HSI e-Alert - Damage Control

[Guest guest]

" HSI - Jenny Thompson " <hsiresearch

HSI e-Alert - Damage Control

Thu, 30 Nov 2006 13:35:59 -0500

 

Dear Member,

 

Remember those lazy, hazy, crazy days of youthful summers, spending

entire days playing outside? Back in those days before " SPF " became

part of our summertime vocabulary, occasional sunburn was the cost of

fun in the sun. And while you might have endured some pain and an

occasional restless night's sleep, you peeled and healed with no

apparent harm.

 

Key word: " apparent. "

 

Skin damage from occasional sunburns lays the groundwork for the

development of actinic keratoses (AK) later in life. AK shows up as

lesions that are precursors of the two most common types of cancer:

nonmelanoma squamous cell or basal cell cancer. More than a million

new cases of these cancers are diagnosed in the U.S. every year.

 

But a new study demonstrates that if you're one of the millions who

have AK skin damage, you may substantially lower your risk of

developing skin cancer by increasing your intake of one vitamin.

 

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Surface protection

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In the journal Clinical Cancer Research, scientists at the Arizona

Cancer Center, University of Arizona (UA), note that a previous study

conducted at UA showed that vitamin A supplements significantly

reduced the risk of squamous cell skin cancer in patients with

moderately severe AK. The vitamin A dose used in that study was 25,000

IU. So the UA team designed another study to test higher doses for

both safety and efficacy.

 

Nearly 130 subjects with severely sun-damaged skin on their forearms

were divided into four groups to receive daily doses of 25,000,

50,000, or 75,000 IU of vitamin A, or a placebo. Biopsies were

conducted on the damaged skin of each patient before the study period

began, and again one year later at the end of the study.

 

The effects of vitamin A supplementation were dramatic:

 

* Placebo subjects: 25 percent had less skin damage when their

pre-test and post-test biopsies were compared

* 25,000 IU subjects: 65 percent had less skin damage

* 50,000 IU subjects: 81 percent had less skin damage

* 75,000 IU subjects: 79 percent had less skin damage

 

Needless to say, the researchers concluded that 50,000 IU of vitamin A

is the maximum daily dose required for the most effective protection

for sun-damaged skin. No significant toxic reactions were reported in

any of the four groups.

 

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Multiple benefits

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Vitamin A is essential to the health of your eyes, bones, skin and

immune system. Growth and healing also benefit from the antioxidants

that this key vitamin supplies. Here are some vitamin A basics:

 

* Fruits and vegetables with orange and yellow coloring, and green

leafy vegetables contain beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A

* The body poorly converts beta-carotene into vitamin A

* The best dietary sources of vitamin A are animal products, such

as eggs and liver

* Cod liver oil is an excellent natural source of vitamin A

* The problems with vitamin A toxicity are associated with

supplements of synthetic vitamin A taken in high doses

 

Studies show that smokers with a high intake of beta-carotene are at

greater risk of developing lung cancer. But for just about everyone

else, it's almost impossible to overdo vitamin A consumption,

according to HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D. In fact, Dr. Spreen tells

me there are only about two-dozen recorded cases of distress due to

excessive vitamin A intake. Dr. Spreen suggests that 10,000 IU of

beta-carotene vitamin A per day is adequate for most people.

 

Talk with your doctor or a dependable nutritionist to determine a

vitamin A dosage that's right for you.

 

********************************

 

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....and another thing

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If you've got a passion for kiwifruit, your heart may love you for it.

 

Kiwifruit is packed with nutrients, including plenty of vitamins C and

E and polyphenols; the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory plant

compounds that have been shown to provide cardiovascular benefits. So

researchers at the University of Oslo designed a test to evaluate the

effect of kiwifruit on heart health.

 

During a 28-day trial, cholesterol, platelet activity and triglyceride

levels were measured in healthy volunteers who ate two or three

kiwifruits each day. Subjects who ate kiwifruit didn't have any

changes in cholesterol levels, but platelet aggregation was reduced by

nearly 20 percent, and triglyceride levels were lowered by 15 percent,

compared to a group that didn't eat kiwifruits.

 

And an added bonus: A UK research institute has reported that a daily

intake of kiwifruit may provide protection from cancer-causing DNA

damage, while also stimulating DNA repair.

 

To Your Good Health,

 

Jenny Thompson

 

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Sources:

Sources:

" Safety and Efficacy of Dose-Intensive Oral Vitamin A in Subjects with

Sun-Damaged Skin " Clinical Cancer Research, Vol. 10, No. 6, 3/15/04,

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

" Effects of Kiwi Fruit Consumption on Platelet Aggregation and Plasma

Lipids in Healthy Human Volunteers " Platelets, Vol. 15, No. 5, August

2004, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov