Disclosed are a composition for alleviating ultraviolet radiation-induced damage, which is stable and safe and can be used on a day-to-day basis, and a medicinal composition, an external skin preparation, a food composition and a medicine for cataract, each comprising said composition for alleviating ultraviolet radiation-induced damage. Specifically disclosed is a composition for alleviating ultraviolet radiation-induced damage which contains one or more kinds of compounds selected from the group consisting of methionine, D-serine and derivatives and/or salts of the same. The aforesaid composition may be an external skin preparation, an anti-wrinkle agent, a sunscreen agent, a medicinal composition for treating and/or preventing skin diseases, a food composition or a medicine for cataract. In the aforesaid composition for alleviating ultraviolet radiation-induced damage, said methionine may be D-methionine, and said D-serine derivative may be D-cycloserine.