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It
seems summer is here to stay, and I welcome it!! I think at this time it is
important to let all of you know that Kathy and I have chosen to make our
life at our new home just West of Bethany Beach, DE in a town called Ocean
View. We will still be going back to St. Mary's County rather frequently to
visit friends and our youngest, Chris, and also we will be going to the
Baltimore area where 4 of our 5 Kids (and all of our Grandchildren) live.
If you want to spend some time at the Beach, we can meet you when you are
over here. I am also available to do phone consultations, and you can set
up appointments for that by calling or e-mailing. Also, shipping the high
quality supplements so many of you use is no problem. Kathy has the
situation down to a science, so you can order by phone or e-mail and she
will ship to you.
Over
the past number of years, I have spoken out many times against the use of
sunscreen. I really think that these products are a health disaster the way
they have been marketed and used in the past. In the 2010 Sunscreen Guide
by the highly respected Environmental Working Group (www.ewg.org) it is
stated, "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. 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." Furthermore, the most sunscreens contain the hormone
disrupting chemical oxybenzone, which
penetrates the skin and enters the bloodstream. The FDA even admits that
when Vitamin A in was used in sunscreens "tumors and lesions developed
up to 21% faster in lab animals than in lab animals treated with a
vitamin-free cream." Once again, the FDA by not making these facts
widely known is on the wrong side of consumer safety just as they have been
time and time again by allowing dangerous drugs to enter the marketplace
that end up killing people and are later recalled (or not)!
The
question at the base is whether you even need a sunscreen in the first
place. There is no clear answer as it really depends on how light your skin
is, how much sun you are exposed to every day, and
your genes. (In a nutshell, how long does it take you to get a pink tinge
to your skin without protection?) In order to form Vitamin D3 (see previous
Newsletters for information on Vitamin D3 and overall health--bones, skin,
immune system, etc., etc., etc.) you do need sun shining on your body with
significant skin exposed for at least 30-45 minutes per day. If you cannot
do this for any reason (including a rainy day), then you must take a high
quality Vitamin D3 supplement.
But,
under no circumstances should you use most of the commercially available
sunscreens as they not only block your ability to make Vitamin D3, they are also loaded with extremely toxic chemicals.
I
strongly believe that getting safe sun exposure every day is one of
the best things you can do for your health. But getting burned
by the sun is dangerous in many ways also. Once you have achieved a
"pink tinge" (if you are Caucasian) you will not make any more
Vitamin D3, and you will begin to have sun damage, including aging of the
skin.
Recent
scientific research studies (European
Journal of Cancer) have shown that incidence of the cancer Melanoma
is decreased with greater sun exposure and can be increased
by sunscreens. In fact, Melanoma is actually more common in indoor workers
than in outdoor workers, and is more common on areas of the skin not
exposed to sun at all.
Ultraviolet
light from the sun comes in two main wavelengths: UVA and UVB. UVB rays
from the sun are good and help the body make Vitamin D3.
UVA
rays are dangerous as they penetrate your skin more deeply and cause more
free radical (read aging and cancer causing) damage. UVA rays are also
constant during all hours of daylight, throughout the entire year.
UVB rays are low in the morning and evening and high at midday. So, the
first thing to understand when using sunscreen (when you
have to) is to make certain you are actually getting UVA protection.
Let
me state again, most sunscreens
are loaded with toxic chemicals that can actually accelerate skin cancer
and get into your bloodstream where they disrupt your hormones.
Also, you definitely do want to
get some safe sunlight exposure every day, as this (or a really good
Vitamin D3 supplement) protects against as many as 16 different types of
cancer, including: breast, colon, endometrial, esophageal, ovarian,
bladder, gallbladder, gastric, pancreatic, prostate, rectal, and renal
cancers, as well as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Having
said that, the question arises, how do you protect yourself from too much sun. For instance, you work outside all day, you are
going to the beach, you are going to the pool, you are going to a ball
game, etc. In my opinion, the very best way to protect yourself
is by wearing clothing or going into the shade. Hats with brims to protect
your face, ears and neck are terrific. Cotton clothing provides an SPF of
about 15, and there is other clothing which, while still nice looking and
comfortable provide 100% protection. I like a very light weight shirt
called the ZXS Swim shirt which is comfortable and provides the 100%
protection very safely. You can find these shirts at almost any store, but
especially at sporting goods stores in their swim section.
If
this is not practical, then you might want a sunscreen product which is all
natural and organic. This would be one with the ingredients titanium oxide
and zinc oxide. (Zinc Oxide is non-toxic to the body and is what you see
lifeguards using on their cheeks, noses, etc.) You want absolutely no
Vitamin A in your sunscreen, and that includes the names retinol and retinyl palmitate. Other safe
ingredients that nourish your skin include: coconut oil (great for high
heat cooking also), sunflower oil, Vitamins D and E, Jojoba oil, shea butter, and eucalyptus oil. Good sunscreens to use
are made by companies like Alba, Nature's Gate, and a great product made by
The W.S. Badger Company (www.badgerbalm.com) out of New Hapshire.
You can find these at stores like Whole Foods or Wegman's,
Health Food Stores like the Good Earth, and (with the interest of the
public in non-toxic products, even at drug stores! Just read the labels to
make sure the "forbidden ingredients are not in the product.
We
also can help protect from the sun's damaging rays internally by taking
high quality anti-oxidant supplements. A Cyanotech
Corp. funded study showed that after taking these anti-oxidant supplements
for only two weeks, there was a "significant increase" in the
amount of time necessary for UV radiation to redden their skin.
Of
course, these protections are to supplement a healthy diet full of
antioxidant rich foods. These should be fresh, raw, highly colored and
unprocessed foods. Also, the supplements such as fish or krill oil
and Vitamin E are tremendously important to our body's defense
against UV damage.
Sunglasses
are not absolutely necessary for eye protection (some actually say that a
little UV radiation is good for the retinas--this is debatable) because the
pupils will constrict to protect the eyes. However, if you are blinded by
sunlight, the you will have to wear sunglasses. If
so, make sure they provide 100% protection against all UV rays. This
is non-negotiable! If you do not get 100% protection from your sunglasses,
the pupils will dilate because of the light blockage from the glasses, and
the UV rays attack the retina and destroy it. In fact, many studies have
shown that Macular Degeneration is due to too many rays reaching the macula
of the retina without blockage and with wide open pupils due to the plastic
lenses of the glasses, lack of Vitamin D3, and lack of antioxidants in the
diet.
We
are available to help you with your Nutrition plan for healthy aging of
your skin and body. Have a great summer!!!
I
genuinely would like your thoughts on these subjects and on anything I
write about. Thanks ahead of time for your input, and please share this
Newsletter with your friends, family and neighbors.
All of Dr. Baldwin’s recommendations are based on
solid scientific research. However,
no one Nutritional Plan will work for ever
person, nor will any one Nutritional Plan work for every disease or
degenerative condition. Pathways is not a substitute for proper medical
diagnosis of conditions which may require medical or surgical
intervention. Our Diagnostic System
allows us to treat the person with the condition and not the condition that
has the person. Our program is not
simply a weight loss program. It is
a program intended to help the client learn how he or she can attain optimal
health and wellness with a healthy immune system. We maintain that everyone should be able
to live life to the fullest and enjoy each day of life. To get in touch
with us, dial 410-326-6690 and we will be only too happy to help you!
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