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The Skin Cancer Myth
I sat down for lunch last week and began thumbing through a local health magazine. I came across the headline: “Are You Aware of the Dangers of Skin Cancer?”
This ought to be interesting, I thought.
The article was written by a dermatologist. He spent half the time talking about the “dangers” of skin cancer. Then he stressed the importance of avoiding the sun. He also recommended the near-constant use of sunscreen (a brand you can buy at his office, of course). And he concluded with a recommendation to come in for a screening.
What he failed to mention in his efforts to demonize sunlight is that moderate sun exposure is some of the best “medicine” God ever gave us. Maintain optimal vitamin D levels from sun exposure and your risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes falls dramatically.
He also forgot to mention that the sunscreen he recommends has no fewer than FOUR proven carcinogenic chemicals.
But I’ve covered the topics of toxic sunscreens and the miraculous benefits of vitamin D in this space before. And Dr. Sears and I go into great detail in our book, Your Best Health Under the Sun.
Today, let’s look at the widely held and mistaken belief that “the sun” is responsible for the growing epidemic of skin cancer.
There is no doubt that skin cancer is rampant. It is by far the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control, well over a million Americans will be diagnosed this year. Current research suggests that one in every five people will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.
But consider the following…
Before the 1930s, skin cancer was rare. Since that time the incidence has increased dramatically. The incidence of melanoma (the deadly form of skin cancer) has gone up 1,800%. In just the last 30 years, the death rate from melanoma has increased more than fourfold, while the incidence of all types of skin cancer has more than doubled.
Is Sunlight Really the “Cause” of Skin Cancer?
But how could these massive increases be “caused” by the sun? Our sun is billions of years old – has it suddenly changed in the last 80 years? Not likely.
Or are the growing rates of skin cancer because we spend more time in the sun than we used to? No, that’s not it either. In fact, we spend far less time outdoors today than we used to. At the start of the twentieth century, more than 75% of people in the U.S. worked outdoors. Today, only 10% of the population works outside.
And not only do we spend less time in the sun, we now cover ourselves in sunscreen. In the last 30 years, the use of sunscreen has increased by orders of magnitude. Chemical-based sunscreens are now a $6 billion-a-year industry.
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Understanding the REAL Causes of Skin Cancer
The increase in skin cancer is not the result of changes to the world around us. It is the result of changes within us. Because of alterations that have occurred in the human diet – particularly in the last 100 years – we have become far more vulnerable to all types of cancer, including skin cancer.
Science has proven that some foods can promote skin cancer. As a population, we now eat these foods in great abundance. On the other hand, there are other foods that strongly prevent skin cancer. Unfortunately, we now consume far too few of these foods.
In other words, we have artificially raised our risk factors for skin cancer, while simultaneously removing our natural defenses against it. Is it any wonder that the rates of skin cancer have increased?
Sunlight is simply a cofactor that comes into play only after our defenses have been compromised. But what if moderate sun exposure can actually protect us from cancer?
In the case of melanoma (the deadly form of skin cancer), that appears to be the case.
Dozens of studies have shown that those whose occupations keep them outdoors have a much lower incidence of melanoma than do those who work inside. For example, construction workers, lifeguards, and farmers have much lower rates of malignant melanoma than office workers.
Population studies also clearly show an inverse relationship between UV exposure and melanoma. For example, rates of melanoma are higher in Minnesota than Arizona, and higher in Norway than the South of France.
The combination of all of these studies plainly indicates that those who spend more time in the sun (without burning) have less risk of melanoma – quite the opposite of what the anti-sun proponents would have you believe.
Lab studies have also shown that vitamin D (which is highly protective against internal cancers) is also protective against melanoma. In several studies, vitamin D was shown to cause melanoma cells to self-destruct. And finally, moderate sun exposure was also shown to DOUBLE the survival rates of those suffering from melanoma.
The more common (though less dangerous) forms of skin cancer – basal cell and squamous cell – are more closely associated with sun exposure than melanoma. But as you will see, the sun is merely the cofactor. It is our poor diet and nutritional deficiencies that make our skin prone to damage from UV rays.
The Role of Free Radicals in Skin Cancer
The underlying cause of most skin cancer is oxidative stress. Skin cells (like all healthy cells) are rich in oxygen. When the ultraviolet rays of the sun strike these oxygen molecules, they can cause some of them to lose an electron. The result is an unstable and reactive molecule – the oxygen free radical.
Antioxidants are free radical scavengers. These electron-rich molecules donate their electrons to free radicals, stabilizing them and preventing cellular damage.
But if antioxidants are in short supply, or if so many free radicals are formed that they overwhelm the antioxidant defense system, then tissue damage, accelerated aging, and eventually, degenerative disease (i.e., skin cancer) will occur.
The Dietary Connection to Skin Cancer
For millions of years, man thrived under the sun. And for all of that time, skin cancer was rare. It has only been in the last 70 years or so that the incidence has increased dramatically. There is a very simple explanation for this.
The standard American diet (which is rapidly becoming the world’s diet) is abundant in foods that promote the formation of free radicals… and it is deficient in the foods that provide antioxidant protection against these free radicals.
Besides the use of chemical sunscreens, the real causes for the rise in skin cancer are two primary changes in the modern diet:
1. A dramatic increase in the consumption of omega-6 fatty acids and a corresponding decrease in the consumption of omega-3s.
At the beginning of the 1900s there were almost no vegetable oils in our diet. Today, the average American consumes 70 pounds of vegetable fat. We are not designed to eat these fats in the quantities we do.
The makeup of fat in the human body is normally about 97% monounsaturated and saturated. Only about 3% should be polyunsaturated. But the fat in your diet dictates the type of fat in your cells. And if you consume plant oils, your cell membranes will incorporate these fat molecules.
The problem with polyunsaturated fats displacing saturated fats in cell structures is that these fats are highly unstable. This means that they are extremely vulnerable to oxidative stress, especially in the skin, where they are exposed to oxygen and UV light.
Numerous studies have also shown that polyunsaturated fats stimulate cancer while saturated fats do not, and further that saturated fats do not break down to form free radicals. The results of having too much vegetable, corn, and seed oil in the diet are that your skin will sunburn faster and more intensely and you will be more prone to skin cancer.
2. A lack of antioxidant-rich foods.
Research also shows that low consumption of fruits and vegetables increases your skin cancer risk. This should come as no surprise. The role of antioxidants in the protection against many forms of cancer has been clearly established. And it appears that these nutrients are especially protective against skin cancer.
Carotenoids are especially protective. These colorful plant pigments are literally Mother Nature’s sunblock. When you consume carotenoids they are deposited in your skin, where they provide protection against sunburn and skin damage. These nutrients are also powerful antioxidants that scavenge for free radicals and repair cells that might become damaged. You could say they reflect and protect, forming a physical barrier and a nutritional barrier against skin damage.
The leading sources of carotenoids are eggs, spirulina, chlorella, tomatoes, dark green leafy vegetables (kale, collards, and spinach), and yellow-orange fruits and vegetables (apricots, cantaloupe, carrots, sweet potatoes, yams, and squash).
To slow the aging of your skin and dramatically reduce your risk of skin cancer, you must gain control over all of the factors that contribute to the degeneration process. Don’t believe the hype that skin cancer is exclusively “caused” by the sun. The sun is your ally in good health… and used wisely, it can even provide powerful protection against skin cancer
To Your Health,
Jon Herring
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Beautiful! Beautiful, Beautiful writing — and worth a fortune. Dr. Steve Newdell
Excellent and infomative as always. Thank you! I have used your newsletters advise many times to curb my dietary habits as well as the supplements that I take.I have also passed this info onto my family and friends,your service is invaluable to me. I read other Health e-letters, but yours is truly the only one I consider to be the “true grit” in the industry.
Knowledge is Power…Thanx again!
Bill Glass
How does the holes in the ozone layer and the increase in the intensity of the sun’s rays effect the increase of skin cancer?
Great article. I never believed sun would be the only factor in cancers…we would all have died out, especially if our ancestors did not wear much clothing and lived out doors. Also more proof and reason to eat saturated fats…I like this as I eat high saturated fat and low carb/sugar!!
Great article.. I get so tired of listening to people talk about how they need to stay out of the sun.. One lady told me she is “allergic” to the sun.. Good grief..
I have read lots of articles about how the sun is good for you.. but this one explains it very well. I will be forwarding it onto clients and family..
Thanks
Linda.. CNC
We have recently changed to using “grape seed oil” thinking that this is a great product. After reading your article I am not so sure.
Grape seed oil is 100% natural-derived from the grape a fruit. It is very low in saturated fat and very high in polyunsaturated fat and “omega 6″ from linoleic acid.
In fact the label shows-less than 1 gram of saturated, 3 grams of monounsaturated and 10 grams of polyunsaturated.
It imparts very little greasy flavor when using for popcorn, fish and such. Do we need to switch, we do like it.
Hi Penelope,
Regarding the theory that the “thinning ozone layer” allows more UV radiation through the atmosphere, here is something that I wrote previously on the subject:
In their book, The Holes in the Ozone Scare, authors Rogelio Maduro and Ralf Schauerhammer present a compelling case that the theory of the thinning ozone is false. They believe that much of the fear surrounding increased UV radiation is unwarranted.
3-D imaging tells us that the ozone layer is not uniform in the first place. It is constantly shifting, and there are substantial variations from place to place, from season to season and from year to year. In a paper presented to Congress, Harvard astrophysicist, Sallie Baliunas, said that the natural variability of the ozone layer is “orders of magnitude greater” than the alleged man-made “depletion.”
But the fact is that even if the ozone layer were thinning, that doesn’t explain the increase in skin cancer. Here’s why. Even the most vocal proponents of the hole in the ozone theory suggest that ozone depletion has only resulted in an average 10 to 20 percent increase in UV-B radiation at the earth’s surface. To give you an idea of what this means, consider the fact that a one percent increase in UVB radiation is the equivalent of moving six miles south of where you are and standing outside. That means a 20 percent increase in solar radiation would be the equivalent of moving 120 miles south. You can actually increase your UV exposure by 100 percent, just by traveling 600 miles south!
That’s much more of an effect than ozone depletion could cause, and people do it every day.
My optometrist still believes that I should wear sunglasses but what he doesn’t understand is that you need to go without them so you can get vitamin D on your face when you are in the sun.
Jon, very good article. Sometimes I wonder if the longer life-spans humans have now also contribute to the increased incidence of cancer. Cancer takes a while to develop, and perhaps just living longer increases the odds.
Never-the-less, I do greatly believe that too much red meat and not enough antioxidants play a huge part in development of many types of cancers, not just skin cancer.
Roger
antioxidants-made-simple.com
A great article
Incredibly interesting article. I am very impressed with the content here.
Loved the article. Its great info that many people could benefit from. One complaint: No way I could find to get a printer-friendly form. Please provide that capability on all future articles.
loved your article. sound. true.cut the bullshit. thanks, will circulate this.
Great article! I just read that eggs can contribute ot prostate cancer. Have you heard anything to this effect?
There was a study last year published in the British Journal of Dermatology that concluded the “epidemic of melanoma” is the result of diagnostic drift. In other words, benign and harmless skin lesions are being diagnosed as “cancerous” for reasons such as defensive medicine and to get reimbursed for cosmetic removals.
Incidence vs. diagnosis of skin cancer is very different - one of the reasons skin cancer is appearing to increase is that doctors are getting much better at diagnosing it in very early stages, so the assertion that skin cancer is becoming more common is simply not accurate.
This article does make good points regarding cancer and dietary influence, importance of antioxidants, etc.
I do wish the author considered more about the current breadth of toxic and carcinogenic compounds that we regularly expose ourselves via personal care products, which have indeed exploded on the market and in our bathrooms during the past 80 years. Petroleum-derived ingredients are simply not compounds that our skin has had a chance to adequately evolve protection - most penetrate into our skin cells and bodily tissues very easily because of this. The fact is, we shouldn’t be using anything on our bodies that we aren’t willing to eat, precisely because skin is our largest organ and is not the impenetrable barrier mass market manufacturers of personal care products would have us believe. Chronic use of these chemicals, even if they are present on the GRAS list (which doesn’t evaluate chronic (i.e. decades) exposure in humans), can result in problems given that chemicals that aren’t naturally occuring in our bodies will adversely perturb human physiology. It’s not a quantum leap to make the common-sense determination that they increase cancer risk.
The solution is an easy one - use products that are free of petrochemicals and other compounds that aren’t part of natural biochemical processes.
If you won’t eat it, it shouldn’t be on or in you.
It is always best to avoid sunburn if at all possible! However, I have a very light complexion and struggle with sunburns a lot. Fortunately, I found an all-natural product called Regen. It took the pain out of the sunburn and stopped the blistering and peeling! Turns that burn into a great tan! It has saved many a vacation for my family and does not even sting if it gets into your eyes. You should see this: http://blog.oli-co.com/?p=561. You do not have to let sunburn get you down. By the way, if you are already blistering, use it anyway because it keeps your skin from itching! If you are not satisfied, they even give your money back!
Suz, your optometrist is right. UV light is damaging to your eyes, wear UV filtering sunglasses. Vitamin D is obtained through your skin not your eyes. The more skin exposed, less time in the sunlight needed. Lighter the skin less time needed. As you age you absorb less vitamin D. If you have dark skin, it’s harder to absorb vitamin D. November to March north of Atlanta, you can’t get vitamin D from the sun. If you slop on a sunscreen, you won’t get the vitamin D from the sun. Sun needs to be at it’s peak, 10-3, March to November to get vitamin D. And it’s D3 you need for good health. Interesting to see if vitamin D3 from supplements works in the body the same as nature intended-from ultraviolet light!
The article spoke about vegetable oils, but didn’t mention olive oil nor did it mention if it is good or bad.
Other than that pretty informative.
Thanks
Very good article. Too bad you have to pay an extra 10% now to get your vitamin D in a tanning salon. These doctors have no clue what they’re talking about.