Sun and Skin Cancer. Toxic Sunscreen. Gisele Bundchen Refuses It. "Bugs" Moran. Women in U.S. Naval Academy.

 

For “Summary Saturday”, News, some new, some old.

We all know that the Egyptian military has announced the removal of Mohammed Morsi as president, presenting a roadmap for reconciliation in the country, and all the other disturbing news, so let’s talk about something you might not know:

Pick Your Poison – Sunscreens vs. Sunburns -

Information and Misinformation about the Sun and Skin Cancer

“Outdoor sun exposure has been safe for centuries.  In 1930, skin cancer was rare.  Today, one in every five Americans develops skin cancer.  3.5 million cases are diagnosed every year, and the incidence of melanoma has increased by 1800% over the last 30 years.  No wonder we are so afraid to go out in the sun. 

We have seen arguments about depletion of the ozone layer and its impact on the incidence of skin cancer.  The premise is that a thinning of the ozone layer allows more intense damaging rays through the atmosphere, increasing our risk of sunburn and the increased risk of cancer. 

Truthfully, that link is weak, in that the ozone layer depletes seasonally in winter and spring, which is generally not when we spend time in the sun.  And the depletion is largely over the Arctic and Antarctica, and at the equator, yet cancer rates are not higher in those geographic regions.  And should that exposure equal an 1800% increase in the incidence of skin cancer over the past 30 years?  Until this argument is resolved, let's look at the issues over which we have some control.

Genetically, humans require sunlight exposure for vitamin D, required for wellbeing and cellular function.  Research is clear about the healthy benefits of sun exposure.  It is, however, sunburns that potentially raise cause for concern.

• There are people every year who get melanoma on random parts of their body, less exposed to the sun than others.  How do we explain the case of melanoma on the plantar surface of the heel?  Clearly, there are many other factors to be considered.
• Indoor tanning vs. types of outdoor activity are neither to blame, definitively.  There are people every year who get skin cancer who never use a tanning bed.

Further, the incidence of melanoma in the United States follows no pattern whatsoever.  Certainly, number or length of days in the sun, or one's proximity to the equator, can't be to blame.

Melanoma Rates:

Avoiding sunburn – What are the best options for sunscreen?

Commercial sunscreens and their ingredients are terrifying.  Just as we erroneously hear that anything "low fat" must be good, we've been taught that the higher the SPF in a sunscreen, the better it must be.  There are two reasons this statement could not be any further from the truth.

First, your body needs to produce vitamin D as a result of having sun exposure.  A higher SPF means reduced exposure to the benefits of the sun and the less vitamin D your body will utilize.  Research shows that incidence of melanoma increases in those not exposed to the sun, and the depletion of vitamin D has a strong correlation to the rise in melanoma.

Second, generally speaking, the higher the SPF, the more synthetic chemicals are contained in the lotion to create its formula.  The biggest problem with the lotions and creams we slather all over our bodies is not how much they protect us from the sun, but what's in them that pollutes our bodies in the interest of blocking the sun's rays.  After all, it has been stated that 80 percent of all cancers are attributed to environmental factors, including exposure to carcinogenic chemicals.

Chemicals are readily absorbed through the skin.  Within 26 seconds of application, traces of chemicals from products topically applied can be found in every organ.  The five chemicals to avoid in any skin preparation are:

1. Para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), including octyl-dimethyl PABA
2. Benzophenones, especially benzophenone-3
3. Cinnamates, namely octyl-methoxycinnamate (OMC)
4. Homosalate
5. 4-methyl-benzylidene camphor (4-MBC)

First, avoid the chemicals noted above.  If a sunscreen contains these chemicals, do not use it.

Get 10-20 minutes of full sun daily for the best vitamin D production.  Increase exposure gradually, rather than all at once.  Avoid getting sunburned.  Use lightweight clothing or hats to prevent excessive sun exposure.

Children are at greater risk because their immune systems are not fully developed.  A child's skin is more sensitive than an adult's and absorbs more toxins, and because the child is young, toxic accumulation is greater over time.

Natural options

If you can't use sunscreens containing toxic chemicals and you want to get the full benefit of being outdoors, what do you do?

In place of a sun screen or sun "block," I would prefer for people to apply natural oils rich in antioxidants such as coconut oil while being exposed to the sun, to best enable your skin to adapt to the UV radiation.

Be sure to incorporate foods rich in antioxidants into your diet.  It makes sense that we are given berries and other antioxidant-rich foods when there is more sun.  They flourish at a time when your body most needs them to deal with oxidizing radiation.  This is not an accident, but provision.

Most importantly, let's not forget to protect ourselves from the inside out.  The more omega 3 and 6 fatty acids you consume, the greater your protection from sunburn (in addition to all the other amazing and essential health properties they provide).

I would endorse vitamin D supplementation year-round – even in the summer.  I've worked with far too many patients who "get a lot of sunshine", even those who spend their winters in sunny climates, who discover that their levels of serum vitamin D are greatly depleted.  Most natural health experts advocate for 5,000 to 10,000 units per day of quality vitamin D3 supplementation.

We have enough challenges with the environmental stress on our bodies.  Try not to increase the load by intentionally absorbing chemicals in a misguided attempt to protect yourself from what, for centuries, has been natural, beneficial and healing – the sun.”

Complete article at: http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/pick-your-poison-%E2%80%93-sunscreens-vs-sunburns-1

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Toxic Sunscreen vs. Natural Skin Care

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How Supermodel Gisele Bundchen "Infuriated Cancer Experts"...

“Researchers at the Environmental Working Group, a Washington-based nonprofit, released their annual report claiming nearly half of the 500 most popular sunscreen products may actually increase the speed at which malignant cells develop and spread skin cancer because they contain vitamin A and its derivatives, retinol and retinyl palmitate.

Furthermore, the FDA has known about the dangers of vitamin A in sunscreens since ordering a study 10 years ago, but has done nothing to alert the public of the dangers.

Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen has reportedly "infuriated cancer experts" by describing sunscreen as "poison".

Bundchen refuses to use it on herself or her family because of the chemicals they contain. According to the Daily Mail:

“[Bundchen] made the comments at the launch of her own organic skin care range, which presumably doesn't include sun care lotions.”

Bundchen, incidentally, is currently the highest paid supermodel in the world. She also has said that it should be against the law for healthy mothers to give their baby infant formula full of sugar, and often soy.

The FDA is once again on the wrong side of consumer safety, just as they have been time and time again when they allow dangerous drugs onto the market that end up killing people and are later recalled. 

More at: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/04/22/new-study-shows-many-sunscreens-are-accelerating-not-preventing-cancer.aspx

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On This Day:

George "Bugs" Moran is arrested, Jul 6, 1946:

“FBI agents arrest George "Bugs" Moran, along with fellow crooks Virgil Summers and Albert Fouts, in Kentucky. Once one of the biggest organized crime figures in America, Moran had been reduced to small bank robberies by this time. He died in prison 11 years later.

Bugs Moran's criminal career took an abrupt downturn after the infamous St. Valentine's Day Massacre in 1929, in which his top gunmen were slaughtered by rival Al Capone's henchmen. (A lasting feud had been established after Capone's men killed Moran's friend and mentor, Deanie O'Banion, in 1924.) Moran, who just missed the massacre by a couple of minutes, was visibly shaken when reporters talked to him days later. He shouted at them, "Only Capone kills like that!"

Al "Scarface" Capone established his alibi by vacationing in Florida at the time of the Valentine's Day murders. Sitting poolside, he mocked Moran, chuckling as he told reporters, "The only man who kills like that is Bugs Moran." Later, while Capone was serving time for tax evasion, Moran may have earned a measure of revenge by killing Jack McGurn, one of the men who had carried out the massacre.

A bank robbery charge conviction eventually landed Moran in Leavenworth federal prison. He was released in 1956, but was then re-arrested for an earlier bank robbery. He died in prison of lung cancer on February 2, 1957.”

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Women inducted into U.S. Naval Academy, Jul 6, 1976:

“In Annapolis, Maryland, the United States Naval Academy admits women for the first time in its history with the induction of 81 female midshipmen. In May 1980, Elizabeth Anne Rowe became the first woman member of the class to graduate. Four years later, Kristine Holderied became the first female midshipman to graduate at the top of her class.

The U.S. Naval Academy opened in Annapolis in October 1845, with 50 midshipmen students and seven professors. Known as the Naval School until 1850, the curriculum included mathematics, navigation, gunnery, steam, chemistry, English, natural philosophy, and French. The Naval School officially became the U.S. Naval Academy in 1850, and a new curriculum went into effect requiring midshipmen to study at the Academy for four years and to train aboard ships each summer--the basic format that remains at the academy to this day.”

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Yesterday:

Misty and I went to get Jay, and had a little walk down there.  Misty’s tummy was upset, and I don’t know if was from the egg I cooked to go with her breakfast, or the chicken included in it.  She threw it up, I know, TMI.  I had felt queasy after eating some too. The eggs and chicken were gifts, both factory-farmed, and our bodies aren’t used to all the chemicals and salmonella in CAFO chickens. (Confined Animal Feeding Operations.)  We only eat organic pastured free range chickens and their eggs.  It wasn’t until later that Misty felt better.

Jay and I worked some more on the fence, and took down the front yard board gate to rebuild it.  It wasn’t closing like it should, because the hinges were in a bind.  Jay had stretched the spring to the max, but that just made it slam.  I would hate for my ankle or Misty’s neck to get caught in it.  We replaced the cross boards and hinges, re-hung it, and now it works properly.

Ray pressure-washed the back of my house, then he pressure-washed the back of his house. We get algae back there as it is the north side.  He didn’t have time to wash the fence ready for painting.

The kittens are eating well, and seem to be happy playing with each other and the toys.  Their Mom, Midnight hasn’t shown any interest in getting in the playpen with them, as long as I feed her first.  When she did want to get in there with them, it was to eat their food.  I am feeding her each time I feed the kittens, about four times a day, as she really needs to put on some weight before she can be spayed.

Ray helped me weigh the kittens and give them their Revolution.  With four identical black kittens, it was easier with two of us.

Little ‘Tiger Lily’, the only tabby, always stands out. This picture of ‘Tiger’ was taken in May, the last time they were here.  Now we know that they are all over 2 lb so they can be spayed and neutered.  They are going to Adoption Day today.