Whether you have upcoming plans to visit the local pool, lake, or beach, you’ll likely be sporting a swimsuit and generally spending more time out in the sun this summer.
Many of us are warned throughout our lives about the dangers of UV rays and how important it is to wear sunscreen to protect yourself from skin cancer.
However, many sunscreens contain toxic compounds and ingredients, and though they may protect people from getting sunburns, they can lead to other problems.
For example, many sunscreens inhibit Vitamin D production, and deficiencies in the vitamin have been strongly linked to several cancers–including the most dangerous types of breast and colon cancer.
In fact, skin cancer rates are rising by 4.2% annually, despite the fact that people are wearing more sunscreen and spending less time out in the sun. Go figure!
Thankfully, it is possible to make your own natural sunscreen, and certain health-conscious brands have produced nontoxic options available on the market.
Additionally, you can lower your risk for developing skin cancer and becoming more resistant to UV rays in other ways–such as modifying your diet and fat consumption.
Our bodies require a specific balance of healthy fats (such as saturated fats, monounsaturated fats, and omega-3 fats) to regenerate skin tissue.
Certain popular cooking oils–such as canola, cottonseed, vegetable, and soybean–are known as omega-6 oils. omega-6 as a fat does have a place in our body to a certain extent, but there’s no biological need to consume them in these oil states.
Unfortunately, as omega-6 oil consumption has risen, consumption of saturated fats and omega-3 fats has declined.
In the case that your body has a deficiency in healthy fats (which is the case for many people these days), it will use whatever it has available, including omega-6 fats.
Unfortunately, since omega-6 fats are not the preferred fat for building skin and collagen, they can trigger higher chances for developing skin cancer.
My suggestion? Optimize your diet to ensure that you consume enough healthy saturated, monounsaturated, and omega-3 fats, and avoid polyunsaturated fatty acids and high omega-6 vegetable oils.
Additionally, by eating less grains and omega-6 oils and more healthy fats, proteins, and vegetables, you will increase your antioxidant consumption. Antioxidants are great for protecting against sunburn and skin damage, as well as decreasing inflammation and free radicals–both of which cause cancer.
As modern humans, we spend a lot of time indoors, so in the summertime, it’s great to increase our time in the sun.
Make sure you continue to educate yourself via research into ways to protect yourself from the sun while continuing to enjoy it, whether it be replacing your sunscreen for a natural option or changing your diet.
There is mounting evidence that store-bought sunscreens actually increase your chances of getting cancer. Instead, learn to make your own nontoxic sunscreen by clicking here!
