ROD

Thursday, 23Jun11

 

NLP Time

Seven rounds for time at 21-18-15-12-9-6 and then 3 reps of:

Kettlebell swings
Push-ups
Sit-ups
Squats

Post time to comments.

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Do You Consume Enough Of This Internal Sunscreen?

Skin Cancer is a very big problem nowadays, and a big emphasis is put on using sunscreen and protecting your skin.  Did you know that there is a nutrient that acts as an internal sunscreen?

It also lends itself to numerous other skin health benefits such as wrinkles, age spots, and dry skin.  

For years now, we have known about naturally occurring pigments called carotenoids and how they help protect our skin and give it that healthy look.  There are actually hundreds of carotenoids, but we tend to focus on only a couple such as Beta-Carotene.  

These naturally occurring carotenoids protect organisms such as plants from damage by light or oxygen.   They also give vegetables and grasses their wonderful red, yellow, and orange colors.  

When we eat those vegetables, we absorb those same carotenoids that have been protecting that vegetable.  The benefits of these are then passed along to us and they help to protect us from the damage caused by sunlight.  

One carotenoid that has been gaining a lot of steam, thanks to numerous clinical studies, is something called Astaxanthin.  It has numerous other benefits such as eye health, immune system booster, reduce inflammation, etc., but we won’t discuss those today.  

What is of interest today is its ability to provide protection from the sun, and potentially reduce the signs of aging.  

Why we haven’t heard much about this nutrient until recently is because it isn’t easily obtainable.  The two main sources of this nutrient comes from the microalgae that create it and a few marine life that consume this algae.  That marine life is krill, salmon, and some shellfish.  

We know that beta-carotene, lycopene, and other carotenoids are strong nutrients that help protect our skin, but astaxanthin is significantly more powerful.  The benefits are free radical activity that protects your body from oxidative damage and oxidative stress.

When it comes to free radical activity, astaxanthin is more than 50 times more powerful than beta-carotene and more than 10 times more powerful than vitamin E.

Another very powerful benefit is that astaxanthin crosses the blood brain barrier, which very few nutrients are able to do.  Beta-carotene isn’t able to do this so this allows astaxanthin to provide an anti-inflammation benefit to your eyes, brain, and reduce your risk for various eye diseases.

The Facts Behind The Power Of Astaxanthin

A research study was conducted by an independent research lab to measure the skin’s ability to resist UVA and UVB light before and after astaxanthin supplementation.  What they found was that when the subjects took 4mg of astaxanthin per day for only 3 weeks, there was a significant increase in the amount of time for UV radiation to start damaging the skin.

Other studies, including the one published in the Journal of Dermatological Sciences, have shown that astaxanthin has been able to protect against changes in DNA that were the result of ultraviolet light.  

A third study, conducted in Japan, looked at women who consumed 2mg of astaxanthin daily for 4 weeks.  What surprised them was that after only 2 weeks, the women’s skin had improved on multiple levels; and, after 4 weeks, there was continued improvement.  

Some of the benefits were: increased skin tone and elasticity, and smoother surface and better moisture.  

Now, this doesn’t mean that you stop using sunscreen and doing what is necessary to protect yourself from the sun’s harmful ways, but why not boost your internal sunscreen protection and improve numerous other health markers that astaxanthin can provide.  

WARNING: Don’t Be Fooled By Synthetic Forms Of Astaxanthin. Only Use Natural Forms Of Astaxanthin >>

References:

Modulatory effects of an algal extract containing astaxanthin on UVA-irradiated cells in culture  Nicole M. Lyons, Nora M. O’Brien * Department of Food Science, Food Technology and Nutrition, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland   Journal of Dermatological Science 30 (2002)

http://www.cyanotech.com/pdfs/bioastin/batl33.pdf  Clinical Trial Indicates Sun Protection from BioAstin

Yamashita, E. (2002). “Cosmetic Benefit of Dietary Supplements Containing Astaxanthin and Tocotrienol on Human Skin.” Food Style. 21 6(6):112-17

http://www.fujihealthscience.com/study-references.html