Trash Your Sunscreen

[Guest guest]

 

Trash Your Sunscreen and Other Summer Sun Tips

 

By Dr. Joseph Mercola

with Rachael Droege

 

It may seem like second nature to you to apply sunscreen before going out in

the sun, as the media has been bombarding Americans with reports of the

dangers of the sun for some time now, but using sunscreen is not a good way

to limit your sun exposure.

 

Having concerns about skin cancer is valid, however, as its incidence in the

United States has tripled in recent years to 54,000 cases annually, but

sunscreen is one of the LAST things you want to put on your body, and

sunblock does not stop skin cancer. Sunscreen is a toxic chemical that can

cause problems in your system and increase your risk of disease.

 

The FDA regulates sunscreen as an over-the-counter drug because it contains

“active” ingredients. Following is a list of active ingredients in sunscreen

that the FDA classified as GRASE (generally regarded as safe and effective):

 

 

Para Amino benzoic acid (PABA)

Avobenzone

Cinoxate

Dioxybenzone

Homosalate

Menthyl anthranilate

Octocrylene

Octo methoxycinnamate

Octyl salicylate

Oxybenzone

Padimate O

Phenylbenzimidazole

Sulisobenzone

Titanium dioxide

Trolamine salicylate

Zinc oxide

 

 

Potential Toxicity

 

Whether some of these ingredients are toxic is controversial and there are

studies on either side of the issue. But recently, a study in the April 2004

Journal of Chromatography found that there is significant penetration of all

sunscreen agents they studied into the skin, and oxybenzone and metabolites

across the skin.

 

 

So at best when you use sunscreen your body is absorbing synthetic

chemicals, and with experts’ recommendations to apply generous amounts of

the product every few hours, you will likely be absorbing a fair amount. It

is hard to believe that all of these chemicals will not have any effect on

your system. Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, which act as physical barriers

that reflect UV rays, may be less problematic in terms of absorption.

 

 

Even though up until now studies on the potential toxicity of sunscreens are

sparse and not definitive, I believe it is wise to reduce your exposure to

synthetic chemicals as much as possible and I don’t recommend using

sunscreens at all.

 

 

Sunscreen and Vitamin D

 

There is another major problem with sunscreen aside from the potential

chemical toxicity and that is it blocks your skin’s ability to make vitamin

D by more than 95 percent. If you’ve been reading the site then you are

familiar with the importance of having optimal vitamin D levels and know

that regular sun exposure is the best way to achieve this.

 

Rather than burying your skin in sunscreen, it is clearly important to get

regular sun exposure in order to have optimum health.

 

 

Sun Safety Without Sunscreen

 

This does not mean that we should all go out and get as much sun as we

want--you must exercise caution and avoiding a burn is key.

 

At the beginning of the season, go out gradually and limit your exposure to

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. You can further avoid the damage from the

sun by staying out of the sun during the harmful times from 10 a.m. to 2

p.m. You can stay in the shade during this time or wear lightweight long

sleeve shirts, long pants and a wide-brim hat.

 

If you are looking to give yourself further protection against skin cancer,

along with not getting sunburned diet is undoubtedly important.

 

In 2001, the National Academy of Sciences published a comprehensive review

showing that the omega 6:3 ratio was the key to preventing skin cancer

development. I believe that it is the worsening omega-3:6 ratios that are at

least partly responsible for the rise in skin cancer rates.

 

Omega-3 and omega-6 fats are both essential for human health, however the

typical American consumes far too many omega-6 fats in their diet while

consuming very low levels of omega-3. While the ideal ratio of omega-6 to

omega-3 fats is 1:1, our ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 averages from 20:1 to

50:1!

 

The primary sources of omega-6 are corn, soy, safflower and sunflower oil;

these oils are overabundant in the typical diet, which explains our excess

omega-6 levels. Avoid or limit these oils.

 

Meanwhile, omega-3 fats, found in fish oil and cod liver oil, need to be

increased.

 

A major part of the problem is that at the beginning of 1900 we had very

little processed vegetable oils, which are virtually 100 percent omega-6

fat, in our diet. 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. It is likely this unnaturally high consumption of omega-6 fats that is

totally distorting the important omega 6:3 ratio.

 

So as I mentioned above, it is vital to reduce the omega-6 vegetable oils in

your diet as much as possible while increasing the amount of beneficial

omega-3 fats. This is an incredibly important way to prevent skin cancer and

it is spelled out quite clearly in a 2000 Cancer Research study that says:

 

"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."

 

Additionally, consuming many whole vegetables will increase antioxidant

levels in the body, which will provide protection against any sun-induced

radiation damage. Eating the right vegetables for your metabolic type will

give you the best results, of course.

 

So if you want to benefit from the sun this summer, and I sincerely hope you

do, throw away your sunscreen and use practical methods like clothing and

shade to protect your skin from the sun when necessary. Always avoid getting

burned, but be sure to get some sun on your skin. Complete avoidance of the

sun is a surefire way to cause some problems for yourself down the road.

 

 

--

 

Related Articles:

 

Sun-Care Chemical Proves Toxic in Lab Tests

 

Slathering on Sunscreen Does Not Prevent Cancer

 

Learn Why the Myth of the Sun Causing Skin Cancer Can Hurt Your Health

 

Let the Sun Shine In (Especially When Pregnant)

 

Test Values and Treatment for Vitamin D Deficiency

 

Why You Need to Have Your Vitamin D Level Tested Now

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SOCIAL, POLITICAL & ECONOMICAL MYTHS ~~Bob Livingston Newsletter,

May2004~~

 

MULTICULTURALISM - euphemism for race, mongrelization & dumbing down.

 

DEMS VS. REPUBS - its hard to believe that the American people can even

imagine the difference. This is a great charade but millions of people

harbor this deception.

 

GOV'T PROMOTES SAVINGS FOR RETIREMENT THRU IRA's & 401K's - Govt uses these

deceptions as one means to regulate consumption by taking vast sums of

'dollars' out of circulation until they can inflate the purchasing power out

of existence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have nothing to do with the evil deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. Ephesians 5:11

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Eph. 6:12).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

__ IncrediMail - Email has finally evolved - Click Here