Protector or…Perpetrator?

... Or, as my friend put it:

"To sunscreen, or not to sunscreen....that is the question."

While persuasions on using sunscreen are getting more persistent than ever, there is a new (though not surprising) evidence that one of the possible culprits in skin cancers can be the sunscreen itself.

Numerous recent epidemiological studies indicate an increased risk of malignant melanoma for the sunscreen users. For example:

Worldwide, the countries where chemical sunscreens have been recommended and adopted have experienced the greatest rise in cutaneous malignant melanoma, with a contemporaneous rise in death rates.

In the United States, Canada, Australia, and the Scandinavian countries, melanoma rates have risen steeply in recent decades, with the greatest increase occurring after the introduction of sunscreens. Death rates in the United States from melanoma doubled in women and tripled in men between the 1950s and the 1990s.

The rise in melanoma has been unusually steep in Queensland, Australia, where sunscreens were earliest and most strongly promoted by the medical community. Queensland now has the highest incidence rate of melanoma in the world. In contrast, the rise in melanoma rates was notably delayed elsewhere in Australia, where sunscreens were not promoted until more recently.

'Could sunscreens increase melanoma risk?' by Garland C, Garland F, Gorham E (04/01/1992).. Am J Public Health 82 (4): 614–5.

Look, what I've found:
nail sunscreen!

In a new population-based, matched, case-control study from southern Sweden (of all places! How much sun do they have really?) of 571 patients with a first diagnosis of cutaneous malignant melanoma, between 1995 and 1997, and 913 healthy controls aged 16 to 80 years, the association between sunscreen use and malignant melanoma was evaluated as follows:

The median sun protection factor (SPF) used by both cases and controls was 6, range 2 to 25. Sunscreen users reported greater sun exposure than non-users. Persons who used sunscreens did not have a decreased risk of malignant melanoma. Instead, a significantly elevated odds ratio (OR) for developing malignant melanoma after regular sunscreen use was found, adjusted for history of sunburns, hair color, frequency of sunbathing during the summer, and duration of each sunbathing occasion [OR = 1.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1-2.9].

'Sunscreen use and malignant melanoma', by Westerdahl J; Ingvar C; Masback A; Olsson H (2000). International journal of cancer. Journal international du cancer 87: 145–50.

There are even stronger opinions regarding sunscreen impact on our health:

The scientific evidence… shows quite clearly that sunscreen actually promotes cancer by blocking the body's absorption of ultraviolet radiation, which produces vitamin D in the skin. Vitamin D, as recent studies have shown, prevents up to 77 of ALL cancers in women (breast cancer, colon cancer, cervical cancer, lung cancer, brain tumors, multiple myeloma... you name it). Meanwhile, the toxic chemical ingredients used in most sunscreen products are actually carcinogenic and have never been safety tested or safety approved by the FDA. They get absorbed right through the skin (a porous organ that absorbs most substances it comes into contact with) and enter the bloodstream.

Proponents say sunscreen prevents sunburn, but in fact, the real cause of sunburn is not merely UV exposure: It is a lack of antioxidant nutrition. Start eating lots of berries and microalgae (spirulina, astaxanthin, blue-green algae, etc.), and you'll build up an internal sunscreen that will protect your skin from sunburn from the inside out. Sunburn is actually caused by nutritional deficiencies that leave the skin vulnerable to DNA mutations from radiation, but if you boost your nutrition and protect your nervous system with plant-based nutrients, you'll be naturally resistant to sunburn.

'The sunscreen myth: How sunscreen products actually promote cancer', by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews

http://www.naturalnews.com/021903.html

While this discussion is only starting, the majority of people  are following the recommendations of American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (see 'Under the Sun') without questioning.

The American Academy of Dermatology recommends now broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreens with an SPF of at least 30. Doctors stress the importance of using plenty of sunscreen -- a golf ball-sized full ounce of sunscreen for a normal size adult body, reapplied every two hours.

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/news/20110614/new-sunscreen-rules-from-fda?page=2

However, we put on our bodies not only sunscreen. Every year more and more cosmetic products are used. A single jar of face cream is no longer enough: we apply one cream at night, another – at daytime (with sunscreen in it!); special cream - for the eye area; also serum and cleanser.

Only two decades ago, my mom’s beauty regiment was very different. It included water, soap and … nothing much else. Every now and then she would buy a new face cream, something honey-based, according to the label. After the first enthusiastic application she would place the jar into the fridge following a girlfriend’s advice and… forget it there.

In three months the cream usually became either rancid, or dried up. And after my complaints on its unsightly view, it ended up on my mothers’ shoes, of which she took a really great care.

By the way, till her last days my mother had beautiful clean skin with natural glow and not so many wrinkles. 

Today women start following beauty tips early in life, when we all try to look like girls on glossy pages. At this age cancers seem distant and irrelevant. Eventually we end up with all this ‘stuff’…

How many harmful chemicals do we absorb during our lifetime?

I stopped using sunscreens years ago, with no scientific data available to back my decision. As on several other issues I refused to follow the superficial trend, implying that the major source of life on earth is our enemy. I also relied on experience of past generations when sunburns were totally common, but skin cancer - unheard of. Those people, of course, led cleaner and simpler lives, while we ‘cannot afford it’ anymore.

But the choice is always with us: to continue our affordable chemicals-saturated existence and eventually become at war with sun, water, air, blooming plants, and food, or to clean our act and start living in harmony with nature, as it was intended.

As to the protection against excessive sun exposure, the research from Dr. Ronald Watson at the University of Arizona confirms that the antioxidants in red, yellow and orange foods build up under the skin creating extra UV protection.

"The effect is so strong that eating six portions a day for about two months will build a natural barrier equivalent to a factor four sunscreen".

Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_headline=yourlife--10-foods-you-must-eat-to-fight-wrinkles-&method=full&objectid=17923641&siteid=115875-name_page.html#ixzz10Y86F3EF

From my own humble experience, since I started eating more fruits and vegetables and by increasing summer sun exposure gradually, my skin tans visibly easier and never burns.

One-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream

The following string I received from my step-daughter couple of days ago. It shows how to make the banana ice cream in a blender out of 1 (?!) ingredient – banana:

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/tips-techniques/stepbystep-instructions-for-oneingredient-ice-cream-097170

We made it yesterday – on the record-hot day in Michigan; just followed the instructions. It was so good that we had no time to make a picture of it.

Well, I swear, it looked just as on the pictures provided in the recipe.

Anyway, it was too hot for photo-sessions.

We used our old blender, because my husband was concerned about possible scratches to our precious Vitamix.  I took 2 good-looking bananas (not overripe); had been thinking of adding honey or agave, but decided not to, and it was a really smart decision – the ice cream came out very sweet.

It also was creamy and felt ‘fattening’, though there is no fat in bananas, at least, not to my knowledge.  

The only recommendation – keep the working blender open and scrapе frozen banana from the sides to center (be careful not to touch working blades, though!). 

It became ready pretty fast - in 5 min, or so.  

I sprinkled mine with walnuts. My husband ate it ‘as is’.

We really liked it.

Enjoy!

Under the Sun

On a gentle Michigan June morning I met a young family of four from Israel. We were planning a walk around the neighborhood. So, the mother covered her two adorable fair kindergarteners head-to-toe and warned them to stay in shade at all times.

On my surprise to such excessive caution, It was explained to me that the young woman had skin tumor removed several years ago. Luckily it was not malignant!

Since then they  bought a personal radiometer and have been checking solar activity every day:

-          ‘Many people in Israel - do.’

…At the side of our health club’s outdoor pool I saw another mother with her long-legged teenage daughter.  Both had naturally dark flawless complexion. As soon as the girl was out of the water, mom abundantly smeared sunscreen over her daughter's shoulders. 



These two women were apparently well-informed of the current recommendations by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery:

-          Avoid peak sun hours. The rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., so staying indoors during these times is the best protection.

-          Wear the right sunscreen every day. Use products labeled for broad-spectrum protection -- to help block ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays -- and with a minimum sun protection factor (SPF) of 30. Slather on sunscreen about 20 minutes before going in the sun, using about an ounce (the size of a shot glass) to cover your entire body. Reapply every two to three hours spent outdoors. Also, use lip balm with an SPF rating.

-          Wear the right clothing. A typical cotton T-shirt offers protection equivalent to only SPF 6, far below the commonly recommended minimum of SPF 15. Wear clothing with a thicker weave or apply sunscreen under a thin, porous shirt. In addition, a hat with a full, wide brim gives added protection to the face, neck and scalp, and sunglasses help protect the eyes from damage.

-          Ignore skin type and base tans. Everyone can burn, regardless of skin pigmentation and even if already tanned. Sunscreen and clothing, not skin color, offer the best protection.

-          Sunscreen, in fact, should be worn regardless of what you're doing while outside, including swimming. Water doesn't protect against the sun's rays, so sunscreen and, if possible, a sun-protective bathing suit are recommended.

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/skin-and-hair/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100235055

From reading these recommendations I've got an impression that sun was not the major source of our well-being for millions of years, but rather an alien monster suddenly preyed on humanity from a foreign universe. 

And, by the way, has anyone heard about skin cancer among any other living creatures?

It seems like we had again   fallen victims of misinterpreted statistics. As with many other health issues, with regard to negative impacts of sun exposure, the symptoms and causes are probably confused and on these shaky grounds excessive precautions are established.

Apparently (and again, according to stats!) they do not work:

While we cover-up more painstakingly and do not leave our houses without thick layers of sun block, skin cancers are steadily on the rise. They became 'younger', impair body parts  never exposed to direct sunlight and happen to people of various skin shades that, according to the laws of physics, process sunlight differently.

The testimonials are all over the Internet:

‘After being diagnosed with melanoma this summer (at 25), I did some research into skin cancers, and their incidence are on the rise, even among my age group.’

Kelli Black, California, USA

‘I have suffered from a melanoma on the instep of my foot. How can the sun have caused this? My consultant said that melanomas can occur in the mouth, inside the ear etc. Do we really know for sure that the sun does indeed cause melanomas, and not just basal cell carcinomas which are not so deadly?’

Jenny Adams, England

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3142386.stm

Rare voices of reason can be heard today regarding our relations with solar radiation. These voices are timid and uncertain:

‘[Sunscreen] blocks out harmful Ultra violet rays from the skin…; however it can also block your ability to produce vitamin D. If you live in a northerly area or one that receives limited sunlight, it is recommended to get at least 15 minutes of sun a day (this is probably best done with minimal sunblock) and according to personal sun sensitivity.‘

http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Sun+lotion

‘Using newly available data on worldwide cancer incidence, researchers at the Moores Cancer Center at University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine have shown a clear association between deficiency in exposure to sunlight, specifically ultraviolet B (UVB), and breast cancer.’

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080515174000.htm

Thereby, we must avoid sun exposure to protect skin from cancers and, at the same time, we need more sun exposure - to beat  other cancers.

Isn't it a paradox? Wouldn't it be sensible to suppose, that sun has little to do with skin cancers? Can the causes of skin cancers (just as of other cancers) be rooted in our civilized environment, in unwholesome things that we eat, drink, exhale and put on our skin?

These are the very things that drastically deviated in economically developed countries within recent decades - exactly the geography and timing of the growing skin cancer statistic.