Sunscreen Causes Aging Skin Problems
A new study by The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has revealed that nearly all Americans are contaminated with oxybenzone, which is a common sunscreen ingredient.
This chemical has been previously linked to allergies, hormone disruption, and cell damage, as well as low birth weight in baby girls whose mothers are exposed during pregnancy. Oxybenzone has helps other chemicals penetrate the skin and may cause aging skin problems.
I find this incredibly interesting, as my intuition has been to only use organic sunscreens, and then to even use them sparingly. I have felt in the past few years that the sun is good for me.
Granted, I live in England where it is not particularly bright, and I have skin that doesn’t burn. But I truly feel that the sun is giving me powerful nutrients, such as vitamin D. I also believe that my high antioxidant diet will help protect me. I now have some scientific support to back up my intuition.
Nearly 600 sunscreens sold in the
On top of that, it appears that many of these so-called sunscreens offer inadequate protection from the sun. In fact, they found that sunlight also causes oxybenzone, which is linked to aging and disease.
According to the CDC, as sunscreen sales have increased, so has the rate of skin cancers.
Protect Yourself from Aging Skin Problems with Food
A number of recent studies have shown that certain foods and drinks can help block the adverse affects of the sun on our skin.
Tomatoes contain a phytochemical called lycopene (also found in melons and other red fruit) that has been proven to reduce breast and prostate cancer in the past, and more recently it has been found to help the body fight damage from UV rays.
This experiment by the BBC gave half of a group of volunteers a dose of tomato paste every day for 12 weeks, and via UV burn tests at the start and finish, found that those who ate the tomato paste had 30% increase in burn protection. Other studies have had similar results.
It has also been discovered that dark chocolate (or even better raw chocolate) can fight cancer. As in the BBC’s tomato experiment, half of a group were given cocoa made from chocolate rich in flavinoids, and the other half got a similar-tasting chocolate with very little of the anti-oxidants. UV burn tests at the start and finish of the study found that the flavinoid-rich cocoa gave women an inbuilt protection against sunburn.
Other foods that are thought to prevent sun damage and aging skin problems include:
- oily fish (at least four portions a week)
- Black and green teas, especially with added lemon.
- foods containing vitamin A, such as liver, carrots, spinach, pumpkin and eggs
- foods containing vitamin E, such as avocado, fish, and green, leafy vegetables
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April 19th, 2008 at 4:33 am
Hi,
It’s interesting isn’t it that intuition usually does rule. I have felt the same way for years also. I use sunscreen sparingly, and it’s true that Vitamn D is mandatory for good health.
Also, I’ve been reading a lot about Acai berries. I think (and this is my intuition) that it’s better for everyone to eat what is indiginous to their area. It makes sense to me somehow that consuming locally grown foods can provide nutrients and protection that may be specific to the local population - like consuming local bee honey to treat seasonal allergies.
Do you know anything about broccoli lotion sunscreen? I read a study that said it can protect from sun damage also but don’t know if it’s availale, or still in the experimental phase.
So, I shall eat tomatos on the beach, correct? (lol).
May 16th, 2008 at 8:14 am
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In 1992, Talalay and colleagues at Johns Hopkins first discovered that broccoli is rich in a naturally occurring plant compound called sulforaphane. While all cruciferous vegetables (such as cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, mustard, turnip, radish and watercress) contain sulforaphane to a certain degree, the concentration is highest in three-day-old sprouts of the broccoli plant.
Sulforaphane has the effect of activating cells’ production of what are known as “phase 2 enzymes.” One such enzyme, glutathione S-transferase, has been shown to neutralize the DNA-damaging compounds produced by the skin produces when struck by ultraviolet radiation.