sunscreen Archives - Hormones Matter

Reefs, Redox and ROS: The Sunscreen Dilemma

Published on June 6, 2023

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In the recent news, it was announced that Key West, Florida will ban the use of sunscreens. This reflects how photosensitizers like oxybenzone in sunscreens can alter redox balance (the production and removal of reactive oxygen species) to inflict severe oxidative stress resulting in widespread DNA damage in living organisms like coral reefs. The world has lost close to half of its coral reefs in the past 30 years. It is estimated that close to 90% of all coral reefs will be dead by the year 2050. In last week’s post, I wrote about the potential connection between the coral reef die offs, electromagnetic radiation and vitamin C. This week, I would like explore what happens when we add sunscreen to the mix. As we will see, sunscreen stresses an already stressed organism by increasing the accumulation of free radicals, reactive oxygen species or ROS. The chemicals in sunscreen negatively skew what is called the redox balance e.g. the balance between oxidation and reduction. The net result of which is an accumulation of ROS. Interestingly enough, as I described in the previous article, vitamin C buffers that response. The problem, as with human health, nutrient status in these organisms has been depleted.

Coral Reef Health

Coral reefs have been dying as a result of sunscreens in their environment due to the way oxybenzone works. Oxybenzone has been found to cause DNA lesions in coral reefs, and the damage was found to be higher with increased sunlight. You would think that is a contradiction because sunlight is supposed to be beneficial to all living organisms. What you may not be aware of is all photoreactions can generate a lot of oxidative stress, which if uncontrolled, will eventually lead to DNA damage and cell death. Our bodies have an exquisite redox system in place to control photochemical reactions. But what about coral reefs?

Oxybenzone, also known as BP-3 or benzophenone-3, belongs to a class of photoreactive ketones called benzophenones. Oxybenzone is able to absorb UVB in addition to blocking UVA, hence its use in sunscreens. However, being photoreactive means when this ketone is activated by high powered light frequencies in the UVB range, it will form a highly reactive triplet-state radical that will conjugate with other molecules around it. The part that makes oxybenzone even more dangerous as a photoreactive agent is that it does not undergo decomposition to an inactive form if it does not couple to target molecules. Instead, it degrades from the photo-excited state back to its initial state, so it can be once again photolyzed to an active state. Benzophenone will stay active until the free radical is quenched by free radical scavengers to stop the cycle.

What quenches free radical scavengers? Vitamin C has been shown to quench free radicals generated by benzophenones. Scientists has recently discovered that coral reefs have the ability to produce vitamin C . We also know that ascorbic acid content in coral reef could have been depleted due to environmental stress factors, including that of man made electromagnetic radiation. What happens when there is not enough ascorbate to quench photoreactions of oxybenzone? Dangerous free radicals like superoxide, hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radicals will be formed .

Photoreactors like oxybenzone are dangerous because they generate ROS when activated by light. It is interesting to note that one study found benzophenone induced extensive necrosis in coral under light exposure, but the same compound in darkness induced autophagy and autophagic cell death. There is no doubt that an organism’s redox balance is critical to its survival against oxidative stress, under both light and dark conditions.

Electromagnetic radiation causes diseases in humans by generating oxidative stress, knocking our protective redox system out of balance, in the same way as oxybenzone creates ROS leading to DNA damage that eventually kills coral reefs.

Improving your redox is probably the most important thing one can do to improve health across the board. Like the coral reefs, the human organism requires adequate nutrients to facilitate these processes. How does our redox system really work to defend us against EMR and photoreactive compounds like oxybenzones and drugs like fluoroquinolones, or even endogenous photosentizers like melanin, lipofuscin, and retinals? How does vitamin C protect us from DNA damage by improving redox? I will tackle these subjects in subsequent articles. For now, however, consider what redox really means and how you can improve it in my latest article, which is also the sequel to the Birefringence article.

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This article was published originally on February 25, 2019.

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Vitamin D’s Role in Preventing and Treating Multiple Sclerosis

by Susan Rex Ryan

Published on November 11, 2021

6989 views

Modern lifestyles are countering nature’s intentions to keep us healthy. Since the advent of the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th century, we have migrated from farms to factories and office buildings. Nature intended for us to live and work outdoors in the sun—without sunscreen. Today most of us live and work indoors—often wearing sunscreen, or cosmetics containing sunscreen. By doing so, we have denied our bodies one of the most fundamental sources of health: the ultraviolet B (UVB) rays of the sun that initiate vitamin D protection in our skin.

Compelling scientific evidence over the past century indicates the significant role vitamin D plays in protecting us from developing a wide variety of medical conditions including autism, autoimmune disorders, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and thyroid disorders. It is not a coincidence that the prevalence of these diseases has emerged during “modern” times. These medical conditions, many of which are serious, chronic, and life-threatening, frequently result in health, financial, and social burdens to the patients and their families.

What is Multiple Sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) befits a disease of modern civilization. First identified by French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot in 1868, MS is a chronic, neurological autoimmune disorder that damages the myelin sheath, the multiple layers of fatty tissue that surround and protect the nerves in the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. When the myelin sheath is intact, electrical impulses are carried through the nerves with accuracy and speed. When the myelin sheath is damaged (sclerosis is the scar tissue formed by damaged myelin), the nerves do not conduct electrical impulses normally. The impulses are distorted or interrupted, resulting in a range of symptoms including numbness, blindness, paralysis, and brain damage. MS also can result in death.

Who is at Risk of Developing MS?

Despite the identification of MS almost 150 years ago, MS has no cure. Over 2.5 million people around the world have been diagnosed with MS including about 400,000 Americans. Women are to two to three times more likely to develop MS than men. Although MS is usually diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, the disease can strike at any age. In addition, Caucasian women of Northern European descent are more frequently diagnosed with MS than African Americans, Hispanics, and Asians.

As part of the Environmental Risk Factors in MS Study (EnvIMS), researchers at the University of Bergen in Norway sought to understand better the association between MS and sun exposure measures by studying a total of 1,660 MS patients and 3,050 controls from Norway and Italy. The researchers’ findings included significant connections between infrequent summer outdoor activity and sunscreen use and an increased risk of MS. Published in the January 10, 2014 issue of Multiple Sclerosis, the study’s conclusion stated, “Converging evidence from different measures underlines the beneficial effect of sun exposure on MS risk.”

It is not surprising that incidences of MS in the equatorial region occur much less frequently than at the higher latitudes. Epidemiological studies over the past several decades however indicate that women who live at higher latitudes have an increased risk of developing MS. For example, University of Oxford researchers studied MS patterns in Scotland by examining hospital admissions throughout the country between 1997 and 2009. The research team discovered a “highly significant relationship between MS-patient-linked admissions and latitude” across Scotland. This study was published in a 2011 issue of the Public Library of Science (PLoS) One journal.

In addition, a seasonal risk factor also exists for MS. Researchers at Queen Mary University of London conducted a systematic review of data for 151,978 MS patients to ascertain the link between month and location of birth, and the risk of developing MS. They found that babies born in April had the highest risk of development of MS, and infants born in October enjoyed the lowest risk of MS. The researchers also noted a direct correlation between the latitudinal location of expectant mothers and MS risk. The study, published in a 2012 issue of the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, suggests the importance of maternal vitamin D supplementation in particular during the winter season.

What Causes MS?

The definitive cause of MS remains unknown but medical research suggests genetic and environmental factors influence one’s risk of developing MS. Interestingly enough, science has demonstrated that vitamin D plays a role in influencing environmental and genetic factors that may affect how likely one is to develop MS.

A landmark study at the University of Oxford, published in a 2009 issue of Public Library of Science (PLoS) Genetics, examined how genes and the environment interact in MS. A gene variant called HLA-DRB*1501 is associated with an increased risk of developing MS. The research team discovered how vitamin D influences the HLA-DRB*1501 gene variant. As we know, the amount of vitamin D synthesized by UVB sunlight exposure fluctuates from season to season. Therefore, women who give birth during the spring, carry the HLA-DRB*1501 gene variant, and have low vitamin D levels are more likely to produce children with a higher risk of developing MS.

The study’s author Dr. Sreeram Ramagopalan suggested that adequate vitamin D3 supplementation during pregnancies may decrease the risk of children developing MS in later life. The combination of carrying the HLA-DRB*1501 gene variant and lacking adequate vitamin D levels may impair the ability of the thymus, an immune system organ, to delete rogue T cells, a type of white blood cells, that play an important role in maximizing the immune cells. The rogue cells would attack the body, causing demyelination of the central nervous system.

How Can Vitamin D Protect Against MS?

MS is a neurological autoimmune disorder. Scientific research over the past few decades solidifies the connection between vitamin D and autoimmunity. Vitamin D plays an integral role in the regulation of the adaptive immune system.

Adequate vitamin D in our bodies can protect us from autoimmunity because adaptive immune cells contain vitamin D receptors (VDRs). These receptors are attached to the surface of the adaptive immune system’s antibodies and sensitized lymphocytes. When the VDRs receive adequate amounts of vitamin D, they enable the adaptive immune system to function properly by attacking new and previous invaders.

When the VDRs attached to the adaptive immune system’s cells do not contain sufficient vitamin D to attack invaders, autoimmunity may kick in, causing the death of healthy immune cells. Thus, vitamin D deficiency can contribute to the development of autoimmune disorders such as MS.

How Can Vitamin D Treat MS?

The scientific community is delivering hope to MS patients by investigating vitamin D intake as a treatment for the disease. Research suggests that higher vitamin D levels are associated with reduced disease activity in MS sufferers.

Dr. Alberto Ascherio of Harvard University’s School of Public Health and colleagues recently concluded that vitamin D appears to be connected with MS disease activity and progression in patients who experienced an initial episode suggestive of MS and were treated with interferon β-1b. The researchers found that 20 ng/mL-increases of vitamin D levels within the first 12 months of experiencing an initial episode predicted a 57 percent lower rate of new active lesions as well as a lower risk of relapse. In addition, the results included a 25 percent decrease in annual T2 brain lesion volume and a 0.41 percent lower yearly loss in brain volume over four years. The Harvard study was electronically published on January 20, 2014 in JAMA Neurology.

According to a study published in a 2012 issue of the Annals of Neurology, a University of California, San Francisco research team examined 469 male and female MS patients over five years to ascertain how vitamin D affected disease progression. The researchers discovered that for each increase of 10 ng/mL in vitamin D levels, the MS patients benefited from a corresponding 15 percent decrease in new brain lesions as well as a 32 percent lower risk in inflammation of the myelin sheath.

A Finnish study, published in a 2012 issue of the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, concluded that vitamin D3 supplementation significantly reduced the number of brain lesions in MS patients undergoing interferon β-1b treatment.

Paving a Way to Better Health and Quality of Life

Adequate vitamin D levels in our body may indeed protect us from developing MS. If you have experienced a possible initial episode or have been diagnosed with MS, please consider how vitamin D3 supplementation may decrease the severity of your symptoms.

We must take ownership of our health by understanding the importance of vitamin D as well as other micronutrients. Why wait years, or decades, to garner the results of further studies and clinical trials to define the exact relationship between vitamin D status and MS. We can be proactive by taking daily vitamin D3 supplements and enjoying moderate sunlight exposure to increase our vitamin D levels.

It is imperative to take enough vitamin D so this essential nutrient will be stored in your cells to help regulate your immune system. The greater your vitamin D level (easily obtained from a simple blood test called 25(OH) vitamin D), the more likely you will benefit from a stronger immune system that will protect your body’s cells from attacking one another.

No one wants to endure the health, financial, and social burdens of a chronic debilitating disease. By empowering yourself with adequate vitamin D, you may not only reap lots of health benefits but enjoy a better quality of life.

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Image credit: Stephanie021299, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
This post was published here originally on March 4, 2014.

Summer’s Best Bargain: Free Vitamin D

by Susan Rex Ryan

Published on July 2, 2019

3553 views

The warmest season of the year is around the corner. Many of us are looking forward to school holidays, work vacations, and relaxing. And shopping often accompanies our summer fun. So take advantage of the best bargain of the season: better health – for free! That’s right, I am talking about sunshine: the light emitting from the fiery heart of our solar system. Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays from the sun provide us with an essential nutrient called vitamin D. Yes, this is the vitamin that not only strengthens our bones and muscles but may significantly protect us from a wide range of serious diseases including autoimmune disorders, cancer, contagious illnesses, diabetes, and heart disease, according to a plethora of credible medical studies from around the world.

Many people—across generations and geographical locations—suffer from low vitamin D levels from lifestyles that do not include unprotected sunbathing. Since the late 1980’s, the medical community has emphasized the need to “shun the sun” to avoid skin cancer. Consumers have embraced this advice by spending billions of dollars so they can slather chemical-laden lotions with exponentially increasing sun protection factors all over their bodies. This behavior has resulted in a vitamin D deficiency epidemic.

Moderate sun exposure is healthy for most individuals. Our bodies possess an inherent mechanism to process only the necessary intake of sun rays, about 20,000 international units of vitamin D. After our skin is exposed to direct sunlight under optimal conditions for about 20 minutes, its safety mechanism turns off the initial production of vitamin D. For many folks, it is then time to move to the shade or don additional protection to reduce the risk of sunburn.

Optimal conditions to enjoy summer’s vitamin D depend on a number of factors that we can, and in some cases, cannot control. These factors include:

Geographic location. The closer you are to the equator and the higher your altitude the better your opportunity to acquire vitamin D-rich sunlight.

Time of day. The window of sunlight between 10:00 in the morning and 2:00 in the afternoon is optimal. If your shadow is shorter than your height, you are in the potential vitamin D-producing time frame.

Sky clarity. An azure sky is highly preferable to cloud cover. UVB light is decreased by about 50 percent when penetrating clouds. Ozone pollution absorbs UVB rays before they reach your skin.

Skin. The less clothing, makeup, and sunscreen you wear, the better the odds that your skin can produce vitamin D. It also is important to understand that melanin, the pigment in your skin, absorbs UVB rays. The lighter your skin, the better chance you can make vitamin D more efficiently.

Age. Youth trumps older ages because the concentration of the vitamin D precursor in our skin, called 7-dehydrocholesterol, decreases with age.

Weight. Less weight means typically more vitamin D production from the sun. As vitamin D is fat-soluble, the body’s fat cells more rapidly absorb vitamin D, decreasing its availability to organs, tissues, and cells.

You may be thinking, “I live near sea level, far from the equator, in mostly cloudy conditions with cool summer temperatures; work full-time during the day; and am dark-skinned and overweight. How on earth (literally) can I get any measurable vitamin D from the sun?” Take advantage of sunny weather by enjoying an outdoor lunch break. Remove that hat, roll up your sleeves, and soak in the sun. Ten minutes of sun exposure is better than none.

Each individual’s options for absorbing nature’s gift of vitamin D may differ.* Fortunately, widely available sources of vitamin D including vitamin D3 supplements may be highly effective in raising your body’s D levels to protect you from a wide array of medical conditions. The information about, and benefits of, vitamin D could fill a book. In fact, I am so impressed with vitamin D’s health benefits that I recently published a book called Defend Your Life to encourage people to improve their health by taking vitamin D.

Happy summer, and happy health!

*Persons who have developed sarcoidosis, specific granulomatous diseases, and rare cancers may experience hypersensitivity to sunlight exposure.

Image by pixel2013 from Pixabay .

Soaking in Mother Nature’s Goodness: The Sunscreen Smokescreen

by Lynda Chang

Published on April 30, 2015

2987 views

Cancer is a word that strikes fear in most. We’re a society concerned with taking preventative measures to avoid getting “The Big C.” We know to use sunscreen when outdoors and chow down on “super foods” rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals to help lower our cancer risk. The antioxidants found naturally in foods can counter free radicals that are produced in our bodies from exposure to environmental toxins and carcinogens such as tobacco smoke and radiation – except when they are covered in toxins that limit their antioxidant capabilities.

Strawberries are well known as a super food, rich in the antioxidants vitamin C, ellagic acid and flavonoids that suppress a DNA-damaging enzyme linked to lung cancer. Strawberries are 98-99% water, making them the perfect sponges for all the goodness that Mother Nature provides… that is, until Man mucks things up. The primary pesticide used on U.S. strawberry farms, methyl bromide, is highly carcinogenic and toxic to the central nervous system. Pesticides serve to protect strawberries from damage by insects, fungus, rodents and disease, but the sad truth is we would be better off eating a strawberry covered in insects than one that is literally a pesticide-soaked sponge. In some cases, the use of sunscreen is very similar to the use of pesticides on strawberries, in which the chemicals used to block the sun’s radiation, may do more harm than good. Let me explain.

The Sunscreen Smokescreen

Previously, I wrote about tanning basics and the benefits of sunscreen. I’m lucky to live in a coastal town where there is much to do outdoors; beach, hiking, taking our workouts outdoors, and leisurely drives with the top down. My fellow health fanatics and I know to use sunscreen to protect ourselves from the sun’s damaging rays, but more importantly, we know that not all sunscreens are created equal. There are some that actually contain cancer-causing ingredients, resulting in the exact scenario we’re trying so diligently to prevent… similar to our strawberry sponge. Like the strawberry we’re made up of mostly water, up to 60% in the average adult body. Like the strawberry we absorb our environment into our systems, for better or worse.

Clearing the Smokescreen

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is the nation’s leading environmental health research and advocacy organization on a mission to provide consumers with no-fluff facts to make healthier choices. EWG offers nine surprising facts about sunscreens which we would be wise to heed. Ultimately, we just want to know which sunscreens are best for us:

Bigger isn’t always better. High sun protection factor (SPF) products tempt us to apply too little sunscreen and stay in the sun too long. The FDA has proposed prohibiting sunscreen sales with SPF values greater than 50+ as they are “inherently misleading,” but there is no current regulation that carries the force of law. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, most sunscreens with an SPF of 15 or higher do an excellent job of protecting against UVB. It’s also important to note that SPF refers only to protection against UVB radiation (responsible for sunburns), but SPF has no bearing on UVA rays, the beast which penetrates deep skin layers. Wise consumers need to read the label for products that offer both UVA and UBV ray protection.

Grade A fail. Vitamin A is a well known antioxidant that slows skin aging, and is a common sunscreen additive. Nearly one-quarter of all sunscreens contain vitamin A (often labeled as “retinyl palmitate” or “retinol”), but studies indicate that vitamin A may speed the development of skin tumors and lesions when applied to skin in the presence of sunlight. EWG recommends that consumers avoid sunscreens, lip products and skin lotions containing vitamin A.

Disruption junction. Some sunscreen ingredients disrupt hormones and cause skin allergies. Our current choices are either chemical or mineral sunscreens:

Chemical sunscreens have inferior stability, penetrate the skin and may disrupt our hormone system. Benzophenone-3 is labeled as oxybenzone, a common sunscreen ingredient which penetrates the skin, is absorbed into our bloodstream and acts like estrogen in the body. In fact, it mimics estrogen even more so than bisphenol-A (BPA), a chemical found in certain plastics that has received much attention lately for its toxic effects. Oxybenzone can trigger allergic reactions, and preliminary data connect higher oxybenzone blood concentrations with significant female health issues. While the cause of endometriosis is not known, estrogen fuels this painful condition. A study published in Environmental Science & Technology in 2012 links oxybenzone to endometriosis in older women, while another 2008 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that women with higher oxybenzone blood levels during pregnancy had lower birth weight daughters.

Mineral sunscreens consist of zinc and titanium dioxide, often “micronized” or in nano-particles. Manufacturers micronized particles to help reduce or eliminate the chalky white tint that minerals leave on the skin, but this comes with a trade-off. The smaller the particles, the better the SPF protection BUT at a cost to UVA protection.

If you can breathe it in, don’t buy it. Loose powder cosmetics with sunscreen properties, intended for the face and scalp, often contain tiny particles of zinc and titanium that offer strong UV protection by sticking to the skin. The problem arises when loose powder ends up in our lungs when we breathe in loose airborne particles. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies inhaled titanium dioxide as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.” Current FDA over-the-counter rules prohibit loose powders to advertise an SPF or make claims of sun protection, but small companies currently have a grace period to remove powders from the market. Sprays sunscreens are popular due to their convenience, but there’s growing concern of their inhalation risk. Sprays are also hit or miss, leaving areas exposed without protection.

Say bug off to bug repellents. Sunscreen and bug repellent combos may seem like a great idea, but the risks outweigh the benefits as repellents typically contain chemicals such as DEET (also listed on labels as N, N-Diethyl-m-toluamide or N, N-Diethyl-3-Methyl benzamide). DEET is a highly effective repellent, but is also littered with health concerns ranging from topical irritations to lethargy, confusion, disorientation and mood swings. It’s also an environmental toxin that breaks down slowly in soil, with detrimental effects coursing through waterways to all living things. There are also studies that show combining sunscreen and repellents lead to increased skin absorption of the repellent ingredients, which is discouraged for health reasons.

Towelettes are for eating fried chicken. Sunscreen wipes and towelettes were prohibited in 2011 by the FDA due to concerns that there wasn’t enough sunscreen to ensure skin protection. Keep in mind that small companies have a grace period to remove them from their product lines, so just because you see something for sale doesn’t mean it’s good for you.

Tanning Oil + SPF = Oxymoron. Some tanning oils appear to be a healthy choice because they contain SPF protection; however, the SPF levels are typically low and offer no true protection. Bottom line, tanning results from cellular DNA damage which leads to skin cancer.

All that said, the sun isn’t taboo. Don’t go running from it to hide in dark shady spots. Sunlight is critical for our bodies to produce vitamin D, which is important in strengthening bones and the immune system, reducing the risk of breast, colon, kidney and ovarian cancers, and perhaps other disorders. Life is short. Enjoy it… but enjoy it wisely.

This was posted previously June 2013.

The Sun: Life Giving God or Cancerous Threat?

by Lisbeth Prifogle, MFA

Published on June 6, 2012

2889 views

“Our sun is dying. Mankind faces extinction. Seven years ago the Icarus project sent a mission to restart the sun but that mission was lost before it reached the star. Sixteen months ago, I, Robert Capa, and a crew of seven left earth frozen in a solar winter. Our payload a stellar bomb with a mass equivalent to Manhattan Island. Our purpose to create a star within a star.”

So begins the 2007, sci-fi movie Sunshine. If I told you that I actually spend time worrying about the plot of this movie and the fact that our sun will someday die, you would probably suggest I lay off the post-apocalyptic themed books and movies for awhile; but the fact remains – if the sun ceases to exist, so will life on earth. Why then has the sun been so demonized in the last few decades? I live in ‘America’s Finest City’ with it’s perfectly sunny, 70 degree weather year round; yet when I walk or do anything outside I see people covered in clothing, carrying an umbrella, slathering on sunscreen, and doing everything to avoid direct contact with our very life source.

Throughout history, every ancient culture has had various sun deities that welded the power to create and destroy. Why have we been conditioned to only fear the sun?
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Eat your Sunscreen?

by Wellness Mama

Published on June 4, 2012

2626 views

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.

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 using homemade 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:

Avoid:

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

Eat:

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 anti-inflammatory, 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.

Do you eat your sunscreen? Still use the toxic stuff? Avoid the sun completely? Tell us below!

About the Author: Wellness Mama is a full-time housewife with a background in nutrition, journalism and communications. Her passion is helping others achieve optimal health through a “Wellness Lifestyle.” She has helped hundreds of clients lose weight, increase athletic performance, improve fertility, and overcome numerous health problems and diseases.

Disclaimer: This article was originally published on Wellness Mama and represents the opinions of Katie, the Wellness Mama. All information and resources found on Wellness Mama are based on Katie’s opinion and are meant to motivate readers to make their own nutrition and health decisions after consulting with their health care provider. Katie is not a doctor, lawyer, or psychologist and she doesn’t play one on TV. Readers should consult a doctor before making any health changes, especially any changes related to a specific diagnosis or condition. No information on this site should be relied upon to determine diet, make a medical diagnosis or determine a treatment for a medical condition.

Any statements or claims about the possible health benefits conferred by any foods or supplements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

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Vitamin D3 and Sunscreen

by Susan Rex Ryan

Published on June 4, 2012

2100 views

Summer swiftly approaches, evoking idyllic thoughts of sun, surf, and fun. When packing for your getaway, we usually hear, “Don’t forget the sunscreen.” Over the past couple decades the medical community has emphasized the imperative use of sunscreen to prevent us from developing skin cancer. The message clearly resonates with the general population. Consumers embrace the sunscreen market, buying products that tout exponentially increasing “sun protection factor”, or SPF, values. Annual sales of sun protection products soar over the multi-billion-dollar mark. Yet incidences of skin cancer are on the rise.

Are we doing more “harm than good” to our health by using sunscreen? Ironically, heeding the “shun the sun” mantra has contributed to the global epidemic of vitamin D₃deficiency. Sunlight, ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, provides the most natural source of vitamin D₃, a nutrient essential to our well-being: enhancing bone health and protecting against a wide variety of medical conditions including some types of cancer. When UVB light strikes the surface of our unprotected skin, initiation of vitamin D₃ production occurs rapidly. Vitamin D experts believe direct sunlight exposure of about 20 minutes can make a healthy daily dose of 10,000 IU of vitamin D₃. Application of sunscreen reduces—or eliminates—vitamin D₃ production, denying our body of a long list of health benefits.

A Danish study published in the British Journal of Dermatology examined the association between the thickness of sunscreen layers and vitamin D₃ production after UVB exposure. The researchers measured vitamin D₃ serum levels in 37 healthy, fair-skinned individuals before and after UVB exposure following an application of SPF 8 sunscreen. Thinner layers of sunscreen correlated directly to higher vitamin D₃ serum levels after UVB exposure. Conversely, the thickest application of sunscreen (2 mg/cm2)—recommended by the World Health Organization—negated vitamin D₃ production. The results of the randomized clinical trial concluded that sunscreen use may lead to vitamin D₃ deficiency.

Nature intends for us to enjoy the health benefits of some sun exposure, but sun safety is important because excess sunlight, UVA rays, can eventually lead to skin cancer. If we practice moderation by basking in the sun for about 20 minutes to make some vitamin D_3,* and then seek shade, additional clothing, or other sun protection, we should get adequate sun without the harmful side effects. Before slathering on that sunscreen, think about the product chemicals that will be absorbed by your body. Do you really need these potential toxins? Only you can make the call.

*People with sarcoidosis, specific granulomatous diseases, and rare cancers may experience hypersensitivity to sunlight exposure.

Avoiding Melanoma and Other Skin Cancers

by Amy Roost

Published on June 4, 2012

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I worship the sun. Perhaps it has to do with my astrological sign (Leo), or the fact I was born on a hot humid day in August, or, since I also love the humidity, perhaps it’s a carryover from having been a Southern Belle in a previous life? Whatever the reason I’m happy when the sun is out and I’m generally out when it’s out. Nevertheless, I’ve had to learn the hard way to change my relationship with the sun.

Lesson I: Sun Poisoning & Suntanning

My earliest memory of the sun’s potent effects was a on a trip to Acapulco when I was seven. I got so sunburned the first day of the vacation that I spent the remaining six days in bed, violently ill and in pain with sun poisoning. I could have been the Coppertone poster child except I was too sick to stand up.

The summer I was fifteen, my best friend and I went to the beach near our homes in Southern California every single day. We slathered ourselves with Johnson’s baby oil and tried to look busy reading our Kathleen E. Woodiwiss novels while lying on our beach towels, all the while hoping some handsome young studs would notice what bronzed goddesses we were.

The following two summers I was a life guard at our community pool. I burned my nose so many times the first summer that it became bulbous and my supervisor finally purchased a tube of zinc oxide cream for me and insisted I apply it religiously. This was before the days of SPF lotions, and was my introduction to protecting myself from the harmful effects of UV rays.

However, I still wasn’t fully on board with the idea of sun protection. It didn’t help that when I arrived to college on the east coast in late summer 1980, I was on just about every boy’s radar because of my deep tan and sun-bleached hair.

Lesson II: Basal Cell Carcinoma

The risk I was putting myself at didn’t truly begin to sink in until 1989 when my brother had a biopsy of a small polyp on the bridge of his nose and learned he had malignant basal cell carcinoma. Basal cell is a non-melanoma skin cancer that arises from small round cells found in the lower part of the epidermis. In order to remove all the malignant cells, his surgeon had to carve up his face like a Thanksgiving turkey leaving him permanently scarred and disfigured. Fortunately, the margins came back clear and he’s lived cancer-free ever since.

Shortly after the incident with my brother, I had my first child. I became a religious applier of sunscreen to my baby’s skin, if not always my own. As the years passed and I began to notice crow’s feet and sun spots taking their rightful places on my skin, I took more precautions. For me, it took vanity, not my brother’s skin cancer, to become a full-on sunscreen aficionado.

Lesson III: Dysplastic Nevi (Atypical Melanoma)

In 2007, my son, who’d been the primary benefactor of my brother’s misfortune, and who had always, like me, had a lot of moles, had one removed from the base of his thumb. The biopsy report indicated dysplastic nevi, a benign mole that resembles and may predict single or multiple melanomas. The higher the number of these moles someone has, the higher the risk of cancer. Those who have dysplastic nevi, plus a family history of melanoma (two or more close blood relatives with the disease) have an extremely high risk of developing melanoma. Individuals who have dysplastic nevi, but no family history of melanoma, still face a 7 to 27 times higher risk of developing melanoma compared to the general population.

My son returned to the dermatologist who dug out a large chunk of skin from my son’s hand. Yet, this brush with melanoma occurred during an inconvenient time. My son had recently been diagnosed with a brain malformation and was awaiting surgery. An atypical melanoma seemed the least of our worries.

Lesson IV: Acral Lentiginous Melanoma

Fast forward three years to 2010. My 81-year old father, also a sun worshiper, took my stepmother to a dermatology appointment. At the end of the appointment, as he helped my step mom slip into her sweater, the dermatologist stopped him and said, “let me see your thumb there.” My dad told the doctor that the black vertical streak on the inside of the thumbnail had been there for a few years. Concerned, the doctor scheduled a biopsy. Sure enough, it came back positive for acral lentiginous melanoma.

Lentigenous-type melanoma is the most commonly diagnosed melenoma in Asian and black populations, however, it is extremely rare among Caucasians. Bob Marley had acral lentiginous melanoma. Similar to my dad, Marley’s melanoma presented itself as a macule, or spot, on his big toenail. These spots can look like the type of black and blue spot you might get if you caught your fingers in a door, and frequently they are neglected. Bob Marley’s melanoma eventually metasticized and into the brain tumor that eventually took his life.

My dad was more, or less fortunate. He submitted to exploratory surgery, and since his melanoma was detected relatively early, the surgeon only needed to amputate half his thumb.

Lesson Learned

There’s an adage that a lesson will be repeated to you in various forms and at various turns until you learn it. Then you can go onto the next lesson. Even though acral lentiginous melanoma does not appear to be linked to sun exposure, rarely occurs in Caucasians, and the average age at diagnosis is between sixty and seventy years, and I was adopted so I have no reason to think I have a genetic predisposition, I finally learned my lesson. After these several wake up calls, I now understand that the risk at which my genes and my mistakes have placed me warrant monthly self-examination, regular professional skin exams and daily sun protection. No exceptions.

If you, like me, are thick skinned due to sun exposure and thick sculled due to a stubborn nature, and have yet to learn your lesson, then you may want to consider a few salient facts:

Here are some prevention tips that I follow:

What are your tips? What were your lessons? We’d like to hear from you.

Lucine Medical Disclaimer: All material on this website is provided for your information only and may not be construed as, nor should it be a substitute for, professional medical advice. To read more about our health policy, see Terms of Use.

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Lesson I: Sun Poisoning & Suntanning

Lesson II: Basal Cell Carcinoma

Lesson III: Dysplastic Nevi (Atypical Melanoma)

Lesson IV: Acral Lentiginous Melanoma

Lesson Learned

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