While sunscreen does reduce the risk of some non-lethal skin cancers, the promise that it is the holy grail of preventing the killer ones is questionable at the very, most generous best
I live in the Mojave desert and run about 3,000 miles per year. Used to burn but, for me, 22 mg/day of astaxanthin completely eliminates sunburn. Now I can run and stay in the sun all day with no burn, just a nice tan. Different people may need different amounts. I also take a lot of other supplements, but they do not completely eliminate sunburn.
Astaxanthin is the substance that makes flamingos pink!
By the way, I am 78 years old, have no health issues, and do not take any medications, prescription or otherwise. Been running for over 50 years now.
I get mine from Amazon. You may need more. Start with one 12 mg capsule per day for a few days and then carefully check how long it takes in the sun to begin to get pinkish just before burn. Try 2 capsule per day for 24 mg and Che n again. It may take a few days to build up in your system. If you take too much you may look like a flamingo, (and be in the “pink” of health) but I suspect it would take a lot more than 24 mg/day.
Astaxanthin has become popular with other runners here in the desert. It has antioxidant activity about 6,000 times greater than vitamin C.
My policy is to try new things in the morning, never in the evening. If one has a reaction to something, better to be awake at the time. One time I had an allergic reaction to krill oil. A reaction to astaxanthin is not likely.
8 mg/day if good in general. I take more because I live in the Southern Nevada desert with very strong sun and I want to run a lot. 8mg/day is good unless you have a specific need as I do,
Astaxanthin is astaxanthin, and like all other carotenoids is best taken as a complex in food. Some people lack the enzymes needed to convert carotenoids into their effective forms. Beta-carotene is not a good replacement for retinol in those lacking the appropriate enzymes.
You cannot get enough from food to be so effective at avoiding sunburn. I take a lot of supplements as one cannot get enough of many substances from food. I have managed to get to 78 in super excellent health. The last time I had any medicine was 35 years ago, an antibiotic for a bacterial infection. I am in the top 1% of all athletes in the world of all ages for mileage run per year! I appear decades younger than I am!
I stopped getting flus and other sicknesses about 50 years ago when I started taking 12,000 mg of vitamin C per day. I also take 12,000 IU/day of vitamin D along with 400 ug/day of vitamin k2-mk7, and 1000 mg/day of magnesium as glycinate and citrate to get to 70 ng/ml of calcifediol in my blood. People need a blood test for Vitamin D3 as individual needs vary a lot, but 70 ng/ml helps prevent many diseases including cancer. Cancer incidence would decrease 50-80% if everyone had my level of 70 ng/ml according to a study on tens to thousands of people over 30 years at UC San Diego!
I am an electrical engineer of 60+ years now and study medicine as an additional interest, about 10,000 hours of reading medical research plus experimenting on myself all those years.
I would love to talk to other people about health topics. My contact info is on my engineering website at https://emcesd.com .
I never said you could get enough from food to be effective at avoiding sunburn. Did you get so conflicted from thinking that I had to cause you to ignore what I said about retinol, which I take 50,000IU of everyday along with 10,000IU of D3, 200mcg of MK-7, and 2000mg of ascorbic acid. Different people need different amounts of everything and 50ng/ml works fine for me.
I agree! But too much retinol can cause D3 not to be converted.
Nothing gets me conflicted or upset much at age 78. I was trying to understand your comment as you originally sounded like all the doctors I have met in my life, none of which appear to know what they are talking about. You are much more knowledgeable than any doctor I have personally met.
I could tell you a lot of doctor stories, some would make you laugh, and some worried.
50 ng/ml of calcifediol is adequate but better protection comes about at 70 ng/ml.
According to Kate Rheaume-Bleue in her book, Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox: How a Little-Known Vitamin Could Save Your Life, she explains that vitamins A and D3 are complementary and taking large doses of both protects one from the toxicity that might otherwise occur from either I've never heard about A and D3 competing with each other for anything. This book is the most important one in my health library. I'd like to keep the conversation going here so everyone can benefit from what we both have to say.
Sunglasses limit the sunlight reaching the pineal gland, which restricts the body's natural sunblocks. Most people don't get enough retinol to nourish the retina and prevent macular degeneration.
Would Vit. A retinol supplement help for photophobia, discomfort or pain to the eyes due to light exposure; light inside or sunlight outside. Opthalmologists suggest nothing other than sun glasses.
Photophobia sounds likes something a psychiatrist would treat.
Eyes are designed to be sensitive to light.
Most of the problem is caused by avoidance of bright light indoors.
Retinol is called such because it is good for the retina.
Opthalmologists are specialized surgeons, few of which know anything about nutrition for the eyes. Dr. Robert Abel and his Eye Care Revolution: Prevent And Reverse Common Vision Problems book are rare exceptions to the rule.
If you think about sunglasses, no one in the history of the world ever used sun glasses until some time in the 20th century, although I've read that smoky glass might have been used by the Chinese centuries ago and I've seen no verification of that, nor have I looked. So why do we need them now?
Love your deliciously sunny 😎 article about the dangers of sunscreen that no one ever told us (until recently). You still deserve the “Mom of the Year” award 🥇 👩 🏆
For a longer treatise about the war on sun, check out A Midwestern Doctor:
When I was a young bodybuilder, we used to mix iodine and baby oil and instant tan. I wish I felt that I could trust anyone but any residual faith in anything was killed by COVID-19 84. Long ago I realized that the first purpose of the public education system is to indoctrinate you in the world view of the ruling classes. Frankly I would be embarrassed to admit that I was a physician, about the same as I've always felt about lawyers and military officers. I used to think that the scientific community was less venal and more honorable than others; COVID-19 84 disabused me of that notion so, thank you COVID! Unless you are very close to me and have proven your integrity I approach you with a kilo of salt. ALL that being said, thanks to ALL the people here for standing up and questioning the omnipresent narrative du jour.
"Covid-19 84". Haven't heard that one, but it's great! I call it CONvid or usually just the scamdemic, but I may borrow your word sometime, if that is ok.
Scandinavian descent here. As a child I don't remember ever burning, and pictures show me with deep tan and platinum hair. Somewhere in my early thirties (1980s), I started burning - with even 20-30 minutes of sun exposure. Now, in my late 70s, I no longer burn - and I moved to Hawaii 4 years ago! I'm back to that deep tan and platinum hair look! What changed? The thing that makes the most sense is seed oils. About 15 years ago I went Keto and cleaned up my diet. Lots of beef. Anything containing seed oils was tossed from my pantry. I'm not scrupulous, but seldom indulge in fried foods or sweets. From what I understand, it takes a couple years to replace these toxic/rancid/unstable fats in our cells. Oh, age spots are fading and disappearing too.
The best thing in the world is to be outside as much as possible, I'm starting to realize, instead of being locked inside staring at screens. More new research is showing the benefits to our entire bodies from absorbing sunlight, even in the shade. Seeing the sunrise, walking in the morning light, eating outside (I just read that sunlight while eating can help regulate your blood sugar), seeing the sunset -- and not blasting your eyeballs with blue light at night from screens -- all these appear to be game changers. And the people who are deep into studying this say there's research showing that getting abundant morning light (UVA) helps your body absorb more UVB light without burning. And also that consuming seed oils make burning more likely. Fascinating stuff.
This explains the "carnivore paradox" where people on the carnivore diet do not get sunburn. Diet - like seed oils - destroys metabolic function and mitochondria health. Change your diet and enjoy the sun. Humans were meant to live in sunshine. Here is an article we wrote about the paradox: https://joshketry.substack.com/p/seed-oils-are-slowly-poisoning-us?utm_source=publication-search
When sunscreens first became a "thing," I used to read Rolling Stone magazine which was then considered to be an honest investigative publication. They ran a long piece on the scam that sunscreens were, and I decided never to use them even though I have red hair and very fair skin which I've been told is the death knell for skin cancer. Meh. Never got it. Never covered up in the sun. Have had a number of sun burns, especially when I was a kid. So far, so good.
We always have been working from scratch unless our parents did their homework.
About the only thing I learned from my RN mother was about zinc oxide. She had me washing my face with pHisoHex several times a day to fight the acne that didn't go away until I stopped doing so.
Never used sunscreen. Hold my breath when others are dosing themselves with it. I limit my exposure to 10-15 minutes in the sun, then a half an hour or so in the shade. Rinse and repeat. Great tan, no burn, and no cancer. 63 and still chugging along. They can keep the chemicals. Common sense. It can't be good for you, read the ingredient list.
I live in the Mojave desert and run about 3,000 miles per year. Used to burn but, for me, 22 mg/day of astaxanthin completely eliminates sunburn. Now I can run and stay in the sun all day with no burn, just a nice tan. Different people may need different amounts. I also take a lot of other supplements, but they do not completely eliminate sunburn.
Astaxanthin is the substance that makes flamingos pink!
By the way, I am 78 years old, have no health issues, and do not take any medications, prescription or otherwise. Been running for over 50 years now.
Would you please share the brand and/or link to the brand of astaxanthin that you prefer?
We have many pale faced redheads in my family :)
https://a.co/d/agHsUzD
I get mine from Amazon. You may need more. Start with one 12 mg capsule per day for a few days and then carefully check how long it takes in the sun to begin to get pinkish just before burn. Try 2 capsule per day for 24 mg and Che n again. It may take a few days to build up in your system. If you take too much you may look like a flamingo, (and be in the “pink” of health) but I suspect it would take a lot more than 24 mg/day.
Astaxanthin has become popular with other runners here in the desert. It has antioxidant activity about 6,000 times greater than vitamin C.
My policy is to try new things in the morning, never in the evening. If one has a reaction to something, better to be awake at the time. One time I had an allergic reaction to krill oil. A reaction to astaxanthin is not likely.
I take astaxanthin hoping to save my octogenarian sight. The form I take is from algae.
Antioxidants suppress immune function, antiinflammatories do not.
T-cells use hydrogen peroxide to kill pathogens through oxidation.
I use Pure Encapsulations Astaxanthin but it's only 4MG, I take 2 a day. Maybe I should increase my intake?
Hi Trish,
8 mg/day if good in general. I take more because I live in the Southern Nevada desert with very strong sun and I want to run a lot. 8mg/day is good unless you have a specific need as I do,
Astaxanthin is astaxanthin, and like all other carotenoids is best taken as a complex in food. Some people lack the enzymes needed to convert carotenoids into their effective forms. Beta-carotene is not a good replacement for retinol in those lacking the appropriate enzymes.
You cannot get enough from food to be so effective at avoiding sunburn. I take a lot of supplements as one cannot get enough of many substances from food. I have managed to get to 78 in super excellent health. The last time I had any medicine was 35 years ago, an antibiotic for a bacterial infection. I am in the top 1% of all athletes in the world of all ages for mileage run per year! I appear decades younger than I am!
I stopped getting flus and other sicknesses about 50 years ago when I started taking 12,000 mg of vitamin C per day. I also take 12,000 IU/day of vitamin D along with 400 ug/day of vitamin k2-mk7, and 1000 mg/day of magnesium as glycinate and citrate to get to 70 ng/ml of calcifediol in my blood. People need a blood test for Vitamin D3 as individual needs vary a lot, but 70 ng/ml helps prevent many diseases including cancer. Cancer incidence would decrease 50-80% if everyone had my level of 70 ng/ml according to a study on tens to thousands of people over 30 years at UC San Diego!
I am an electrical engineer of 60+ years now and study medicine as an additional interest, about 10,000 hours of reading medical research plus experimenting on myself all those years.
I would love to talk to other people about health topics. My contact info is on my engineering website at https://emcesd.com .
12,000 mg vitamin C per day? Gulp! Do you have any problem with gallstones?
I never said you could get enough from food to be effective at avoiding sunburn. Did you get so conflicted from thinking that I had to cause you to ignore what I said about retinol, which I take 50,000IU of everyday along with 10,000IU of D3, 200mcg of MK-7, and 2000mg of ascorbic acid. Different people need different amounts of everything and 50ng/ml works fine for me.
I agree! But too much retinol can cause D3 not to be converted.
Nothing gets me conflicted or upset much at age 78. I was trying to understand your comment as you originally sounded like all the doctors I have met in my life, none of which appear to know what they are talking about. You are much more knowledgeable than any doctor I have personally met.
I could tell you a lot of doctor stories, some would make you laugh, and some worried.
50 ng/ml of calcifediol is adequate but better protection comes about at 70 ng/ml.
I would love to talk with you!!! Give me a call. Contact information at my engineering site at https://emcesd.com or http://www.dsmith.org .
I am interested about the large amount of retinol you take and what you think of competing with D3 for the same receptors.
According to Kate Rheaume-Bleue in her book, Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox: How a Little-Known Vitamin Could Save Your Life, she explains that vitamins A and D3 are complementary and taking large doses of both protects one from the toxicity that might otherwise occur from either I've never heard about A and D3 competing with each other for anything. This book is the most important one in my health library. I'd like to keep the conversation going here so everyone can benefit from what we both have to say.
Trunature is good. See comsumerlab.com for tests and recommendations. It requires a subscription.
It sounds to me like you are using astaxanthin therapeutically.
https://share.icloud.com/photos/065R_BApnLAuKWuqJ-PHF2fSw
Yes!
I stopped using sunscreen years ago.
I’ve heard sunglasses can actually harm the eyes.
Have not read much on it.
But these days, it wouldn’t surprise me.
Sunglasses limit the sunlight reaching the pineal gland, which restricts the body's natural sunblocks. Most people don't get enough retinol to nourish the retina and prevent macular degeneration.
Would Vit. A retinol supplement help for photophobia, discomfort or pain to the eyes due to light exposure; light inside or sunlight outside. Opthalmologists suggest nothing other than sun glasses.
Photophobia sounds likes something a psychiatrist would treat.
Eyes are designed to be sensitive to light.
Most of the problem is caused by avoidance of bright light indoors.
Retinol is called such because it is good for the retina.
Opthalmologists are specialized surgeons, few of which know anything about nutrition for the eyes. Dr. Robert Abel and his Eye Care Revolution: Prevent And Reverse Common Vision Problems book are rare exceptions to the rule.
Thanks. The book is available to read for free on the internet archive.
Thanks to me, it is also available for check out from the Park County Wyoming Library, Cody branch, via interlibrary loan.
I do need sunglasses on occasion, but the sunlight can get the pineal from off the side of the glass
The light has to be able to pass through the optical capsule.
If you think about sunglasses, no one in the history of the world ever used sun glasses until some time in the 20th century, although I've read that smoky glass might have been used by the Chinese centuries ago and I've seen no verification of that, nor have I looked. So why do we need them now?
Because we have become too wimpy to deal with the sun without them.
Because someone can make money off them.
Yes, we wore hats
Love your deliciously sunny 😎 article about the dangers of sunscreen that no one ever told us (until recently). You still deserve the “Mom of the Year” award 🥇 👩 🏆
For a longer treatise about the war on sun, check out A Midwestern Doctor:
— Dermatology's Disastrous War Against The Sun. The forgotten side of skin health and the necessity of sunlight (may require paid subscription): https://www.midwesterndoctor.com/p/dermatologys-disastrous-war-against
— Dermatology's Horrendous War Against The Sun. Untangling Dermatology's Huge Skin Cancer Scam (abridged version of above): https://www.midwesterndoctor.com/p/dermatologys-horrendous-war-against
It appears we should be skeptical of every manufactured product that is for sale.
When I was a young bodybuilder, we used to mix iodine and baby oil and instant tan. I wish I felt that I could trust anyone but any residual faith in anything was killed by COVID-19 84. Long ago I realized that the first purpose of the public education system is to indoctrinate you in the world view of the ruling classes. Frankly I would be embarrassed to admit that I was a physician, about the same as I've always felt about lawyers and military officers. I used to think that the scientific community was less venal and more honorable than others; COVID-19 84 disabused me of that notion so, thank you COVID! Unless you are very close to me and have proven your integrity I approach you with a kilo of salt. ALL that being said, thanks to ALL the people here for standing up and questioning the omnipresent narrative du jour.
"Covid-19 84". Haven't heard that one, but it's great! I call it CONvid or usually just the scamdemic, but I may borrow your word sometime, if that is ok.
Scandinavian descent here. As a child I don't remember ever burning, and pictures show me with deep tan and platinum hair. Somewhere in my early thirties (1980s), I started burning - with even 20-30 minutes of sun exposure. Now, in my late 70s, I no longer burn - and I moved to Hawaii 4 years ago! I'm back to that deep tan and platinum hair look! What changed? The thing that makes the most sense is seed oils. About 15 years ago I went Keto and cleaned up my diet. Lots of beef. Anything containing seed oils was tossed from my pantry. I'm not scrupulous, but seldom indulge in fried foods or sweets. From what I understand, it takes a couple years to replace these toxic/rancid/unstable fats in our cells. Oh, age spots are fading and disappearing too.
Udo Erasmus has excellent books on fats. He says pretty much the same.
The best thing in the world is to be outside as much as possible, I'm starting to realize, instead of being locked inside staring at screens. More new research is showing the benefits to our entire bodies from absorbing sunlight, even in the shade. Seeing the sunrise, walking in the morning light, eating outside (I just read that sunlight while eating can help regulate your blood sugar), seeing the sunset -- and not blasting your eyeballs with blue light at night from screens -- all these appear to be game changers. And the people who are deep into studying this say there's research showing that getting abundant morning light (UVA) helps your body absorb more UVB light without burning. And also that consuming seed oils make burning more likely. Fascinating stuff.
What If EVERYTHING We Were Told About Sunscreen Was a Lie? Given what we now know, why YES, it most likely is.
Have you also stopped seed oils. That was what allows me to stay in the sun. Before I would welt up horribly and itch. I’m 80 no meds.
This explains the "carnivore paradox" where people on the carnivore diet do not get sunburn. Diet - like seed oils - destroys metabolic function and mitochondria health. Change your diet and enjoy the sun. Humans were meant to live in sunshine. Here is an article we wrote about the paradox: https://joshketry.substack.com/p/seed-oils-are-slowly-poisoning-us?utm_source=publication-search
When sunscreens first became a "thing," I used to read Rolling Stone magazine which was then considered to be an honest investigative publication. They ran a long piece on the scam that sunscreens were, and I decided never to use them even though I have red hair and very fair skin which I've been told is the death knell for skin cancer. Meh. Never got it. Never covered up in the sun. Have had a number of sun burns, especially when I was a kid. So far, so good.
Anyone who researches the ingredients of any commercial sunblock will find at least one that is a photo-activated carcinogen.
For the love of Pete!! What is safe and effective any more?!?!?! It feels like we are starting from scratch with just about everything!!!!! Sighs 😮💨
We always have been working from scratch unless our parents did their homework.
About the only thing I learned from my RN mother was about zinc oxide. She had me washing my face with pHisoHex several times a day to fight the acne that didn't go away until I stopped doing so.
Never used sunscreen. Hold my breath when others are dosing themselves with it. I limit my exposure to 10-15 minutes in the sun, then a half an hour or so in the shade. Rinse and repeat. Great tan, no burn, and no cancer. 63 and still chugging along. They can keep the chemicals. Common sense. It can't be good for you, read the ingredient list.
Thank you for sharing this. It was encouraging as I fought this battle for many years with my family.
I'm simply on the shade from 11 am to 3 pm. Works great. I call shade "organic natural sunscreen"