The study was done based on observational studies suggesting that plasma homocysteine concentrations are inversely related …

Could adding more potassium really prolong your life?

This study goes one step further than most studies on potassium salt and focuses on its effect on risk of death due to cardiovascular events. The study included 1981 veteran participants and five veteran retirement home kitchens and lasted about 31 months. Participants were given either regular table salt or potassium-enriched salt. The participants who received potassium-enriched salt lived 0.3-0.9 years longer. Even more exciting is the fact that the veterans that received the potassium salt had better quality of life as represented by significantly less money spent in patient care related to heart health problem. The study effect was most likely due to the increase of potassium and a moderate decrease in sodium intakes. (Summary by: Kasia Kines, MS, CN, CNS, LDN a nutritionist at Your Prescription for Health)

Dr. Ray Hinish’s Comments:
This is a very interesting study because it is one of the first salt intervention studies to look at risk of death due to cardiovascular events after replacement of sodium salt with potassium salt. Here is the interesting point, compared to the sodium we get from prepared, caned and refined foods, table salt makes up the significant minority of sodium intake. This is what leads me to believe that the benefits of these results come from adding extra potassium rather than decrease daily intake of sodium. The Standard American Diet (SAD) contains much more sodium and far less potassium than nature intended. There is no doubt that we have too much sodium in our diet, however, we can not ignore the fact that our diet is also potassium deplete. In addition to using potassium salt, you should also get plenty of fruits and vegetables to help balance out the sodium/potassium levels in our diet. Low sodium tomato juice is a great source of potassium. You can even get a powdered tomato concentrate that mixes with water or juice to make up the difference.

A report from the Journal of the American Medical Association warns that a number of patients who were started on this medication died from bacterial sepsis or viral meningitis. The FDA is warning doctors to monitor patients closely and not prescribe it to patients under the age of 18 for fear of permanent suppression of the immune system.
(Journal of the American Medical Association, 2008; 300: 2359) {moshits}

Dr. Ray’s Notes:
This medication belongs to a class of drug called monoclonal antibodies which is considered an immunosuppressant. This potentially fatal side effect is a class-wide side effect and thus should be extended to other monoclonal antibody medications. It is lunacy to start people on these medications as a first or even second line treatment for psoriasis. Psoriasis can often be treated with diet, lifestyle and certain nutritional supplementation. Please see our psoriasis protocol for details about lifestyle changes that could help to control this health challenge.

In recent months, some rather well controlled studies have been published in peer-reviewed journals relating to the health benefits of vitamin E. The first study that we will discuss comes out of Harvard Medical School and evaluated the benefits of 600 mg of vitamin E every other day versus placebo for an average period of 10 years. The study monitored almost 39,876 women age 45 or older and evaluated their risk of serious, life-threatening blood clots.

Overall, vitamin E decreased the risk of life-threatening blood clots by 21%. These included dangerous clots within the legs and lungs. Some people are at higher risk of developing these clots. Women who were at high risk of blood clot (those who had a blood clot prior to starting the study) enjoyed a 44% decreased risk of future blood clots compared to their placebo counterparts. In addition, subjects who took vitamin E enjoyed an 8% decrease in risk of bleeding in the brain, a condition called hemorrhagic stroke; this was an interesting and unexpected finding. (Circulation. 2007;116:1497-1503)

Another study from Harvard School of Public Health evaluated 600 IU of natural vitamin E, 500 mg of vitamin C and 50 mg of beta carotene on risk of cardiovascular disease. At the end of the nine and a half year study the subjects who took their vitamin E enjoyed an 11% decrease in risk of combined cardiovascular event, including heart attack and stroke. When the researchers looked at the people who were nearly flawless with taking their vitamin E they saw a 22% decrease in heart attack risk, a 27% decrease in stroke risk and a 9 % decrease in risk of overall death. People who took both vitamin E and C together on a consistent basis enjoyed a 31% decreased risk of stroke while beta carotene had little or no benefit during the study. (Archives of Internal Medicine, 2007;167:1610-1618)
Given these studies, it appears that natural vitamin E is not the monster that it was made out to be by the press. Other recent research has demonstrated other important facts:

Vitamin E may protect against Alzheimers disease. (JAMA, 2002;287:3230-3237)
Vitamin E may protect against Lou Gehrig’s Disease (Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, 2007,78:367-371)
Vitamin E may reduce the risk of advanced prostate cancer by 71% (Journal of the National Cancer Institute,2006;98:245-254)

(This review is a summary of the report by Dr. Jack Challem’s The Nutrition Reporter newsletter)

Argument: If I eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, then I don’t need to add vitamins and minerals.
Answer: The argument that the nutritional needs of the body can be thoroughly met through diet is probably a valid one, as long as certain assumptions hold true. The main assumption is that the diet is made up almost entirely of fresh fruit and vegetables from local and trusted growers who understand crop rotation and proper soil fertilization. A fruit’s nutrition is highest at the height of its ripeness when the fruit is just about to fall from the tree, bush or vine. This makes great evolutionary sense as the purpose of the fruit is to propagate the species of the plant. The survival of the seed is most probable when the fruit contains the nutrition necessary to allow the seedling to develop. In addition, the sweetness and nutrition content of the fruit increase the likelihood that the fruit will be eaten by animals that scour the grasses for food. This helps both the animal and the plant as the animal gets food and the plant’s seed gets spread to different areas as it passes through the stool of the animal onto fertile ground elsewhere. The problem is that most conventional fruit is picked unripe and then ripened on the way to the store through artificial processes using ethylene. This makes for a fruit or vegetable that contains suboptimal levels of nutrients. A study performed at Oregon State University found that green blackberries contain only 74 mg/100 grams of anthocyanins (a plant compound/antioxidant known to protect the body from heart disease and cancer) compared to 317 mg/100 grams for vine ripened blackberries. (J Agric Food Chem. 2004 Sep 22;52(19):5907-13.) Research in Spain demonstrated that cherries picked prematurely contained one-half the level of vitamin C as cherries picked ripe (J Agric Food Chem. 2005 Apr 6;53(7):2741-5.)

In addition, due to the over farming of lands there is not enough nutrition in the soil to make for highly nutritive foods. For example, each time a watermelon is picked from the land some of the nutrition goes with it, after all, a fundamental law of physics is you cannot make something from nothing. Over time the soil gets depleted and the nutrition in the fruits and vegetables suffer. To make matters worse, the growers use a process of selective breeding to increase pith and water (the pith is the fibrous material such as the netting around the pulp of the orange and the white fluff just under the skin). This makes for big, attractive and heavy fruit with less vitamin and mineral content. These plant breeders lovingly refer to this process as the “dilution effect”. An example of this effect is with a very popular breed of broccoli called “Marathon” which is big and green and according to the USDA contains half the calcium and magnesium of other more nutritious hybrids of broccoli. All of this results in more weight and less nutrition.

In a 2004 study, scientists discovered that the nutrition content for 6 nutrients have declined significantly in fruits and vegetables since 1950. These nutrients include calcium, riboflavin, vitamin C, iron, potassium and protein. (J Am Coll Nutr. 2004 Dec;23(6):669-82) This study from the University of Texas evaluated the nutrient content over time of 43 garden crops. This study takes into account the effect of many different factors including ethylene ripening, the dilution effect, the use of commercial fertilizer, over farming, etc.
So is it possible to find nutrient dense fruits and vegetables? I believe so. Studies have shown that organic fruits and vegetables have more vitamins, minerals and antioxidants when compared to conventional produce. (J Agric Food Chem. 2002 Sep 11;50(19):5458-62; J Agric Food Chem. 2003 Feb 26;51(5):1237-41) Even if you regularly use organic produce, you will need to eat larger quantities of these fruits and vegetables to meet the vitamin, mineral and antioxidant needs of the body. I believe that people who meet these produce requirements are the exception rather than the rule.

One final argument on this subject doesn’t have to do with the nutrient content of the food as much as it has to do with nutrient needs of the body. Today’s body has to deal with an onslaught of toxic attack that we did not evolve on. Cleaning product, pollutions, stress and out gassing of carpets and paint all cause a withdrawal from the antioxidant and nutrient reserves of the body. We cannot assume that the nutrient needs of yesteryear apply to today! In other words, you need more nutrition today just to meet the minimum needs! Research has found that the great majority of the population does not meet the pitiful RDA requirements for one or more nutrients.

Argument: Doesn’t supplementation just cause expensive urine?
Answer: Whenever I debate the need for supplementation it seems that the first argument is always the same, “All that you are doing with nutritional supplements is making expensive urine.” This argument comes from the point that any excess of water soluble nutrients that you take in will be excreted through the urine. So if you take 1,000 mg of vitamin C and your body only uses 500 mg then you will kick out 500 mg of the vitamin C as “waste”. My answer to this is, better a surplus than a deficiency! When you supplement, you do run the risk of losing some extra nutrients in the urine. This argument can be made for those who eat plenty of fruits and vegetables as you will likely see more vitamins and minerals in their urine as well. Does this mean that you should not eat fruits and vegetables? In addition, if you want to talk about expensive urine let’s talk about the urine of people who take medications. You will find a significant amount of these medications in the urine and stool of these patients. So you choose- expensive urine full of vitamins or expensive urine full of medications.

Argument: We eat more food than most other countries, aren’t my nutrition needs being met?
Answer: I agree with the first statement regarding the quantity of food that we eat, however, I disagree with the second part of the statement which refers to the quality of food. Our society has built a food culture that creates a population of overfed and undernourished people. This means that calories are plentiful but nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals are deficient. This is the main reason why supplementation is so important. Starvation as it pertains to energy is not a common problem here in the United States, however, cellular starvation is a major problem. This means that the cells have all of the fuel that they require to function; however, the cells may not have the micronutrients necessary to be able to convert the fuel to energy and appropriately distribute that energy to various functions such as the immune and repair systems. This is like a car with a full tank of gas and no spark plugs. Remember, practically every study that has evaluated various vitamin and mineral levels in the blood have correlated higher levels of food nutrients with significantly better health. This means getting nutrients from whole food sources when possible and supporting with supplementation as an insurance policy.

Argument: There are no studies to support the need for supplementation.
Answer: This statement is just plain ridiculous! There is a tremendous amount of research on nutrition and its benefit to health. I have never understood how people make this comment when I am drowning in studies published in peer reviewed journals demonstrating the benefit and safety of nutritional supplementation. Search PubMed or Medline (the same search engine used by your doctor) on omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, coenzyme Q 10, vitamin E, vitamin C, etc. You will be blown away by the results that you get. As far as safety goes, according to the 2005 annual report in the journal Clinical Toxicity, which evaluates the reports from 61 poison control centers in the U.S., out of 53 billion doses of supplemental vitamin supplements there was not even one death reported. Tragically, Tylenol was not so lucky being responsible for numerous adverse events and deaths.
I have dedicated my life to the study of longevity and, more importantly, to the study of vitality. My definite purpose is to design a system of living that allows people like you and me to live long, energetic lives full of LIFE ENERGY! To accomplish this goal, a system is needed that will prevent disease and promote energy production, circulation, repair and rejuvenation throughout our entire lives. It is my belief that this goal can be met with a healthy diet full of fresh, raw, organic, healthy foods. It is also my belief that with each day that science “revolutionizes” our lives and food industries this becomes harder and harder. Although it is possible to live long and healthy lives without supplementation, it is less likely today than ever before and the majority of us need supplements to meet our body’s needs.

There are trillions of biochemical reactions going on in your body every second of your life. Some reactions are tearing and some are repairing, in order for you to remain healthy the net total of reactions must equate to more repairing than tearing. Do you follow me thus far?

I once saw a funny tee shirt that reads “Eat well, exercise daily…die anyway.” Admittedly, this statement is a true statement, in the end something always gets us. The part that is left out of this witty testament, however, is what happens in between birth and death.

There is a story of a widow who was bringing her great-grandchild to visit her husband’s grave. When they arrive at the site she says to her great grandchild, “what do you think is the most important piece of information on the grave stone?” The child says, ” well his birth year, because if he were never born then we would not be here today.” She smiles and says, “no, try again.” He thinks for a second and says, “the date of his death then, because that is the day that we all remember him?” She replies, “no, but they are all good answers,” she continues, “the most important information on his grave stone is the little dash in between his birth year and the year of his death because it is how we live that matters!” There is great wisdom in that statement and that wisdom applies to our health. We cannot control our birthday, nor can we control the fact that one day we will leave this life, but we do have control over how long we stay and how we feel while we are here!

So let’s talk a bit about aging…

There are many theories about what causes us to age, some believe it is free radicals, some believe it is predetermined in our genetics, some believe it is the toxins and others believe it is stress. The truth of the matter is aging is likely a normal process that is controlled by all of the above mentioned factors and then many others that we have not yet described.

Researchers have not discovered a way to stop aging but they have discovered ways of slowing the process and in many situations reversing some of the ravages of premature aging. As with any situation, the first thing to do whenever we find ourselves in a ditch is to stop digging! Today’s article, is dedicated to one of the most important ways that we dig our hole deeper and thus speed the process by which we age. In addition, when we control this process we can actually see reversal of many of the signs of aging! So let’s get started with our discussion on a process called GLYCATION!

Glycation occurs when the body’s proteins react with sugar forming a substance in the body called Advanced Glycation End Products, AGEs for short. While glycation is a normal process of everyday metabolism, the rate of glycation and thus aging is significantly increased by the Standard American Diet (SAD) and lifestyle. We will talk more about this later. For now let’s continue with our discussion about what glycation is and why it is so devastating to health…

To help you visualize the process of glycation, imagine a fresh hamburger patty. When the patty is uncooked the patty is soft, pink and malleable, however, if we cook it, the patty turns brown and becomes harder and less shapeable. That browning effect comes from the proteins reacting with the sugars in the meat in a process similar to what happens in the body. That’s right, the meat gets “glycated” by the cooking process. In the body, glycation causes tissues to become harder, thicker and less pliable. This process results in:

1. Cataracts – The lens becomes cloudy and thicker until vision is impeded. This process is similar to the process of cooking an egg white. It starts out clear, but becomes white and cloudy after the proteins in the egg become glycated by the cooking process.
2. Hardening of the arteries
3. Wrinkles and loss of skin suppleness
4. Kidney damage and failure
5. Loss of muscle flexibility
6. Nerve damage

You can see how widespread and potent the aging effects of glycation can be to the tissues of the body. Because proteins make up a large percentage of the body’s structures, there is no tissue or organ that is safe from the process of glycation.

Glycation occurs more aggressively in diabetics and that is what makes this disease such a devastating condition. In fact, Lancet, a well respected, peer-reviewed journal, estimates that diabetes ages the average heart by 40 years. The majority of this problem is directly related to the glycation process. So what do we do about it?

Preventing and How to Reverse Glycation

Advanced Glycation End Products occur from many different reactions in the body. To achieve the most dramatic decrease in the glycation stress of the body we will want to implement a multifactor approach. With that said, we start with the most powerful way to decrease the formation of these powerful aging agents.

In chemistry, one way to decrease the number of chemical reactions that occur in a test tube is to simply add less of one of the chemicals. In the situation of glycation, the more sugar that is available, the more likely glycation is to occur. Simply decreasing the amount of sugar in the blood will decrease the amount of glycation that can occur, no other change in lifestyle will have such a dramatic effect on glycation.

For those of you who are saying, “but I don’t eat a lot of sweets!” you are not safe either if your diet is filled with carbohydrates like bread, pasta and cereals. In the body, these carbohydrates are digested and absorbed as sugar. So the first step is always, limit the amount of sugar AND carbohydrates in the diet (especially refined carbohydrates).

The second step to controlling glycation is to enhance the body’s ability to process and utilize sugar so that it doesn’t hang around and wreak havoc in the blood. This means EXERCISE! The more you exercise, the more sugar your body is able to burn away and the less sugar that is available to lead to glycation.

Now that we have talked about the bread and butter of controlling glycation we can talk about things that we can do to reverse glycation that has occurred before it causes permanent changes. Scientists have found that a number of nutritional components in the diet play a very important role in controlling glycation and even reversing it! These compounds include:

1. Carnosine, a combination of two amino acids beta-alanine and histidine. Research has found carnosine to be a potent inhibitor of glycation. In test tube studies, carnosine has been able to reverse aging damage to cells resulting in more youthful and efficient function. In one human study, 15 healthy subjects were given histidine and carnosine. The researchers found that these compounds protected the LDL (bad cholesterol) from glycation and oxidation. In order to achieve a significant blood level, it is recommended that 1,000-1500 mg of carnosine be used in a supplement program.
2. Benfotiamine is a fat soluble form of thiamine. Aside from benfotiamine’s anti-glycation effect it also appears to protect enzymes, heal damaged nerves and decrease inflammation which is triggered by elevated blood sugar. 150 mg once or twice daily.
3. Beta-alanine is an amino acid which is the precursor to carnosine. While carnosine appears to work on the fast forming glycation compounds, beta-alanine acts on slower forming glycating products. Recent studies suggest that beta-alanine significantly increases carnosine production in the muscles. Recommended dose is 1,000 mg twice daily.

Glycation is, no doubt, one of the most powerful promoters of the aging process and although we may not be able to stop it entirely; using diet, exercise and cutting-edge supplements we can significantly inhibit it and even reverse some of the damage caused by already existing Advanced Glycation End Products.

If you have metabolic syndrome or diabetes then you will want to take an aggressive stance on fighting these harmful compounds. Although the science of these supplements is in the early stages of discovery, I feel that there is sufficient scientific evidence to warrant their use. I feel that we can expect to see a decrease in complications associated with diabetes and possible a slowing of the aging process in otherwise healthy people. I look forward to confirming this hypothesis as more research comes to light.

The items described in this article have been combined into one formula called Mitochondrial Optimizer by Life Extensions.

It is officially summer and it is time to talk about skin aging, skin cancer and, most importantly, ways of protecting the skin from the “harmful rays of the sun”.

Sun exposure is considered the most common cause of premature wrinkles in our society. Did you know that many experts are calling sun tanning and tanning booths the “tobacco of the 21st century”?

If you want to keep your youthful skin for as long as possible, then you better pay attention to what follows! It may well save you from a decade or more of premature skin aging and may even save you from those dreaded words, “You have skin cancer.”

Protect Your Skin For a Long & Healthy Life

First, it is important to understand that skin cancer, in one form or another, accounts for about fifty percent of all cancers. Most of these skin cancers are basal cell carcinoma, a common and benign form. The second most common form is squamous cell carcinoma, a form that is generally benign but can become invasive in rare cases when left untreated. The least common and most dangerous form is melanoma, a form that is aggressive and deadly. Because skin cancer accounts for such a significant amount of cancer incidence, keeping the skin healthy can have a significant impact on longevity and quality of life. Treatment of even benign forms of skin cancer can leave unsightly scars and thus prevention is key.

Many experts blame sun exposure for the high incidence of skin cancer in our society. Although UV rays can damage skin cells and increase the risk of skin cancer, there are likely other factors that play an even more important role such as age and nutrition.

Questions about the link between sun exposure and skin cancer have been raised by studies that found office workers were at a higher risk of developing malignant melanomas compared to people whose lifestyles and work exposed them to larger quantities of sunlight. In one such study, the lowest risk of melanoma was found in the group who listed sunbathing as their main outdoor activity (Lancet 2: 290-92, 1982).

Numerous other studies have been performed to test these findings, many of which confirm the results. Please note, these results do not prove that sun exposure is not a contributor to melanomas, it simply shows that we must look for other co-factors that may prove to play an even more important role in the ultimate development of melanoma.

The bottom line: People who work outside and are exposed to sunlight most days produce melanin that works to protect the cells from damage. The people who are most at risk are the occasional sun worshipers. It is also important to realize that other factors such as genetics and nutrition may play a significant role in the development of melanoma.
Research into the use of sunscreen has failed to correlate sunscreen use with a decreased risk of melanoma (Ann of Int Med. 2003; 139(12)966-78). Other research shows that melanoma risk continues to increase despite the increased use of sunscreen. In fact, Boston University School of Medicine reported that in the US, melanoma diagnosis is increasing at a rate faster than any other form of cancer. Researchers are unsure as to why this is occurring at such an alarming rate, suggested explanations include

• Sunscreens give a false sense of security and people are spending more time in the sun
• People are not using sunscreen properly. This includes not applying enough sunscreen and not applying it often enough.
• Poor nutrition that ultimately depletes crucial antioxidants.
• Sunscreen use may inhibit vitamin D production. Vitamin D has been correlated with protection from numerous forms of cancer
• Sunscreen often contains oils that oxidize in the skin when exposed to heat and UV light which may increase DNA damage
• People are living longer which allows for longer exposure to UV rays
• Sunscreens have offered UVB protection (the radiation not associated with melanoma risk), but have lacked adequate protection from UVA radiation, the more serious and most abundant form of radiation

With all of this controversy, is it advisable to use sunscreen?

Dr. Michael Huncharek, a radiation oncologist who published a review of 11 studies on the subject, determined that there is likely no harm and most likely significant benefit to sunscreen when used properly. He admits that we have much to learn about melanoma, but with the evidence to date, sunscreen is recommended. I have a tendency to agree with him, provided you use the right kind of sunscreen and use it appropriately.

Why is sun exposure so damaging?

Sunlight contains two main forms of ultraviolet radiation, UVA and UVB. After exposure to sunlight, DNA can be damaged which can trigger inflammation.

In an ideal world, antioxidants in the skin will limit damage caused by UV light and specialized cells in the skin will produce melanin, the compound that darkens skin and protects it from UV damage. Any cells that are damaged beyond repair would ideally trigger a process of programmed cell suicide called apoptosis. Apoptosis helps to decrease the likelihood of an abnormal cell developing into a tumor. The reality, however, is not quite so rosy. Numerous factors may set the stage for skin cancer to develop, these include:

• We spend most of our lives indoors and thus do not have a natural melanin barrier to the UV rays. This is why people with fair skin are at higher risk of skin cancer, less melanin equals less protection.
• The Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) does not provide nearly enough antioxidant protection in the skin to prevent damage. Certain plant compounds and vitamins act as first line protection from the harmful effects of the sun. If you eat few fruits and vegetables then, odds are, you have a depletion of antioxidant protection in the skin.
• The Standard American Diet is also quite deficient in vitamins and other nutrients that play very important roles in DNA repair. These include nutrients known as methyl donors such as folic acid and trimethylglycine. In addition, due to these lifestyles, the cells of our body need more of these DNA repair nutrients.
• Vitamin D deficiency is common and may play a significant role in the development of many cancers including skin cancer.
• Omega-3 fatty acid deficiency and omega-6 abundance of the diet have correlated with increased risk of cancer (Cancer Detect Prev. 2006; 30(3): 224-32) Trans-fats may also set the stage for cancer growth.

Dr. Zane Kime, author of the book Sunlight, suggests that sun exposure creates damage to the DNA under the presence of harmful fats and a deficiency of antioxidants in the skin. He hypothesizes that skin with higher concentrations of antioxidants will prevent irreversible damage to the skin from UV radiation.

Preliminary research confirms this finding. In one study performed in rats, UV radiation caused a significant decrease in the animal’s skin concentrations of vitamins C and E. A study performed in humans found a protection from skin cancer in subjects who took 200 mcg of selenium daily. In addition, later in the article, we will discuss a breakthrough nutritional supplement that has been shown to protect the skin from DNA damage induced by sun exposure. First let’s talk about sunscreen.

The Perfect Sunscreen?

Many sunscreens do a much better job of blocking UVB wavelengths, which are the rays most responsible for sunburn and the two benign forms of skin cancer. Unfortunately, these UVB sunscreens do little to block the deeper penetrating UVA rays which are responsible for damaging DNA deep in the skin cells.

It is the UVA that is the key suspect in the development of melanoma and premature wrinkling.

In addition, many sunscreens contain oils that will oxidize when exposed to heat and UV radiation. This means that these conventional sunscreens not only do nothing to add antioxidant protection to the skin, they may even increase the free-radical stress and damage to the cells of the skin. With that said, here are the recommendations for choosing a sunscreen:

• Only choose sunscreens that are oil-free.
• Use sunscreens that contain antioxidants to protect the skin
• Choose sunscreens with botanical extracts that have proven to protect and repair DNA
  
• Choose sunscreens that block both UVA and UVB rays
• Choose a sunscreen that has an SPF of 20 or higher

In recent years there has been much research around natural products for topical use in preventing sun damage. These natural products have been incorporated into a sunscreen that is produced by the Life Extension Foundation. These protective botanicals include:

• Watermelon Extract – A highly purified watermelon extract that has been shown to decrease DNA damage in the cells of the skin from UV exposure.
• Silymarin from milk thistle – This extract has been shown, in animal studies, to decrease the risk of skin cancers after UV exposure, by 75%.
• Green tea Polyphenols and Proanthocyanidins from Grape Seed Extract – These botanical extracts protect the skin from free-radicals, inflammation, and DNA damage.
• Beta Glucan – This is a specialized compound from whole grain oats that penetrate the skin to stimulate immune protection from UV damage while stimulating collagen production. This helps to speed healing of tissues, while providing an overall anti-aging effect to the cells of the skin.
• Rosemary – This spice provides additional and broad antioxidant benefits. In addition, rosemary is known to have anti-tumor activity like green tea and grape seed extract.
• Licorice Root Extract – This botanical is known to help soothe and heal damaged skin cells.

This formula, called Total Sun Protection Cream with Photo-Aging Recovery Complex, combines all of these potent natural ingredients with three powerful sunscreen agents that protect the skin against short-wave UVA, long-wave UVA and UVB rays. I have found no other formula that offers so much broad spectrum sunscreen and antioxidant protection.

How to Use Sunscreens for Most Benefit

Studies have shown that people generally only apply one-quarter of the sunscreen quantity that they need to gain the most benefit and protection. One study found that most people only apply sufficient sunscreen to achieve a 20-50% of the SPF that the product is labeled for. There is some evidence that this under-application, and the insufficient UVA protection of many conventional sunscreens, may be one reason for the lack of protection from melanoma reported in the research literature.

The general rule for proper sunscreen use is: “Apply generously and apply often!” It is better to overdo it than to under apply.

Even if you get a great sunscreen, if you do not apply it properly, you will not get the full benefit. Follow these guidelines to assure optimal protection.

• 15 Minutes BEFORE Sun Exposure Apply the Total Sun Protection Cream – It is important that we apply sunscreen 15-minutes before sun exposure to allow it to penetrate and dry before we start to sweat and expose ourselves to UV radiation. This will allow the botanical extracts and the antioxidants to penetrate where I believe they will provide protection for hours to come.
• Use One Full Ounce for the First Application – Most people do not apply enough sunscreen to fully protect. For the average sized body, apply one full ounce (a shot glass size) of sunscreen.
• Every 1-2 Hours Renew the Sunscreen by Spraying the Total Sun Protection Spray with Beta Glucan – Because the Total Sun Protection Cream is a bit costly, we apply this for the first application and then for the rest of the day we will renew with the Sun Protection Spray, which is far more cost-effective.
• Use the Sun Protection Spray Each and Every Time You Get Out of the Water or Sweat Heavily (such as if jogging). All sunscreens wash away with water that is why the FDA no longer allows a sunscreen to claim itself to be waterproof.

Protecting the Skin From the Inside Out:

As mentioned earlier, nutrition likely plays a key role in protecting the skin from sun damage. Dr. Zane Kime, in his book Sunlight, spoke specifically about vitamins A, C and E as well as selenium. All of these nutrients are quite important in protecting the skin, however, there are likely hundreds, if not thousands, of compounds that concentrate in the skin to act as a significant line of defense against sun damage and skin cancer. Such nutrients include:

• Carotenoids such as beta carotein, lutein, lycopene. These compounds are found in colorful fruits and vegetables
• Proanthocyanidins such as those found in grapes, berries and pine bark
• Polyphenols such as those found in teas, fruits and herbs
• Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, flaxseed, chia seeds and nuts

Food is obviously the most important source of these antioxidants and nutrients, however, for most people supplementation will offer additional insurance against the damaging effects of UV rays.

Getting a good multi-vitamin, essential fatty acid and green drink containing fruit and vegetable extracts is key in making sure enough nutrition is available to protect the skin. Berry and superfruit juices such as Acai juice can provide additional whole-food protection. See the Skin Protection Protocol for specific recommendations.

Introducing A Breakthrough Product For Protecting the Skin

For centuries, Native Americans have been using a special fern plant as a prevention and treatment of sunburn. When scientists caught wind of this, they began studying the herb to confirm these reported benefits. The scientists developed an extract of the fern plant Polypodium leucotomos which is now known as FernBlock.

Early research by Dr. Salvador Gonzalez found that patients receiving UV treatment for psoriasis and atopic dermatitis had nearly complete protection from the redness and burn created by the treatment. Dr. Gonzalez, fascinated by these results, took the extract to Harvard where he continued to research the fern extract for its ability to defend the skin from UV damage caused by sun exposure. Over the next decade research confirmed the protective benefits of this powerful herb, such benefits include:

• A seven-fold increase in the amount of UV light tolerated before damage occurred to the skin
• Important cancer-fighting cells beneath the skin were protected from UV damage
• Significant decrease in DNA damage after sun exposure by protecting vital enzymes responsible for DNA repair
• Inhibition of inflammation in the skin
• Blocked enzymes that are known to decrease skin elasticity
• Increased the antioxidant defenses of the skin

Due to the ability of the phytochemcials found in FernBlock to penetrate into the skin and offer broad spectrum protection, I am excited to be able to add this to our tool box for protecting the skin.

How to Use Polypodium Extract (FernBlock)

People at risk of skin cancer, especially those with a past history of skin cancer or who have fair skin may want to take one capsule daily as a preventative. The rest of us may want to reserve this supplement for when you know that you are going to be exposed to longer intervals of sunlight. For instance, if you’re going on a cruise or heading to the beach you may want to take 2 capsules daily a couple of days before you leave and 2 capsules daily while on your trip. The phytochemicals in FernBlock have a high affinity for skin cells and will concentrate in the skin fairly rapidly. Based on the research to date, FernBlock appears to provide protection the very same day it is taken.

Summary:

If I had to summarize this entire article in a couple of sentences I would say UV radiation is a real concern and protection must come from the inside out. Diet and lifestyle plays a key role in protecting you from premature skin aging and skin cancer. Sunscreen and topical antioxidants act as an additional line of defense and should be implemented. Below you will find the key bullet points of the article.

Key Points:

• Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer, most are benign but we are seeing a significant rise in melanoma diagnosis.
• Sunscreen can offer protection, however, you must find a sunscreen that defends the skin against UVA and UVB radiation and offers additional antioxidant protection such as Total Sun Protection by Life Extension Foundation. After the first application of Total Sun Protection Cream, use the Total Sun Protection SPRAY to maintain the protection.
• Use a sunscreen with at least 20 SPF
• Make sure that you apply sunscreen generously and often to assure that you get the most protection.
• Nutrition is a critical factor in protecting the skin. Eat tons of fruits and vegetables. Drink teas such as green tea to enjoy extra antioxidant protection.
• Supplementation adds extra insurance against UV damage. Get a multi-vitamin, essential fatty acid and green drink such as Doctor’s For Nutrition Greens First.
• Use FernBlock starting a few days before significant sun exposure and during the sun exposure.

“Eat your vegetables,” that’s what Grandma used to say. And as time goes on and our medical scientists become more willing to look at how diet effect’s health, we find that Grandma was right. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables clearly can keep you healthy. “An apple a day can indeed keep the doctor away!”

Which parts of the fresh fruits and vegetables are responsible for maintaining good health? Before I answer that, let me ask a different question… why should it matter? Well, it matters to the big drug companies. If someone can discover an ingredient within the food that we eat that may save us from cancer or heart disease, then there is money to be made. The company would have to “alter” the ingredient chemically, so that they would have a “chemical entity” that they can patent and own. Then they can spend the millions of dollars needed to “prove” that it does what they say it does (clinical testing), than they can charge lots of money for the “medicine” and make billions in the process. Does anyone remember the news out of Johns Hopkins a while ago about broccoli sprouts and their reported benefit for protection against cancer? Of course, a company cannot patent broccoli, they can’t own it or stop you from buying it from the supermarket, so the race is on to make the ingredient different so someone can “own” it and profit from it.

Which ingredients have the biological activity may also be important to know because there may be cooking or processing procedures that may render the ingredient inactive, or destroy it completely. An example of this would be the essential fatty acids that were discussed in last month’s column. If one were to cook with flax oil then the omega-3 fatty acids contained therein would be destroyed. The processing of food has been shown to destroy enzymes and different nutritional components.

So… back to the question… what are the important ingredients in fresh fruits and vegetables that are responsible for maintaining good health? Of course, there are the vitamins and minerals… vitamin C, beta-carotene, zinc, selenium, etc. There are the enzymes that help digest food and help give the liver and pancreas a break from the work of digestion. There are the essential fatty acids that come from seeds and nuts. There is the fiber that we get from food.

And there are the “plant fats”, also know as sterols and sterolins. The primary fat that is found in animals is cholesterol, and the plant equivalent of cholesterol is called sterol. Animals cannot make sterols, but they can get them from the plants that they eat.

Animal studies (including humans) have demonstrated that Beta-sitosterol (the major sterol in higher plants) and Beta-sitosterol glycoside (another plant product) exhibit anti-inflammatory, anti-neoplastic, anti-pyretic and immune-modulating activities. These activities may help protect against and reverse such diseases as chronic viral infections, tuberculosis, cancer, allergies, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and various other autoimmune diseases.

The immune system within our bodies is very complex. There are basically two ways that our immune system protects us from disease. The first way is by creating antibodies in response to a particular invader. This is basically how an inoculation works. We inject into the body a part of a virus or bacteria. The body recognizes the invader and creates a specific defense against it, very specific cells that are floating through the body as sentries, waiting for the arrival of the bad guy. They can only fight against that specific bad guy. When someone gets infected with the virus or bacteria then the body is already armed to get rid of it. This is also the primary way that we hand down immunity from generation to generation… antibodies are passed from mother to child through the placenta and through a nutrient called colostrum that comes from breast feeding in the first few days of life.

The second way is through a less specific corps of cells that find invaders and destroys them through various forms of chemical warfare. The natural killer cells that help protect against cancer are among these types of cells. Within these particular cells, the balance between the different components is very important to the body’s ability to effectively fight off disease.

An “auto-immune” disease occurs when, for some reason, the body’s immune system starts fighting against the body itself, or certain parts of the body. In the case of multiple sclerosis, parts of the immune system start attacking the lining of the nerve cells, called the myelin sheath, and cause nerve damage that results in muscle weakness, fatigue and vision problems. It may be that the actual problem has to do with the “balance” between certain parts of the immune system.

Some of the immune cells do the attacking and other cells tell the attacking cells when to stop the assault. Too much of one type and not enough of the other has been observed in people with certain chronic viral and bacteria diseases, and in other chronic conditions, such as allergies and auto-immune disorders. Fixing this imbalance may be the answer to helping people with rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, persistent allergies, psoriasis… even cancer and HIV.

What does all of this have to do with sterols and sterolins… the fats that come from plants? Research has shown that beta-sitosterol and beta-sitosterol glycosides work to help maintain the proper balance within certain parts of the immune system. These plant fats help return the body to normal function, they help “normalize” immune function. Is it any wonder that vegetarians seem to suffer less from all sorts of diseases, including various cancers, heart disease, allergies and auto-immune diseases? Ongoing studies looking into the effect of these plant fats include rheumatoid arthritis, chronic rhinitis and sinusitis, hepatitis C, HIV, and cancer.

So the next question is… which plant foods will provide the most of these healthy plant fats? Almost all plant foods contain some amounts of sterols and sterolins. The following list shows the foods with the highest contents (mg of sterols/sterolins per 100 grams of edible portion).

Nuts and Seeds:
Sesame seeds 443
Sunflower seeds 349
Cashews 130
Almonds 122

Vegetables:
Peas 108
Barley 98
Squash, white 89
Potatoes, white 40
Soybeans 30

Vegetable Oils:
Olive oil 91
Wheat germ 67
Sunflower oil 60
Cocoa butter 59

Fruits:
Figs 27
Oranges, naval 17
Pomegranates 16
Apricots 16

Beans and Legumes:
Peanuts 142
Broad 95
Kidney 91

Spices, dry:
Clove 242
Oregano 177
Thyme 152

As you can see, seeds and nuts contain much larger amounts than do many other foods. However, how these foods are cooked and stored, frozen or processed can affect the amounts of the good fats. For example, freezing releases an enzyme within the food that destroys the phytosterol glycosides. Boiling vegetables causes the plant fats to precipitate into the cooking water, which gets thrown away. The vegetable oils mentioned above actually have the sterol removed, because the “cloudiness” that they cause gives the impression of impurities in the oil.

The sprouts of certain foods, if consumed at the proper time, contain much higher amounts of the plant fats. There are products available at the health food store that take the sprouts, dry them and put them in a capsule to insure a certain amount of sterols and sterolins per capsule.

In conclusion, it seems to make sense that nature has the ability to provide us with all of the nutrition that we need to live long, healthy lives. It is clear that our understanding of just how this works is still in its infancy and that as time goes on we will discover more and more. In the meantime, my recommendation is to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Try to eat them in the packages that nature provides them, you never see a “can” of peas growing on a vine. Try to get them as close to the time when they were picked as possible and try to make sure that they were picked ripe, not ripened on a truck on the way to the store. Try to eat foods that are not treated with pesticides and other poisons.

And most importantly, think about what else your Grandma tried to tell you… if she was right about this, she was probably right about all the other things too!

Whiplash
Inflammation
Nerve impingement
CoQ10
Multi-vitamins
Protein powder
Whey protein
Brite eyes
Cataracts
Glycation
CoQ10 gels
Clots and plaque
Acid alkaline balance
Cancer
C Super Seed 22
Cartilage