Loading ...Healthy LivingThe Link Between Dietary Fat and Skin Cancer
If you were to ask most people,”What is the primary cause of skin cancer?” the answer would have something to do with the sun. That answer would be wrong. The sun is only a co-factor, and in most cases, it is only a minor co-factor.
Just like heart disease, diabetes, and most internal cancers, what you eat (or don’t eat) plays a significant role in the progression and development of skin cancer.
Science has proven that there are some foods which strongly promote skin cancer. One of the strongest promoters of skin cancer (and wrinkles) is polyunsaturated omega-6 fats. These fats are found primarily in vegetable and seed oils. Conventionally raised meats are also very high in omega-6 fats.
When you consume these fats, they are incorporated into your cell membranes. And because these fats are highly unstable and prone to oxidative stress, they promote free radical formation in the body — particularly the skin, which is exposed to oxygen and UV light. The end result is that if you consume too many of these fats in your diet, you will sunburn much faster and more intensely — and you will also be prone to skin cancer.
The solution?
First, avoid foods that contain vegetable and seed oils (corn oil, cottonseed oil, canola, sunflower, soybean, etc.). Read the labels; these ingredients are everywhere. Second, increase your consumption of omega-3 fatty acids from wild salmon and fish oil supplements. While over-consumption of omega-6 fats is known to promote skin cancer (and other degenerative diseases), omega-3 fats are known to be protective. And finally, consume more antioxidant-rich foods to boost your body’s own natural protection against free radical damage.
Follow these three steps and you can continue to enjoy the healing rays of the sun without fear of premature wrinkles or dreaded skin cancer.
[Ed Note: John Herring is the co-author of THB's bestselling Your Best Health Under the Sun,with bonus DVD, PowerPoint Presentation and eBook. Get a copy by clicking here!.]
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Tags: diet, dietary fat, disease, skin cancer
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