Pages Tuesday, July 10, 2012 Greek Goddess Gazpacho ~ glow from the inside out If you like Greek salad, you will fall in love with this Greek inspired summer gazpacho. And there are plenty of reasons to be enamoured. Made from plump seasonal tomatoes, juicy Kalamata olives and silky feta cheese, this cooling, no-cook soup will not only refresh you, it may also help protect your skin from sun damage. The radiant summer months offer plenty of opportunities to dose up on vitamin D but too much of the sun's powerful rays, can give rise to skin damage and premature aging. We all know that the best way to avoid skin damage is to apply a quality sun block throughout the day and wear suitable clothing and a good sun hat. But here's something else. There is a natural sun protector found in our diet that may also help prevent sun damage. It is the carotenoid known as lycopene . Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant found primarily in cooked tomato, watermelon and pink grapefruit. It has been linked to the reduction of prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease and more recently, to a reduction in photodamage caused by the sun. In a recent study published in the British Journal of Dermatology , scientists from the University of Manchester revealed that lycopene found in tomato paste offered skin protection against ultraviolet radiation by inhibiting free radical damage and supporting collagen production. The study also demonstrated that lycopene reduced damage to mitochondrial DNA.