Skin Health

By Jesse Jittrikawiphol, OMSIII
Osteopathic Physician Candidate 2016


Connect with Your Skin in the Summer

What does one think of when summer rolls around? To many, lying on the beach in your beach chair while listening to the waves crashing with an ice cold drink in hand is the way to go.  While enjoying that ice cold drink, the sun is emitting harmful UV rays that penetrate the ozone layer and our skin. Being the largest organ of the body, the skin is the biggest target of the sun which can cause damage ranging anywhere from sunburns to cancers!

What are UV rays? UV Rays or UltraViolet Rays, are high energy lights which can damage your skin.  Think of it as a more, mild x-ray. UV rays come in two forms: UV-A and UV-B.  1) UV-A is the more dangerous form which has the potential to penetrate the epidermis (top layer of your skin) to affect the deeper layers of your skin. 2) UV-B on the other hand just reaches the surface of your skin.

Why are UV-rays so bad? When UV Rays penetrate your skin, free radicals, or unstable molecules damage our skin DNA. Normally our body stops these free radicals from proliferating, but when the body loses its ability to rid itself of these culprits, damages accumulate causing aging wrinkles through lower production collagen.  In other cases, UV rays can increase epidermal growth factor (EGF) which increases cell growth of skin cells leading to cancers like actinic keratosis, melanomas, basal cell carcinomas, and squamous cell carcinomas.

Harmonize with your body

Our skin contains multiple repair enzymes that help fix DNA damages through molecular interactions. We just need to supply it with the proper nutrients to power this process.  One of the most talked about foods in the media today are anti-oxidants which are foods that neutralizes the effects of these damaging free radicals.  Some of these antioxidants are vitamin A/ β-carotene, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E, lutein, lycopene, and even zinc! The following are where you can find these useful antioxidants:

Vitamin A: Retinols vs. Carotenoids 
Retinols are “ready to use” vitamin A found in animal products such as liver, kidney, egg yolk and butter.
Beta Carotenoid are “unready” Vitamin A but become activated when metabolized by our body. These are found in green leafy vegetables, sweet potatoes and carrots.

Vitamin C: Also known as ascorbic acid, Vitamin C is found in cantaloupes, citrus fruits (like orange and grape fruits), kiwis, mangos, papayas, pineapples, berries, and watermelon. (These all make great summer smoothies for July!)
Fun Fact: Though Vitamin C has been rumored to prevent the common cold, studies have shown Vitamin C is more responsible for decreasing the duration of the cold instead of preventing it.

Vitamin E: Vitamin E is probably one of the most important antioxidants by acting as a free radical scavenger.  It protects cell membranes from being converted to oxidized free radical. It can be found in oils, meats, eggs, and leafy vegetables.

Lutein: Luteins are substances that accumulate in the eyes to help protect against harmful rays.  They may also have protective effects against age related eye diseases such as macular degeneration, cataracts, and inflammation of the retina. These antioxidants are found mostly in collard greens, spinach, and kale.

Lycopene:  Lycopene is a chemical naturally found in our body like our blood, adrenal glands, and lungs and some studies have shown to block cancerous cell growth (which may prevent skin cancers). These antioxidants are found mostly in tomatoes, watermelon, and guava.
Not only do these substances protect the skin, but studies have consistently shown that foods powered with antioxidants are associated with decrease in heart disease and cancers.

Other ways to protect against skin damage is to apply sunscreen that is greater than 30 SPF.  Hats and sun glasses may help but it can only help reduce some sun ray exposure while actually putting on SPF 30 sun screen will significantly reduce exposure.

Integrate your Physician

If you suspect there is an abnormal mole/skin discoloration that has increased in size or if you have a painful rash caused by the sun, see your doctor for further evaluation. The doctor may choose to take a piece of the abnormal discoloration to check under the microscope to see your skin at the cellular level. It then becomes the decision of the doctor to either give you topical medications or decide cut out the skin.  In either case, report any skin abnormalities to the doctor or visit him for any concerns you have about your skin.
In any case, if you chose to go out this summer, make you stay protected, have fun, dine well, and be healthy!

Ratatouille

By Elizabeth Spence, D.O.



Ratatouille is a traditional dish from Nice, France that includes many summer vegetables including tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, garlic, onions, and many herbs.  There is much debate on what is the traditional method to prepare ratatouille, but we have used this recipe for an easy preparation that looks beautiful for an easy summer dinner or a great side dish for a dinner party.  

Ratatouille is rich in vegetables of the summer season that contain many vitamins great for the immune system and metabolism.  I serve this dish usually as a main course with some fresh goat cheese and bread, but could easily be served over pasta, or as a side dish to a protein. We make the tomato sauce from scratch most of the time, but a prepared tomato sauce can be bought for a quick meal.

Ingredients
2 cups Tomato Sauce (homemade or store bought such as San Marzano Marinara Sauce)
2 Japanese Eggplants
2 smaller zucchinis
2 small squash
2 bell peppers, any color is fine, but I tend to use red for contrasting colors
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
basil for garnish
Optional: goat cheese or greek yogurt

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375F. 

2. Cut the eggplant, zucchini, squash, and bell peppers into 1/4inch rounds.

3. In 8x8 inch, or equivalent, baking pan, pour 2 cups of tomato sauce to line the pan.  

4. Line the vegetable in the baking pan over the tomato sauce in an alternating pattern.  Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Cover the veggies with parchment paper.  I usually cut a piece to fit the inside of the pan.

6. Bake in 375F oven for 45-50 min. Vegetables should be soft, but not mushy. 

7. Remove parchment paper and garnish with fresh basil.

Optional
I like to eat this dish as a main course with a dollop of fresh goat cheese or greek yogurt with bread to soak up the sauce.

Aloe Vera: The Skin's Natural Defense

By Kelsey Goodwin, OMSIII
Osteopathic Physician Candidate 2016

As much as we try to avoid getting burnt by the sun during our hot LA summers, it does occasionally happen. While prevention using sunblock is the obvious first choice, there is a natural option for caring for your skin if it does get sunburnt.

The Natural Medicine Journal states that several clinical trials have proven the benefits of using aloe vera, a succulent plant that grows very well in sunny southern California, for mild-moderate burns (including sunburns).

Aloe vera is effective against burns because it is proposed to increase collagen production and proteoglycan synthesis in the skin, both of which serve to stimulate skin growth and repair. Additionally, aloe vera decreases the pain we get from skin burns by decreasing inflammation and producing a cooling effect.
Not only can aloe vera be purchased in stores as an ointment, capsule, cream, lotion and even juice, but you can also keep an aloe plant at home and simply break off a leaf and apply the gel directly onto your skin as needed. This way, the plant can add to your health as well as the aesthetics of your home.

Other uses.  Sun burns aren’t the only skin issue aloe vera can be used for, however. The Mayo Clinic in Minnesota states that there is good scientific evidence for the use of aloe vera as a treatment for genital herpes, seborrheic dermatitis (dandruff or flaky skin found in oily areas) and psoriasis.


Coconut Oil & Your Skin

By Kelsey Goodwin, OMSIII,Osteopathic Physician Candidate 2016

Coconut Oil can help with Acne and Eczema

Coconut oil has become increasingly popular over the past few years.  It is now considered a healthy addition to people’s diets as well as other aspects of their lives. An interesting quality of coconut oil is its benefits when applied to the skin.

The National Institute of Health conducted several studies based on the use of coconut oil for various skin conditions including atopic dermatitis (eczema) and acne.  

Atopic dermatitis is an inflammation of the skin often manifesting as dry patches or itchy irritated skin.  Eczema often flares up during the hot and humid summer months.  Virgin coconut oil when applied to the dry and itchy areas of the skin has been shown to help. The NIH studies proved that topical application of virgin coconut oil to the skin of patient’s with eczema for eight weeks increased the skin’s ability to retain moisture and thus decreased skin inflammation and itchiness.

Acne is the most common skin disorder affecting adolescents and young adults in the US. While having acne isn’t a serious risk to one’s health, the self-esteem issues and psychological effects patients with acne often have are significant. Acne is essentially caused by the combination of 3 things: excess sebum/oil production by hair follicles, inflammation and the presence of a bacteria called Propionibacterum acnes within hair follicles. Research conducted by the NIH has shown that a component of virgin coconut oil, lauric acid, decreases the number of Propionibacterium acnes colonies on the skin and thereby reduces the inflammation that leads to acne. Application of virgin coconut oil to the affected areas is a safe, natural alternative treatment for antibiotic therapy against acne.