Dr. Mercola: Sunblock Increases Cancer Risk

[Guest guest]

I thought this was interesting...

Be Well,

Misty L. Trepke

http://www..com

 

Sunblock Can Actually Increase Your Cancer Risk

By Dr. Joseph Mercola

 

The rising rate of skin cancer has put using sunblock right up there

with lossing your teeth when it comes to healthy habits. In 2002, 50

percent-- approximately 1.1 million cases--of all cancers in the

United States were skin cancers, of which nearly 10,000 cases were

fatal. It is easy to understand why many people have become fearful

of the sun's warmth and glow.

 

However, it is not commonly appreciated, especially among

traditional medical doctors, that the food you eat is far more

important to the development of skin cancers than sun exposure.

 

At the beginning of 1900 we had very little processed vegetable oils

in our diet. Now vegetables are great and we all need them every

day, but when they are processed and refined and consumed in large

amounts they can cause major health problems.

 

Most vegetables are very high in omega-6 fats. In the last 100 years

the U.S. population has gone from consuming virtually no vegetable

fats to consuming more than 70 pounds per year. Fats from corn oil,

safflower, sunflower, sesame and other oils are virtually 100

percent omega-6 fats.

 

This high consumption of omega-6 fats totally distorts the important

omega 6:3 ratio, and this ratio is one of the keys to obtaining any

type of cancer, but especially skin cancer.

 

So not only will we benefit from consuming additional omega-3 fats,

but it is vital to reduce the omega-6 vegetable oils as much as

possible. Ideally, the ratio should be 1:1, but most Americans have

a 15:1 ratio. The Japanese are the longest-lived culture on earth,

and their ratio is about 3:1.

 

If you don't believe me on this one, I encourage you to check out

one of the top cancer journal articles Cancer Res 2000 Aug 1;60

(15):4139-45:

 

" Epidemiological, experimental, and mechanistic data implicate omega-

6 fat as stimulators and long-chain omega-3 fats as inhibitors of

development and progression of a range of human cancers, including

melanoma. "

 

Ten years ago an Australian study showed a 40 percent reduction in

melanoma for those who were eating fish--and this was without any

attention to lowering omega-6 fats.

 

Two years ago, the prestigious National Academy of Sciences

published a comprehensive review showing that the omega 6:3 ratio

was the key to preventing skin cancer development.

 

So, do I recommend you pop some fish oil pills and go out and get as

much sun as you would like?

 

Absolutely not.

 

You must exercise caution. At the beginning of the season go out

gradually, perhaps as little as 10 minutes a day. Progressively

increase your time in the sun so that in a few weeks, you will be

able to have normal sun exposure with little risk of skin cancer.

 

Remember never to get burned, that is the key.

 

Remember also never to use sunscreen, another key. You can

creatively use your clothing to block the sun's rays during your

build-up time.

 

The bottom line is: please avoid getting sucked into the hype that

sunlight is dangerous. It is only dangerous if you are clueless

about fat nutrition, which most medical doctors are. If you choose

to ignore your omega 6:3 ratio and stay out of the sun, you could

limit your risk of skin cancer, but is that worth the risk of

getting MS, breast or prostate cancer?

 

I think not.

 

So get yourself some high-quality fish oil, which is an excellent

source of omega-3 fatty acids. I like Carlson's fish oil because out

of all the brands I've tested, Carlson's came out superior in

freshness, purity and potency--and it is available in most all

health food stores. If you are unable to find it in a health food

store, you can find it in our Web site store. I like the fish oil

liquid, as it is easier to take than the five to 10 pills you would

need to get the same amount of omega-3.

 

Please remember to switch to the cod liver oil, which contains

vitamin D, in the fall, as then you will not be able to get the

wonderful amount of sunshine that we have in the summer. If you are

going to be a hermit and not get any sun exposure this summer or you

are going to bury yourself in dangerous sunscreens, then you should

switch to cod liver oil now.