SUNSCREEN FOR SUMMER FUN

"In addition to wearing a wide brim hat and avoiding those times when we find ourselves outside - skin exposed in the midday summer sun - our best choice for sunscreen is a non-chemical or "physical" sun block containing zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, which forms a physical barrier on the skin, preventing the sun's rays from penetrating. These types of sunscreen are available in natural health food stores. Chemical sunscreens block out ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, which promote vitamin D production in the skin. In excess, UVB rays cause reddening of sun-exposed skin and ultimately sunburn. Thus, sunburn is the body's built-in alarm system. When we turn off the alarm with a chemical sunscreen, our skin doesn't burn, but it continues to receive the more dangerous ultraviolet A (UVA) rays, which are absorbed into the deep layers of the skin. Chemical sunscreens contain a host of unnatural substances suspected of increasing the body's free radical load and risk of cancer, including skin cancer," says Simone Gabbay, RNCP, Toronto, Ontario.

Recent studies highlighting the importance of adequate vitamin D is research conducted at the Medical University of Graz in Austria and published in the March 23, 2009 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. It links low vitamin D levels with an increased risk of death from heart disease and other causes. Studies conducted jointly by the Montreal Neurological Institute and the Hospital for Sick Children and Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto concluded that low vitamin D status may be involved in the underlying disease of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), especially in northern latitudes where sunlight is restricted several months each year.

"Vitamin D synthesized from sunlight is physiologically superior to the forms of the vitamin found in fortified foods and nutritional supplements," adds Simone Gabbay. Your best bet for enjoying the summer sun safely is to restrict direct exposure during l0 a.m. and 3 p.m. thus avoiding the noonday sun.
Website: www.edgarcaycediet.com.