LindsayRobbins

HLTH1020
7/15/16

ProtectingOurSkinWithNutrition

Whensummertimehitsandthesunisshining,manyofuslovetospenddayssoakingup
raysandspendingtimeoutdoors.Weknowthatsunscreencanhelppreventusfromgettinga
sunburnorsevereskindamage,butcanourdiethelpprotectusaswell?Incorporatingaplant
basedandantioxidantrichdietcangiveusanextralayerofprotectionfromtheinsideout.
Consumingalcoholcanalsonegativelyaffectourprotectionagainstthesunsrays.Iwas
previouslyunawarethatourbodieswerecapableofutilizingwhatweconsumetofightagainst
thoseharmfulhoursspentoutsideduringtheday.AndIhadnoideaalcoholconsumptioncould
increaseourchancesofgettingaburn,andatafasterrateaswell.Skindamageandaging
happensovertimetoallofusandourcancerriskcanincreaseasweage.Withskincancer
becomingveryprevalentinoursociety,Ithinkitsimportantforustocareaboutourskins
healthinadditiontoouroverallhealthandwellness.
TheraysofsunlightshiningonourskincauseustobeexposedtoUltraviolet(UV)
radiation.UVradiationcausesDNAandproteindamagewithinourskincellsaswellasexposes
ustothefreeradicalsitproduces.Freeradicalsareunstableoxygenmoleculesthatdamagecell
function.Withasmallamountofdamage,ourcellscanreleasemelaninwhichconvertstherays
toharmlessheatenergyandprotectsourcells.Butwhenthedamageistoosevere,thecellscan
dieandresultinaninflammatoryresponsecausingasunburn.Evenonesunburncanbe
devastatingtoourskinshealth.Ourskinkeepscumulativelyagingourentirelives.Most
damagecannotbereversedonceitsoccurred.

OneinfiveAmericanswillencounterskincancerinthecourseoftheirlifetime.This
meansweshouldallbeconcernedaboutprotectingourselvesthebestwecan.Theannualcost
oftreatingskincancersintheU.S.isover$8Billionwhichseemsverysteepconsideringskin
canceristhemostpreventableformofcancer.Coveringupandapplyingsunscreenareexternal
wayswecanprotectourselves,butwhatweconsumeinternallyaffectsourlevelofprotectionas
well.Everythingweputinourbodieshasapositiveornegativeeffectonus.Ourriskgoesup
whenlargeamountsofalcoholareconsumedinashortperiodoftime.Wecanlowerourriskby
consumingfoodswithmoreantioxidants.
Whileourbodiesproducesomeantioxidantsnaturally,weshouldincorporatemoreinto
thefoodsweeatformanyhealthbenefits.Ourbodiesproducelessantioxidantsasweage,so
gettingoldermeansweneedtosupplyourselveswithevenmorethroughfood.Nutrition
specialist,Dr.Mercolathoroughlyexplainshowthesenutrientsfunctioninourbodiesbystating
that:

Antioxidantsarenature'swayofprovidingyourcellswithadequatedefenseagainst
attackbyreactiveoxygenspecies(ROS).Aslongasyouhavetheseimportantmicronutrients,
yourbodywillbeabletoresistagingcausedbyyoureverydayexposuretopollutants.Ifyou
don'thaveanadequatesupplyofantioxidantstohelpsquelchfreeradicals,thenyoucanbeat
riskofoxidativestress,whichleadstoacceleratedtissueandorgandamage.

Skinagingisincreasedthroughsunexposure,evenwhensunscreenisused.Whenyoubring
alcoholintotheequationwecanalsolowerourskin'sabilitytorepairitselfmorerapidly.

Alcoholconsumptionwhileoutinthesuncouldplayintoourrisk.Alcohol
diminishes
cellularantioxidantlevelsalloverthebody,especiallyintheskincells.Thisleadstoincreased
oxidativedamage,somuchso,thattheskincantrecuperate.Thisdecreasestheamountoftime
itwi
lltakeapersontoburn,thiscouldbelesstimethanthepersonexpects.Ifapersonwasto
drink3shotsofvodkainarathershortperiodoftime,thelevelofantioxidantsintheirskinwill
dropafterjust8minutes.Itsbeenreportedthatthosedrinkingandspendingtimeonthebeach
hadamoreseveresunburnthanthosenotdrinking.
Theantioxidantsweshouldtrytoabsorbregularlyarecarotenoids(betacarotene,
lycopene,luteinandzeaxanthin),vitamins(A,C,DandE),enzymes(superoxidedismutase,
catalaseandglutathioneperoxidase)andothers.A2012studyinBerlin,Germanyobservedthat
theirstudygroup
showedadecreaseindermalcarotenoidsaftertheconsumptionofhigh
amountsofalcohol
.Thestudysuggeststhatalcoholconsumptioncompromisesourskins
naturaldefensesystemandisariskfactorforsunburnandskincancer.Thedecreaseof
antioxidantsinourskincanhavemanyconsequences,asthesenutrientsneutralizefreeradicals
intheskinthatcomefromUVradiation.Sohowcanwemakesureweareprotected?
Adviceiseverywhereonwhatweshouldbeeatinganditcanbeoverwhelming.Buta
diethighinplantbasedfoodsandlowinprocessedfoodsisasimplestartingpointtogetting
healthier.Managingstressandgettingregularsleepareothertoolstoachievingbetterhealth.
Dr.DougDiOrio,themedicaldirectorofintegrativemedicinefortheOhioHealthBingCancer
Centeradviseshispatientstoavoidfoodsthatarebreaded,highlyprocessedorfullofsugar.He
saysthat:

Eliminatingfloursandotherhighlyprocessedfoodsfromthedietcanplayamajorrole
inkeepingtheskinandotherbodysystemshealthy.Processedflours,sugarsandtransfats
causeinflammation.Thatsetsthebodyupforacarcinogeniceffectandmakestheskinmore
susceptibletodamage.Itsdifficulttostudybecauseyoucantregressandnarrowitdownto
justonething,butwecanlookatnutritioninthelabandseethatitaffectscancer,and
extrapolatethatandsaythatgoodnutritiondoesgoodthingsforthebody.
JenniferBurton,aregistereddieticianwithOhioHealthrecommendsfruitsandvegetables
aboveallforskincancerprevention.Shesays:

Theyareoneofourbestsourcesofantioxidants,andwhenitcomestoskincancer,they
areourfirstlineofdefense.Foodscanbeeitherveryprotectiveorveryharmful.Eatlotsof
themthemorecolorful,thebetter.Varietyisveryimportant,becauseeachfoodprovidesus
withsomethingdifferent.
Somecommonfoodsthatsupplyuswithalotofantioxidantsarebeans,berries,andapples.In
additiontofruitsandvegetables,Dr.Burton&Dr.DiOriobothrecommendgreenteaasoneof
themostpowerfulantioxidantswecanconsume.Itcanalsodecreaseinflammationinthebody.
Inconclusion,Ithinkthatwitheachdaythatpassesandweareexposedtomoresunlight
(especiallyduringthesummer),weneedtobeproactiveinfuelingourbodiestodefendourskin
andcells.Moderationiskeytooverallhealth.Toomuchexposuretosunorconsumingtoo
muchalcoholwillalwayshavesomenegativeconsequences.Moderateamountsofthesethings
canhavepositivehealtheffectsbutindulgingtoomuchcancanceloutthesepositiveeffects.

Consumptionofantioxidantsrightbeforesunexposurecanhavemanypositivebenefits,evenif
yousnack30minutesbeforehittingthebeach.Ithinkwecanallenjoyoursunnydayseven
moreknowingourskinisalittlemoreprepared.Ourinternalhealthisimmediatelyconnected
withourexternalhealth.Ithinkthemostimportantthingtorememberisthateverythingweput
inourbodieswillhaveapositiveornegativeeffect.Ifwecanimproveourbodiesineven1
positivewayeachday,wecandevelopbetterhealthandreachmorehealthgoals.

ReferencePage
TheSkinCancerFoundation.SkinCancerFactsAndStatistics.
www.skincancer.org.
8
June2016.
http://www.skincancer.org/skincancerinformation/skincancerfacts.

Mercola,Joseph.TheUltimateGuideToAntioxidants.www.mercola.com.2016.
http://articles.mercola.com/antioxidants.aspx

Faulker,David.AlcoholAndSunburns:ATragicomedy.
www.mindthesciencegap.org.
18February2013.
http://www.mindthesciencegap.org/2013/02/18/alcoholandsunburnsatragicomedy/

Campbell,Kristin.
HealthWatch:TheLinkBetweenSkinCancerAndWhatWeEat.
www.columbusceo.com
.May2014.
http://www.columbusceo.com/content/stories/2014/05/healthwatchthelinkbetweenskincance
randwhatweeat.html.

Darvin,M.E.Sterry,W.Lademann,J.Patzelt,A.
AlcoholConsumptionDecreasesthe
ProtectionEfficiencyoftheAntioxidantNetworkandIncreasestheRiskofSunburninHuman
Skin.
www.karger.com
.
7November2012.
http://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/343908.