Do You Eat Your Sunscreen?

[Root]

Do You Eat Your Sunscreen?

As summer approaches (or feels like it is already here, as the case is where I live), sun protection is definitely something to plan for, though I do it differently than most.
Conventional wisdom says to slather on some sunscreen and call it a day, but this is problematic for a couple of reasons. Wearing any sunscreen blocks the body’s ability to produce Vitamin D, which is vital for hundreds of reactions in the body (including cancer prevention).
Most sunscreens also contain toxic chemicals that can be more dangerous than moderate sun exposure. As I mentioned in a previous post:

Despite the push for more awareness about sun exposure, and the advice to use sunscreen whenever we go outside, incidence of skin cancer, especially melanoma, is rising dramatically.
In fact, skin cancer rates are rising by 4.2% annually, despite the fact that we spend less time outdoors and wear more sunscreen.
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So, if skin cancer rates are rising despite sunscreen use and reduced sun exposure, perhaps there is a deeper underlying cause. I’ve written before about the link between nutrition and sunburn, and I’m becoming even more convinced of this as more evidence emerges. The most convincing part for me personally was my own reaction to the sun over the last couple of years.
I’m Irish-Scottish (which is Latin for very fair skinned!) and have always burned. In fact, even moderate sun exposure would leave me with a pinkish glow rather than a tan… until the last couple of years.
Last summer, I was able to garden for 6-8 hours including during the heat of the day without burning. We also went to Florida for a friend’s wedding and I was at the beach for 4 hours between 11-3 with no sunscreen and I didn’t burn… at all!
To those of you blessed with olive skin, this may not seem like a big deal, but to me, this is huge! I also noticed looking back at pictures of me from last summer that I don’t look like the pale-stepchild among my Italian in-laws for the first time.
The Underlying Cause:

Doctors and sunscreen manufacturers are quick to push sunscreen for those who burn easily, but this is often the equivalent of giving antibiotics for every illness. It may address a short term problem, but it does nothing to address the underlying cause.
Sunburn is a type of inflammation, and diet has a tremendous impact on inflammation in the body. As such, addressing diet is often a much more important that just slathering on the sunscreen, plus dietary improvements can improve other areas of health as well.
Certainly, it is also wise to avoid burning by wearing protective clothing or by usinghomemade sunscreen for prolonged exposure, especially early in the year, but a good diet and a few supplements are often far more effective at day-to-day sun protection. (You can also use coconut oil on the skin for light protection, as it is naturally about an SPF 4)
Diet for Sun Protection:

A large part of natural sun protection is eating an anti-inflammatory diet. This type of diet will also be beneficial for many other health conditions, and if you’ve read my blog before, you know the drill:
Foods to Avoid:

• processed foods
• vegetable oils (this is the most important for sun exposure)
• grains
• sugars

Foods toEat:

• lots of healthy saturated fats
• lots of foods rich in omega-3s (fish, etc)
• lots of leafy greens
• 2+ tablespoons of tomato paste daily

Supplements:

About this time of year, I also start taking a specific regimen of supplements that help reduce inflammation and improve sun tolerance. The supplements I take are:

• Vitamin D3 (I take about 5,000 IU/day)- Emerging evidence shows that optimizing blood levels of Vitamin D can have a protective effect against sunburn and skin cancer
• Vitamin C (I take about 2,000 mg/day)- A potent anti0inflammatory, and it is good for the immune system too.
• 1/4 cup coconut oil melted in a cup of herbal tea per day- the Medium Chain Fatty Acids and saturated fat are easily utilized by the body for new skin formation and are protective against burning
• Fermented Cod Liver Oil/High Vitamin Butter Oil Blend (also great for remineralizing teeth)-Probably the most important supplement for sun protection. I take double doses during the summer and the kids take it too. Since adding this and the coconut oil daily, none of us have burned. It’s also great for digestive and oral health. (Amazon finally has the capsules back in stock)
• Astaxanthin- A highly potent antioxidant which research shows acts as an internal sunscreen. It’s also supposedly an anti-aging supplement. I don’t give this one to the kids though.

That’s our regimen and we don’t ever use conventional sunscreen and only use the homemade stuff a couple times a year.

 

[Eekman]

Dr Oz talked about this on his show. Most of them Do have chem's in them


However, Root has made sunscreen that is Organic. It is great, but it is in the process of going through testing.

Grandma Roody might be needing testers. ???



bye for now


Eek

 

[DubV]

Carrot seed oil has a spf 40 rating and is the only natural oil with an spf above 10.. Most like coconut and olive are in the spf 2-4 range. I use organic zinc oxide moisturizing cream with sunflower and jojoba oils. The one thing you need to remember with zinc oxide sunscreens is that they need to be non-nano zinc oxide. If the zinc oxide isn't non-nano, you are absorbing dangerous heavy metals through your skin. Which we do enough today as is.. Being paleo has reduced my sunburn greatly and I spend 4-6 hours a day in direct sun most days. Tomato paste has been a huge help for avoiding sunburn as well.

 

[Eekman]

Carrot seed oil has a spf 40 rating and is the only natural oil with an spf above 10.. Most like coconut and olive are in the spf 2-4 range. I use organic zinc oxide moisturizing cream with sunflower and jojoba oils. The one thing you need to remember with zinc oxide sunscreens is that they need to be non-nano zinc oxide. If the zinc oxide isn't non-nano, you are absorbing dangerous heavy metals through your skin. Which we do enough today as is.. Being paleo has reduced my sunburn greatly and I spend 4-6 hours a day in direct sun most days. Tomato paste has been a huge help for avoiding sunburn as well.

We have heard, and now are looking further into the tomato paste,

Did not know that about the Carrot Seed oil


Thanks Dub, as always, great information.


Eek

 

[DubV]

Here you go my brother... http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/humanbody/truthaboutfood/young/tomatoes.shtml

 

[Eyes on Fire]

I know Aboriginal Tribes among others happen to use root and bark scrapings with light moisture and works as an all natural sun block. in a pinch..?lol its organic atleast LOL!:Sharing One:

 

[Root]

I do make a homemade sun screen...I use non-nano zinc oxide particals.

I have spent a lot of time in the sun...gotten several real bad sun burns...I don't like the feel of lotions on my skin so didn't use much sunscreen ( Root leaves the puter with brain storm idea)
I am now battling skin cancer.

Feed Your Skin from the Inside Out

Feed your skin from the inside out:
Make sure antioxidants are part of your daily supplements and skincare products. Antioxidants are chemical compounds that neutralize the effects of free radicals, a normal byproduct of metabolism. UV rays and environmental pollutants, however, cause the body to produce an over abundance of free radicals. This opens the door for a number of negative skin conditions, including cancer. The best-known antioxidants that fight free radical damage are vitamins A, C, and E and the mineral selenium. Because your body does not produce these antioxidants, they must be introduced from food sources or applied topically to the skin.
Scientific studies show that high antioxidant foods can bolster resistance to damage from ultraviolet light that promotes sunburn, wrinkles and skin cancer: When you eat certain antioxidants, they help stabilize skin cells preventing and repairing damage.

Top Five Sun Protection Foods:
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[*=center]Chocolate - Women who drank a hot cocoa high in "flavonal" antioxidants daily for three months had 25% less reddening after UV irradiation and more moist, less scaly skin than women drinking low-flavanol cocoa, says new German research. Another source of flavanol is dark chocolate. [*=center]Tomatoes - German research also finds that lycopene(the antioxidant in tomatoes) reduces sensitivity to sunburn. Drinking tomato juice or taking 10mg lycopene daily for three months cut signs of sunburn from a UV lamp 25% to 48%. Processed tomato products are rich in lycopene. [*=center]Pomegranate - At the University of Wisconsin, antioxidant-rich pomegranate extract inhibited changes in human cells exposed to UV light. Radiance is a great product. It is a flavorful beverage with pomegranate as well as other antioxidants like acai and green tea. [*=center]Fatty fish - EPA, which is an omega-3 fatty acid in fish, reduced signs of UV damage in skin cells, says a recent Korean study. In a British test, taking 4,000mg of omega-3 a day (the amount in a bout 12 ounces of salmon) for three months cut sunburn damage 30%. [*=center]Green Tea - Several studies show drinking green tea helps prevent sunburn and precancerous changes. In a small study, drinking about 2 cups of green tea reduced UV damage. I use Chi Tea because I get the equivalent of 12 cups in one glass.

Howard Murad, M.D., dermatologist and author of The Murad Method: Wrinkle-Proof, Repair, and Renew Your Skin with the Proven 5-Week Program

. The Murad Method, emphasizes the importance of taking “sun-protective” supplements, as well as using antioxidant skincare formulations. Murad - Leader in Skin Care Science Where skinkcare meets healthcare. Get glowing luminous skin year-round.

Murad - Leader in Skin Care Science supplements contain antioxidants derived from grapes, citrus fruits, and pomegranates. “We’ve been able to scientifically prove that taking one pomegranate tablet (Murad Pomphenol Super Antioxidant with Pomegranate Extract) a day, can increase the efficacy of your sunscreen by twenty-five percent,” says Dr. Murad. “This allows you to fight skin damage from the inside out, while also supporting all your organs that are affected by free radical damage.”
Evening Primrose Oil supplementation has been shown to improve skin elasticity, moisture, smoothness, firmness and to ease irritated skin, great if you’re prone to dryness during warm weather or sun exposure. Try Efamol Evening Primrose Oil.
Antioxidants such as selenium play a crucial role in repelling and reversing sun damage, but we don’t get enough of this vital nutrient in our diet.
Avoid eating too much flour, bread, and meat such as beef and pork. Too much of these foods can make the digestive system sluggish and may cause the buildup of toxins, leading to acne.
Instead, incorporate skin boosting ingredients into your diet. Foods with high levels of antioxidants are particularly beneficial to the skin - try avocados and olives in salads, fresh fruit juices, and blueberries or strawberries in smoothies.
We are often told that drinking water is good for our skin, but in the summer it is particularly important to keep hydrated. When the skin is dehydrated pores can become blocked and this can cause spots. Remember that green tea can provide beneficial antioxidants and aid in skin repair.
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Tomato-rich Diet Can Help Protect Skin
The ingredients of lycopene in tomatoes has been shown by British researchers to protect against sun damage in skin.
Subjects who consumed tomato paste were found to have 33% more protection against sunburn, compared to the control group, researchers from the Universities of Newcastle and Manchester presented at the British Society for Investigative Dermatology this month.
The research taps into one of the newest trends in nutritional foods--the "beauty from within" segment, which is predicted to become a strong niche during the next few years.
The researchers recruited 20 people and randomly assigned them to receive 55 grams, or five tablespoons, of standard tomato paste with 10g of olive oil daily, or just olive oil, for 12 weeks.
The skin of the volunteers was exposed to UV light at the start and end of the trial, and the researchers found the tomato paste-supplemented group had 33% more protection against sunburn than the olive oil only-fed group. This level of protection was equivalent to a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 1.3, said the researchers.
The benefits of the tomato paste were attributed to the lycopene content, which may neutralize the harmful effects of UV light due to the excess production reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can damage important skin structures.
Skin samples taken from the subjects indicated that the tomato paste-supplemented individuals had higher skin levels of pro-collagen, a molecule which gives the skin its structure and loss of which leads to skin aging and lack of elasticity.
Co-researcher professor Lesley Rhodes said, "The tomato diet boosted the level of pro-collagen in the skin significantly. These increasing levels suggest potential reversal of the skin aging process. This is in addition to the significant reduction in sunburn.
"These weren't huge amounts of tomato we were feeding the group. It was the sort of quantity you would easily manage if you were eating a lot of tomato-based meals.

"People should not think that tomatoes in any way can replace sun creams, but they may be a good additive. If you can improve your protection through your diet then over several years, this may have a significant effect."​e feeding the group. It was the sort of quantity you would easily manage if you were eating a lot of tomato-based meals.
"People should not think that tomatoes in any way can replace sun creams, but they may be a good additive. If you can improve your protection through your diet then over several years, this may have a significant effect."​