Oral Photoprotection Works (a Little): 24% Higher Sunburn Threshold in 8 Weeks
'Edible SPF' is everywhere online — a 2025 trial shows a real but modest effect, and why it never replaces the bottle.
A 2025 randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial in Nutrients (54 fair-skinned participants) found that 8 weeks of a Polypodium leucotomos and red orange extract supplement produced a 23.8% increase in minimal erythema dose and a 46.2% reduction in UVB-induced erythema intensity versus placebo.
Researchers behind oral-photoprotection studies caution that supplements like Polypodium leucotomos raise the skin's resistance to sunburn only partially, and they consistently frame these extracts as an adjunct to — not a substitute for — properly applied topical sunscreen.
Questions we get a lot
How well do Polypodium and red orange supplements work?
In the 2025 Nutrients trial of 54 fair-skinned participants, 8 weeks of supplementation raised the minimal erythema dose by 23.8% and cut UVB-induced redness by 46.2% versus placebo. That's a measurable improvement in sun resistance, but it falls well short of the protection a topical sunscreen provides.
Should I take a sunscreen supplement instead of using SPF?
No. Even with positive trial results, the effect is modest and the study authors and dermatologists frame oral photoprotection as an adjunct to topical sunscreen, not a replacement. Use it alongside generously applied broad-spectrum SPF if you choose to use it at all.
r/SkincareAddiction: 'Is taking a Polypodium supplement worth it, or should I just put that money toward better sunscreen?'