By Jessica PoquizSpecial to The Epoch Times

Protecting our skin with sun-screen from the sun’s damaging rays seems like an easy thing to do. But there are numerous prod-ucts out there, all of which fall into two main categories: physical sun-screens and chemical sunscreens.

Physical sunscreens work by scat-tering or reflecting UV rays, while chemical sunscreens first absorb, then dissipate the radiation. The most common physical sunscreens are micronized zinc oxide and tita-nium dioxide, which are advanta-geous because they have not been shown to demonstrate the aller-gic reactions nor the unappealing thickness of their non-micronized counterparts, but they still remain on the skin’s surface without being systemically absorbed. Zinc ab-sorbs more of the UVA spectrum than titanium, thus affording more effective protection.

Although chemical sunscreens may be more aesthetically appeal-ing because they are colorless and odorless, they have been associated with allergic skin reactions, and re-cent evidence suggests they may be linked to certain health risks.

Octinoxate (Octyl methoxycin-namate), the most widely used sun-screen ingredient, was found to have estrogenic effects and to cause thyroid-hormone disruption and brain-signaling alteration in lab animals.

Avobenzone exists in about a quarter of all sunscreen products in the United States, and is broken down into unknown chemicals by the sun. It is not recommended that children or pregnant or nursing women use sunscreens with oxy-benzone because it is absorbed into the body in large amounts. The saf-est protection is physical sunscreen with zinc or titanium.

Editor’s Note: One physician considers that the following ingredients in commercial sun-screens should also be avoided: para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), octyl salicyclate, cinoxate, padimate O, dioxybenzone, phenylbenzimidazole, homosalate, sulisobenzone, menthyl anthranilate, trolamine salicyclate, and octocrylene. [2]

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a nonprofit organ-ization that specializes in environ-mental research and consumer ad-vocacy regarding toxic chemicals, agricultural studies, public lands, and corporate accountability.

EWG completed an investigation of 952 brand-name sunscreens with SPF 15 or higher, and their results were shocking. Only 15 percent of these products met EWG’s three simple criteria for safety and effec-tiveness: blocking both UVA and UVB radiation, remaining stable in sunlight, and containing few, if any, ingredients with significant known or suspected health hazards.

None of market-leader Copper-tone’s 41 sunscreen products met the criteria, and only one of 103 products from Banana Boat and

Neutrogena, the second- and third-largest manufacturers, are recom-mended by EWG. To see how your sunscreen compares, go to EWG’s Web site: Cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/sunscreens2008/.

Wearing the right sunscreen is not the only thing you can do to protect yourself. When planning outdoor activities, use the online UV Index, which predicts the in-tensity of UV radiation according to zip code. Try to avoid the mid-day sun, which is most intense be-tween 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., at high altitudes and in the tropics.

Invisible rays can reflect from the ground, snow, sand, and water, so you still need sunscreen even if you wear a hat. Consider wearing sun-protective clothing with UPF, or UV Protection Factor; a UPF of 10 is approximately equivalent to an SPF of 30.

Avoid sunscreen with added bug repellent, and if needed, use bug repellant at least 15 minutes after sunscreen to cut down on pesticide soaking through skin. Remember to protect the kids, who are more sensitive to heat stroke, and keep infants under 6 months old out of direct sun.

Lastly, many consumers are una-ware that certain medications may cause photosensitivity reactions, which result from the interaction of a chemical and exposure to light. Certain antibiotics, pain relievers, and even birth control pills are just a few examples of drugs that may cause photosensitivity. Ask your pharmacist if any of your prescrip-tions may cause you to become more sensitive to sunlight, and take the extra precautions to protect your skin accordingly.

Am I suggesting that everyone should be a hermit in their homes to prevent skin cancer and wrin-kles? Of course not. Some benefits of sunlight exposure include vi-tamin D production for healthy bones and improved mood. Even though it is recommended to wear sunscreen daily, you should sneak in 10 to 15 minutes of sunscreen-free exposure at least twice a week.

Jessica Poquiz is a Doctor of Pharmacy Candidate

Editor’s note: Some physicians think sun exposure should be greater—10 to 15 minutes daily, with at least 40 percent of the skin exposed. [3]

Editor’s References: [1] Does Sun Exposure Really

Cause Malignant Melanoma?http://en.epochtimes.com/news/8-

6-21/72235.html[2] What Dangers Lurk in Your

Summer Survival Kit? http://prod-ucts.mercola.com/summer-survival-kit/

[3] Lack of Sunshine Causes One Million Deaths a Year

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/08/24/lack-of-sunshine-causes-600-000-cancers-a-year.aspx

Jessica Poquiz is a Doctor of Pharmacy Candidate

Sun care, part 2

A shock absorber to help knee painBy W. GiFFoRD-JoNes, M.D.Special to The Epoch Times

Is there any similarity between a car and the human body? We do have one thing in common—the need for efficient shock absorbers.

Cars provide a rough ride when worn-out shock absorbers fail to cushion the blows of a potholed road. And for thousands of pa-tients, broken-down shock absorb-ers in the knee means there’s never a day free of debilitating pain.

There is a way to ease this dis-comfort. It’s called “viscosupple-mentation,” or joint-fluid therapy. It’s one of the best-kept secrets of patients and many doctors.

Osteoarthritis has become a ma-jor disability. More than 4 million people are affected with knee oste-oarthritis in Canada. Most are in their prime career age 20 to 64.

The World Health Organiza-tion claims that osteoarthritis is the fourth cause of disability in women and the eighth most important one for men. It’s because synovial fluid in the knee joint, which normally acts as a shock absorber, has lost its ability to cushion the impact be-tween bones and joints.

The goal of doctors managing osteoarthritis is to control pain and improve function. For years, doctors have prescribed anti-in-flammatory medication and other

painkillers. They do arthroscopic surgery and more complicated hip and knee replacements.

The New England Journal of Medicine recently published a study on arthroscopy concluding that there are many non-surgical choices that are equally effective in managing pain. The toxic effects of anti-inflammatories have also been well documented.

So why not replace nature’s shock absorbers at the source? The technology called viscosupplemen-tation helps to restore the natural lubricating and shock-absorbing function of the synovial fluid, rec-reating the cushion between bones and joints.

Viscosupplementation is making a comeback with a product named Durolane. One simple injection of Durolane, given at the site of the pain, has been available for sever-al years. It’s not a household word, but this is about to change. A recent survey shows that many family phy-sicians want to learn more about its use in easing arthritic pain.

Durolane is produced from non-animal sources, decreasing the risk of allergic reactions. It’s non-toxic and well-tolerated by patients. The unique technology in Durolane therapy has a safety record of 18 years in many areas of medicine and has been used in Europe and many other countries.

The speed with which Durolane works differs from patient to pa-tient. Some people experience im-mediate relief of pain. But the ma-jority notice that their discomfort is eased over the course of a few days. Durolane requires only a sin-gle injection, and The Canadian Federation for Drugs and Health Technologies published that it is cost-effective when compared to other treatments.

Strengthening the quadriceps, the large muscle in the front of the upper thigh, helps take some of the stress off knees.

Dr. Tim Rindlisbacher of Toron-to’s Cleveland Clinic states, “My patients seem to report the greatest pain relief 8 to 12 weeks after receiv-ing treatment, and they commonly feel some benefit for six months to a year.”

Durolane does not cure the dam-aged joint, but the cushioning effect of Durolane does slow down the dai-ly wear-and-tear of the knee’s carti-

lage. Some patients may have initial but short-lived discomfort, swelling, or stiffness localized to the joint.

Keeping fit helps to decrease the risk of osteoarthritis of the knee. This means keeping active, but there’s a price to pay for being too active. You can push a car’s shock absorbers too hard over rocky roads, and the constant pounding of excessive jogging does the same for cartilage in knees. And if you’re overweight, cartilage damage will occur earlier.

Strengthening the quadriceps, the large muscle in the front of the upper thigh, helps take some of the stress off knees. Good low-impact exercise such as swimming or sim-ply getting up and down several times from a chair can be helpful.

To have healthy cartilage, you also require collagen, which is one of the main building blocks of car-tilage. To manufacture it, you need adequate amounts of vitamin C.

Injections of Durolane are done by rheumatologists, orthopedic sur-geons, specialists in sports medi-cine, and other doctors trained in this procedure.

For more information see the Web site www.durolane.ca.

Dr. Gifford-Jones is a medical journalist with a private medical practice in Toronto. His Web site is Mydoctor.ca/gifford-jones

HeaLTHY KNees: Having pain-free knees is a joy. PHOTOS.COM

St. John’s Wort works for depression

LONDON (Reuters)—The her-bal remedy St. John’s wort (Hyperi-cum perforatum) effectively treats symptoms of major depression, an analysis of previous studies found on Oct. 9.

St. John’s wort extracts tested in the different trials were better than placebos and as effective as stand-ard antidepressants, but with fewer side effects, the researchers report-ed in a Cochrane review—from the Cochrane Library, which provides a database of reviews and analyses of medical and scientific studies.

“The studies came from a variety of countries, tested several different St. John’s wort extracts, and most-ly included patients suffering from mild to moderately severe symp-toms,” Klaus Linde of the Center for Complementary Medicine in Munich, Germany wrote.

The herb works in a similar way to some prescription antide-pressants, by increasing the brain chemical serotonin, involved in controlling mood.

The Cochrane review analyzed 29 studies that together included 5,489 men and women with symp-toms of major depression and com-pared the remedy’s effectiveness with placebos and standard treat-ments.

The researchers found that St. John’s wort extracts were not only effective, but also fewer people taking them dropped out of the

trials due to adverse side effects.They also noted that results were

more favorable in German-speak-ing countries where doctors often prescribe the remedy and cautioned against using the remedy without medical advice because the extracts can affect the work of other drugs.

In Germany, such herbal treat-ments are also more controlled for content, unlike in many other mar-kets where the quality and content of herbal products may vary con-siderably.

“Using a St. John’s wort extract might be justified, but products on the market vary considerably, so these results only apply to the prep-arations tested,” Linde said.

PHOTOS.COM

FLoWeR PoWeR: This tiny yellow flower,St. John’s wort, helps depression. .L. VALENTINE/THE EPOCH TIMES

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