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!