Can Sunscreen Prevent Cancer?

Nature’s Free Vitamin D

By Barbara LeGrand Cockrell

Raise your hand if you think sunlight causes skin cancer. For decades, doctors and the “cancer industry” have warned us stay out of the “dangerous” sunlight and/or use plenty of sunscreen. But is this good advice?

Did you know Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis and autism? Vitamin D isn’t really a “true” vitamin, as we don’t need food to attain it. Natural sunlight allows our body to create vitamin D and even destroys excessive amounts. How does that happen? When the sun’s ultraviolet B (“UVB”) rays hit your skin, they trigger a pre-cholesterol molecule (7-dehydrocholesterol), which is then turned into Vitamin D3 (aka “cholecalciferol”).

The mechanisms by which vitamin D reduces the risk of cancer are fairly well understood. They include enhancing calcium absorption, inducing cell differentiation, increasing apoptosis (programmed cell death), reducing metastasis and proliferation, and reducing angiogenesis (formation of new blood vessels).

Researchers in Belgium appear to be the first to show that vitamin D also lowers C-reactive protein (CRP), a measure of inflammation in the body, in critically ill patients. CRP is elevated when there is inflammation in the body, and chronic inflammation is a risk factor for a number of conditions including coronary heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Research studies have shown a direct connection between Vitamin D deficiency and heart disease. The authors of a 2006 article in the American Journal of Public Health state, after a review of more than 60 studies on Vitamin D and Cancer, that cancer occurrence and death could be reduced with improved levels of Vitamin D in the body. The incidence of breast cancer could be reduced by 50% and colon cancer by 80%!

And a June 2007 Creighton University School of Medicine study indicated that appropriate levels of vitamin D3 (and calcium) reduced the risk of cancer by a staggering 77%! A 2009 study by a group of Leeds University researchers actually found that higher levels of vitamin D were linked to improved skin cancer survival odds, while other studies have found that vitamin D has a connection to a strong immune response in the body.

Does Sunscreen Prevent Skin Cancer?

Don’t fall for the “sunscreen myth.” The idea that sunscreen prevents cancer is a myth promoted by a greedy “tag-team” effort between the “cancer industry” and the sunscreen industry. Sunlight is actually good for you (especially the UVB rays), and sunscreens filter out UVB! The main chemical used in sunscreens to filter out UVB is octyl methoxycinnamate (aka “OMC”) which has been shown to kill mouse cells even at low doses. Plus, it was also shown to be particularly toxic when exposed to sunshine. And guess what? OMC is present in 90% of sunscreen brands!

The most popular brands of sunscreens also contain other toxic chemicals (such as dioxybenzone and oxybenzone) that are absorbed through the skin where they enter the bloodstream, generate free radicals, wreak havoc on the immune system, damage the liver and the heart, and even promote systemic cancer. Titanium dioxide, another common ingredient in sunscreens, has been classified as “a potential occupational carcinogen” by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. If you want to use a natural sunscreen, try aloe vera gel.

Sunscreens have been making headlines lately due to their contribution to coral bleaching and ocean acidification. Coral bleaching is the phenomenon whereby coral loses its color and rejects symbiotic organisms, essentially killing the coral. While rising sea temperatures are the main culprit behind coral bleaching researchers believe oxybenzone (as mentioned above) is aiding in the destruction of coral reefs.

I am NOT saying that you should sit out in the sun until you’re red and crisp like a lobster! Burning will damage cellular DNA, which can lead to cancer. If you’re pale as a ghost, you probably want to start out with just a few minutes in the sun each day. My partner and I can sit in the sun for an hour (or more) each day and not get burned, and this is true for my niece, Kara. But you need to understand that antioxidants (in fruits and vegetables) and proper nutrition (specifically the B vitamins) will *prevent* sunburn.

Here’s a little trivia: the term “Red Neck” actually originated from the early American colonists (in the South) who would get sunburned necks during the summer. But their “red necks” were not just a result of being in the sun all day. They were a result of a nutritional deficiency. You see, the colonists didn’t understand how to properly process corn like the American Indians did. The Indians processed corn using potash (which is highly alkaline) that makes the B vitamins in corn available for assimilation during digestion. But the American settlers (too arrogant to follow the food preparation ways of the Indian “savages”) would simply grind up their corn and consume it as corn flour (corn meal).

This resulted in vitamin B deficiencies, which (when coupled with too much sun exposure) would result in their “red necks.” By the way, the nutritional deficiency link to sunburn has been supported with multiple studies, including a study published in the 2004 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

In light of the fact that the best place to get vitamin D is natural sunlight AND the fact that vitamin D deficiency can lead to cancer, diabetes, and numerous other life threatening diseases, the warning to “stay out of the sun” is completely irrational! And despite the importance of vitamin D, it’s estimated that over 50% of the US population is vitamin D deficient. I too get vitamin D deficient in the winter months. During the summer, my family and I try to lie out in the sun for at least 30 minutes, three to four times per week, to obtain sufficient vitamin D to stay healthy and strong.

However, in the winter time, you’ll need a good vitamin D3 supplement. But take note that most vitamin D supplements are virtually worthless! Here’s why: The vitamin D in milk and in most vitamin supplements is vitamin D2 and is synthetic. Vitamin D2 is also called “ergocalciferol.” It is not the form of vitamin D that you need to prevent cancer and degenerative diseases. The form of vitamin D which you need is vitamin D3 (“cholecalciferol”) and, as I mentioned above, it is produced from the UVB rays in sunlight. That’s why I frequently refer to sunshine as the “most affordable cancer-fighting nutrient in the world.” Think about it, you can get a lifetime supply for FREE! It was certainly one of the things that helped my partner overcome his cancer.

Top 7 Useful Helps On How To Get Rid of Vaginal Odor

By Arial Grande

1. Definition of Vaginal Odor

Vaginal odor is all of the smells that originate from your vagina. Normally, your vagina has a really light scent. However, even when you are always careful with your body, you can still have to suffer some strange and strong vaginal odor, like a “fishy” odor.

2. Causes of Vaginal Odor

There are plenty of different causes of vaginal odor. However, here are some of the most common ones:

• Bacterial vaginosis:

Bacteria in the vagina are not likely harmful to your body. However, if the environment around you is affected negatively, there would be bacteria that could be harmful, such as bacterial vaginosis. This symptom can become more severe when it causes infections.

• Improper diet:

You should not try too much food with a strong smell such as onion, garlic, asparagus, curry, etc… because it can lead to unpleasant odor.

• Sweat:

More sweat is likely to occur at the area around your genitals and it causes some strange scents.

• Hormone changing.
• Bad hygiene routines:

If you do not take bath and wash your vaginal area often, the bacteria would have a chance to grow up, which causes vaginal odor.

• Trichomoniasis (Infection caused by sexually transmission)

3. Symptoms of vaginal odor?

Vaginal odor tends to have some following symptoms:

• Caused by bacterial vaginosis or trichomoniasis: Fishy vaginal smell
• Caused by infection: The skin around your vagina could itches, irritates or burns.

4. How to treat Vaginal Odor?

These natural remedies below are not only effective for eliminating vaginal odor but also safe for your body.  In addition, you can try it at home easily.

1. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar is a great remedy for getting rid of vaginal odor because there are antibacterial elements inside it. It also protects you from the bacteria causing vaginal odor.

You need to follow these steps:

• Add warm water to the bath and pour 2 glasses of apple cider vinegar into it. Immerse your body in the bath in 20 minutes. You should do this a few times every week.
• Or you can add 1 or 2 tablespoons of ACV to a cup of water and drink it every day.

2. White vinegar

Another effective home remedy for treating vaginal odor is white vinegar. It can recover the pH level of your body, which is really beneficial for eliminating vaginal odor.

Follow these steps:

• Fill the bath with warm water, after that add a half glass of the white vinegar and salt to the bath
• Soak your body in the bath for several minutes
• You should do this a few times every week

3. Yogurt

Yogurt is a favorite food of almost everyone, especially women. It not only does you good but also contains a lot of lactobacillus bacteria that can heal vaginal odor and make your body pH level be balanced.

Follow these steps:

• You just need to eat 1 to 2 cups of sugar free yogurt daily
• Or dip a tampon in some plain yogurt, then apply it to the body and leave it there for several hours. After that, remove the tampon and wash that area carefully with water.

4. Tea tree oil

Tea tree oil can remove unfamiliar vaginal odor quickly because it has antiseptic elements that can prevent bacteria do harm for your body.

Follow these steps:

• Wash your affected area with a mixture of water and 3 drops of tea tree oil
• Or you can add some tea tree oil to a tampon that was soaked in the olive oil. Apply it to your body and keep it for about 60 minutes. You should do this a few times per week.

5. Garlic

Garlic can be used as an antibiotic in order to get rid of infections or strange smells from your vagina. This ingredient can protect you from harmful bacteria really well.

Follow these steps:

• Eat raw garlic or eat after having it cooked. Or you can drink a cup of warm water while eating 1 to 2 garlic cloves
• You can also cut garlic into smaller pieces and insert one of them to your vagina. Keep it there in about 1 or 2 hours. You should do this several times per week

6. Fenugreek

Fenugreek is another favorite remedy of many women. It keeps the hormones balanced and maintains your usual menstrual cycles.

Follow these steps:

• Add 2 spoons of fenugreek seeds to a cup of water and keep it for 1 night. After waking up, you should remove the seeds and drink the water before having breakfast.
• Or you can put 1 spoon of these seeds to water and boil this mixture. After straining the seeds, you should drink the water twice a day

Note: If you suffer from diarrhea or irritation on your skin, you should stop trying this remedy immediately.

7. Baking soda

Baking soda is another great way to eliminate vaginal odor. It can keep your body pH level balanced and help you avoid yeast infections, which is really good for your health.

Follow these steps:

• Fill your bath with water and add a half glass of baking soda to it.
• After that, soak your body in the bath in 20 minutes
• Dry your body with a clean towel.

Author’s bio: Arial Grande is the Senior Editor of Authority Remedies. She is a certified pharmacist after finishing her bachelor degree of Healthcare Management at University of Findlay. She has worked and trained in the field of Nutrition and Health for over 2 years, consistently providing people with useful information about nutrition as well as helping them with their common health problems.

5 Habit Changes You Can Make to Be Healthier

By Cassie Phillips

Our health is paramount to our existence, yet it can easily be damaged through laziness and neglect. Depending on our upbringing and environment, we become conditioned to either embrace a healthy lifestyle, or to frame nutritional living as “hard work.”

However, staying in shape and feeding your body with nutritious, satisfying and healthy fuel isn’t as hard as it’s made out to be. The idea that healthy living is difficult to maintain or begin is an incorrect stereotype that needs to be broken down. Using the five habit changes in this article, you’ll be able to see just how enjoyable and easy it can be to live a healthy life.

Shop Mindfully

Food shopping is a regular occurrence in our lives. However, depending on our moods and how much time we give ourselves, we can rush this task and buy lots of unhealthy foods that are damaging to our health and overall well-being. Your diet is essential to your health and must be taken seriously. To avoid snacking on low-quality foods, you can give yourself the upper hand by taking more control over your food shopping.

Take time to read labels and look into what ingredients are in the goods you purchase. For example, watch out for artificial preservatives and chemical substances that aren’t healthy. If you don’t easily recognize an ingredient or it looks like something from a science textbook, there’s a pretty good chance it’s not good for you. Replace foods that aren’t nutritious with options that contain natural fats and sugars such as avocados and whole eggs. If you have a sweet tooth and love your chocolate, purchase dark instead of milk chocolate.

By paying closer attention to what goes into your food, you will quickly learn which foods are actually healthy and which are not. It is also important to make sure you give yourself time to enjoy your grocery shopping so that you can pay closer attention to what you’re buying.

To ensure success with this habit, go to the store prepared with a list of what you need to buy. If you go with clear objectives, you will spend less time searching around and can spend more time reading ingredients and choosing quality foods.

Paying attention to how you shop is a productive habit that will help limit unhealthy eating and improve your health.

Take Advantage of Technology

In this day and age, keeping on top of your health is far easier than it was even a decade ago. Technology has played a key role in this shift through the development of wearable devices and apps on smart phones that can track your fitness, diet. progress and even stress levels.

When we install apps or use wearable devices, our behavior begins to change as we’re frequently sent notifications of our activity and given real-time updates about our health. We can start using these alerts as motivation to repeat success or improve previous results.

There are apps for almost every health-related activity. For example, yoga lovers could use “Daily Yoga,” and runners may want to try “Couch to 5k”. Do a search related to your interests, and you will surely find a related app to help you in forming healthier habits.

However, before you download a bunch of apps on your phone, it is recommended that you use some form of protection or secure connection to protect yourself from hackers. The more you involve technology in your life and the more connected you become, the more vigilant you need to be about protecting your identity and personal information. Not having to worry about these risks means you can spend more time with the productive parts of these technologies, which will make it easier to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Include More Positive Information in Your Life

The books you read, the TV you watch and the information you browse on the internet all affect how you think. We’re all environmentally conditioned, therefore, if we wish to become healthier, we need to make a habit out of sourcing helpful content that will push us to live a healthy lifestyle. If you find yourself watching TV shows that make you stressed or lethargic, remove them from your life, as they will not be assisting you and your health.

The same goes for books and anything you browse on the net. Make sure that you surround yourself with positive information that will assist you on your health targets, as it will help you to stay determined and motivated. We spend lots of time-consuming information. By changing the type of things you read and watch, it will be easier to stay focused on achieving your health-related goals. 

Keep a Journal

Knowing your current diet will help you become aware of unhealthy habits and identify where you need to make changes. Keeping a journal of what you eat is a great way to do this and is an excellent habit to form.

For example, you could sit down after dinner, or any other moment of the day, and write down what you ate that day and how those foods made you feel. At first this might be a bit strange, but over time you will notice patterns. Some foods make you feel great while others do not. Or, you may find that there are certain times or situations where you are more likely to go for something unhealthy. This information will help you be more conscious of your choices and will go a long way towards your efforts to live a healthy lifestyle.

Walk More Often

Walking is a simple, elegant and enjoyable activity that does wonders for your health.  Try to incorporate more walking into your daily life. For example, take the stairs instead of the elevator or walk to local places such as the supermarket or bank rather than driving. It may take a little longer, but plan for this time and enjoy it.

The benefits of walking also extend to your mental health. It can seriously reduce negative thinking and your stress levels. Although making this change might mean it will take longer to get to some places, if you plan for this, you’ll find that these moments will turn into treasured escapes from your daily routine that also help promote healthy living.

Overall, becoming healthier really comes down to understanding and addressing our current habits. Many times we do things that might be unhealthy without even knowing it, so it’s important to look for what we can change. Keeping a food diary, shopping with awareness and walking more often are all habit changes we can make that will show you that maintaining a healthy lifestyle is in fact not hard work but instead easy, fun and rewarding.

Author bio: Cassie Phillips is a health and tech enthusiast who enjoys blogging about her experiences. She also runs a local fitness class specializing in woodland walks and cycling around her neighborhood. Cassie takes pride in helping others be more mindful of their habits and in showing them how simple changes can do wonders to improve your overall health.

Web: www.ehealthinformer.com
Twitter: @eHealth_Inform