowing the inevitable aging process is now an American obsession for women and men of all ages. And nowhere is the anti-aging phenomenon more intensely focused than on the health and beauty of the skin. Skin is the body's largest organ, its 'first line defense' against disease and environmental pollutants and, of course, the most visible aspect of one's appearance to the outside world.

Increasingly, scientific evidence and medical opinion point to the need for a new type of beauty regimen, one that not only takes care of the skin from the outside-in -- via topical preparations -- but also treats it from the inside-out -- via dietary supplements.

A growing body of research suggests that lutein, a dietary supplement long known for its efficacy and safety in promoting eye health, also provides considerable skin health benefits.

Taken on a daily basis, lutein may help to bolster the skin's natural antioxidant defenses against the long-term damaging effects of sun and artificial light exposure.

Lutein may also improve skin hydration and help reduce the appearance of premature aging, as suggested in new clinical research.

"Exposure to light is perhaps the most serious threat to healthy skin," says Holly Showalter, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Research and Development, Kemin Health. "The damaging effects of ultraviolet rays from the sunlight are well known," she points out. "As a result, people are becoming more diligent about applying sunscreen with a high protection factor when they go outdoors."

However, less well known, according to Dr. Showalter, is the fact that sunscreen effectively provides only 50 to 55 percent protection from UV rays and offers no protection against the potentially damaging effects of high-energy, visible blue light, which is emitted by the sun as well as most indoor lighting sources.

"Few people recognize that long-term exposure to artificial lighting -- particularly fluorescent and halogen sources, which emit high levels of blue light -- poses a hazard to skin health," explains Dr. Showalter. "Lutein absorbs blue light, in effect filtering it before it can damage the skin. In addition, scientific studies indicate that lutein may help bolster the skin's natural antioxidant defense system, enabling it to combat the damaging effects of many types of environmental exposure."

Lutein is a natural substance found in green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale and collard greens. As these foods are not abundantly consumed by most Americans, taking a dietary supplement daily is an easy alternative. Kemin Health, the leading manufacturer of lutein, has a patented process for extracting and purifying a high quality, potent form of lutein from marigold plants. Its FloraGLO(R) Lutein is an ingredient available to consumers in dozens of dietary supplements, as well as fortified foods and beverages.

"People have long thought about skin care from the outside-in," acknowledges Dr. Showalter. "Consequently, they may question whether taking a pill or capsule daily will really help.

However, the inside-out approach shows real promise. Studies indicate that after a few weeks of a consistent lutein regimen, the skin is noticeably more hydrated -- a quality that can appear to give it a more youthful look. For people who want healthy, beautiful skin, the ideal regimen includes treatment from both the outside-in and the inside-out," she concludes.

A nutritional ingredient manufacturer, Kemin is committed to improving the nutrition of the world with functional products that deliver maximum efficacy through superior chemistry.

FloraGLO(R) Lutein is the world's leading patented, purified lutein. Products with FloraGLO(R) Lutein contain the same lutein naturally found in dark green leafy vegetables as well as eggs. Studies indicate daily lutein intake of 6 mg to 10 mg may be beneficial.

A Kemin-affiliated company, Kemin Health is ISO 9001:2000 certified and headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. Kemin has manufacturing facilities in Iowa, Texas, Belgium, India, Singapore, China and Thailand. To learn more visit http://www.luteininfo.com/ or http://www.kemin.com/ .

Kemin Health

CONTACT: Holly Jespersen, +1-212-455-8085, hjespersen@cooperkatz.com;Katherine Giokas, +1-212-455-8009, kgiokas@cooperkatz.com, both of CooperKatzfor Kemin Health
Web site: http://www.kemin.com/http://www.luteininfo.com/

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posted by Cheryl Levesque @ 9:32 AM