Skin care for Summer:

Why do plants thrive in the summer sun, while we poor humans end up getting sun burned if we overdo our outdoor experience?
Why according to estimates by the American Cancer Society will there be one million new cases of skin cancer this year?
Why despite all the sunscreen we use is the yearly incidence of skin cancer increasing?

I suspect part of the answer lies in looking at nature. Plants stand outdoors relentlessly exposed to the summer sun and yet they do not get burned. The rays of the sun sustain life on this planet, yet the ultraviolet radiation in these rays can cause what is called ‘oxidative stress’. This also happens on the surface of human skin. To prevent negative effects of oxidative stress, living beings have an elaborate array of anti-oxidants. Plants are particularly rich in flavonoids, which act as their primary anti-oxidant. So one way to combat inflammation in the skin caused by excessive sun exposure, is to have adequate amounts of anti-oxidants in our system. There are numerous studies done at the University of Wisconsin, and studies done in Scotland among others showing the effects of plant nutrients (technically called phytonutrients) on decreasing inflammation and other imbalanced pathways in the skin.

So in addition to all the usual precautions we take to prevent excessive sunburn, lets eat our veggies and other great plant foods to keep our skin healthy this summer.

And finally it is wise to schedule regular skin check ups with your physician: and do it sooner if you notice any changes in dark spots or moles, or other unusual lesions.

Wishing you a joyful, healthy summer.

Thomas Alexander, M.D

Tagged as: holistic medicine, integrated medicine, M.D, natural skin care, sunburn, thomas alexander

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