And yet, every dermatologist on the planet recommends sunscreen.

How can you know what is true and what is not? Let’s review the data.

But first, let’s go over the basics

What is sunscreen?

Sunscreens are products that help protect the skin from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. There are two types of UV rays that reach the earth’s surface: UVA and UVB.

UVA are long wavelength rays that can penetrate through glass and can reach deep into the skin surface. Although these rays have traditionally been known to cause skin wrinkling, sagging and tanning, they are now known to cause skin cancer as well.  

UVB rays are shorter wavelength rays that do not penetrate as deep into the skin surface. However, they are the major contributor to sunburn and skin cancer.  

Related content: Melanoma: What You Need to Know About Diagnosis and Treatment and What You Need to Know About Basal Cell Carcinoma

More Content from this author:  Poison Ivy: How to Treat that Itchy Rash

What is SPF?

SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. SPF indicates how much solar energy (ultraviolet radiation in the form of UVB rays) is required to cause sunburn on skin that has been protected with sunscreen. This is compared to the amount of energy required to cause sunburn on unprotected skin. 

Solar energy is influenced by many factors including time of day. For example, an hour of sun exposure at 9:00 am may be equivalent to 15 minutes of solar energy obtained at noon. It also depends on a number of other factors such as location, the amount of time in the sun, and weather conditions (clouds can absorb solar energy making the sun’s rays more intense on clear days).

SPF is a relative indicator of the amount of sunburn protection a sunscreen provides. As SPF increases, so does the protection from UVB rays. It is important to note that SPF labels on sunscreens are often not accurate.

An SPF of 30 prevents 97% of UVB rays from reaching the skin’s surface. An SPF of 50 prevents 98%. No sunscreen is able to provide 100% protection.

SPF does not provide information about protection from UVA rays. Sunscreens that provide protection against both UVA and UVB may be labeled “broad spectrum.”

What are sunscreen filters?

Sunscreens contain one or several active ingredients called sunscreen filters. In the United States, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has approved 16 sunscreen filters.

Each filter can protect the skin from different wavelengths of ultraviolet radiation. For this reason, it is common to see multiple “active ingredients” or sunscreen filters listed on the ingredient listing of any given sunscreen product.  

Sunscreen filters can be divided into two classes, organic and inorganic. The classification depends on how they prevent the sun’s UV rays from reaching the skin surface. Organic or “chemical” sunscreen filters absorb the rays. Inorganic or physical sunscreen filters, of which there are only two, titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, reflect and scatter them.

What are the different sunscreen filters?

In the United States, only half of sixteen approved sunscreen filters are actually being used today. I have marked them with an asterik (*) in the alphabetical list of filters below.

The eight approved filters that are not used have adverse properties. They are cosmetically unpleasing, cause allergic reactions, have unlikable properties, like turning the skin blue. Some are no longer manufactured.

Of the eight filters that are being used, only two can cover the UVA spectrum adequately: avobenzone and zinc oxide.

Which sunscreen filters are FDA approved? 

1. Aminobenzoic acid

Aminobenzoic acid is also well known as PABA. It is approved for use up to a concentration of 15%. It was one of the first filters used in sunscreens after its UVB absorbing properties were discovered. PABA is a “natural” chemical found in the vitamin folic acid as well in many foods like grains, eggs, and milk.

Although PABA is an effective sunscreen filter, it is also a strong sensitizing agent. In addition, in the 1980s studies showed that PABA might increase the risk of cellular UV damage. PABA is seldom if ever, used in today’s sunscreen formulations. 

2. *Avobenzone

Avobenzone is also known as Parsol1789. It is one of the most commonly used sunscreen filters in sunscreen formulations today. Avobenzone degrades in light and is very photo-unstable. Therefore is often formulated with a stabilizing agent such as octocrylene, another sunscreen filter, or stabilizing agent. It is approved for use in Europe, Australia, Japan, and in the US where it can be used in formulations up to 3%.

3. Cinoxate

Cinoxate is an approved sunscreen filter for its broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection. It is a very ineffective filter and therefore, no longer manufactured or used in sunscreen formulations.

4. Dioxybenzone

Dioxybenzone is an effective sunscreen filter with an unfortunate side effect. When exposed to ultraviolet light, it turns the skin blue! This filter is no longer used in today’s sunscreen formulations.

5. Ensulizole

Ensulizole is an effective filter against UVB rays. It is water-soluble so it feels light and non-greasy on the skin. But because it is water-soluble, it is not water-resistant – a quality desired by consumers who are swimming or sweating from heat or exercise. This sunscreen is rarely used in sunscreens. But it may be found in daily wear moisturizers that contain sun protection.

6. *Homosalate

Homosalate is an effective sunscreen filter against UVB rays and is found is almost half of all sunscreens on the market, Homosalate is a compound that belongs to a class of chemicals called salicylates. Salicylates have an analgesic property, an ability to numb the skin when applied topically.

Although homosalate has never been approved as an analgesic. However, there is some concern by knowledgeable chemists that the use of this product may minimize any pain or discomfort that could warn the user of a developing sunburn. Homosalate has also been accused of being an endocrine disruptor and an agent that increases the absorption of certain chemicals into the skin. This filter is approved in Europe, Australia, Japan and in the United States where it is considered safe up to a concentration of 15%.

7. Meridamate

Meridamate is an effective UVA sunscreen filter that has been approved in both the United States and Australia. Meridamate is barely used in sunscreen formulations as it can cause allergic skin reactions and because it smells like bubble gum.

8. *Octocrylene

Octocrylene is an effective UVB filter. It is used to stabilize other UV filters. Octocrylene is a thick stable compound that tends to feel greasy. The maximum FDA approved concentration is 10%.

9. *Octinoxate

Octinoxate is a widely used UVB sunscreen filter. It degrades over time especially when exposed to ultraviolet light. It is approved in Europe, Australia, Japan, and the United States up to 7.5%. Octinoxate is one of two filters that have recently been banned in Hawaii as of 2021 due to its presumed damage to coral reefs.

10. *Octisalate

Octisalate is another widely used UVB sunscreen filter in the class of salicylates. It shares the same concern by experts that its analgesic properties may minimize discomfort or pain sensation from a developing sunburn. Octisalate has an oily consistency and offers a mild floral fragrance. It is approved in Europe, Australia, Japan, and the United States up to 5%.

11. *Oxybenzone

Oxybenzone is an effective UVB and partial UVA sunscreen filter. It is photostable but has recently been shown to possibly cause DNA damage when exposed to ultraviolet light. It is approved in Europe, Australia, Japan and in the United States up to 6%. Oxybenzone is the second sunscreen filter recently banned by Hawaii as of 2021 due to its presumed damage of coral reefs.

12. Padimate O

Padimate O is a derivative of the once used PABA sunscreen. This controversial sunscreen filter was shown to possibly cause DNA damage when exposed to ultraviolet light. It is no longer used in sunscreen formulations.

13. Sulisobenzone

Sulisobenzone is an effective UVB and partial UVA sunscreen filter. It can be used to stabilize other UV filters, however, it is water-soluble. Therefore it is not ideal for use in water-resistant sunscreens that are desired by swimmers and those sweating due to high ambient temperatures and exercise. This filter is not commonly used.

14. Trolamine salicylate

Trolamine salicylate is a salicylate and an effective UVB filter. It is an approved active ingredient for over-the-counter temporary relief of muscle and joint pain. It shares the same concern for diminishing the pain of developing sunburn with the other UV filter salicylates. This filter is rarely used in sunscreen formulations.

15. *Titanium dioxide

Titanium dioxide is one of only two inorganic/physical sunscreen filters approved by the FDA. It filters UVB rays as well as a portion of the UVA spectrum. Sunscreen formulations with titanium dioxide tend to leave a “white cast” on the skin. The FDA recently deemed this filter Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS).

16. *Zinc Oxide

Zinc oxide is the other inorganic/physical sunscreen filter approved by the FDA. It  is the most broad-spectrum of all the approved filters protecting the skin from both UVA and UVB rays. Like titanium dioxide, it also tends to leave a “white cast” on the skin. The FDA recently also deemed this filter as Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS).* Ecamsule (Mexoryl SX) is a water-soluble UVA sunscreen filter that has been approved in the United States up to 3% in limited L’Oreal formulations.

Chemical vs. physical sunscreens: Which is better?

Physical sunscreens are formulated with the approved filters titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide only. All sunscreens formulated with any combination of the other 14 approved filters are considered “chemical” sunscreens.

Dermatologists often recommend physical sunscreens for individuals with eczema or sensitive skin and for young children. This is because the tendency to develop allergic reactions to these more inert compounds is far less than the chemical sunscreens.

Physical sunscreens, however, may leave a “white cast” on the skin. No physical sunscreens made the Consumer Reports 2019 recommended list of the best sunscreens. Although many physical sunscreens were effective, they weren’t as effective as chemical sunscreen formulations when used comparatively. None of the physical blocks provided both top-notch SPF and UVA protection. In fact, there was minimal variation from the labeled SPF. 

Now, about those news stories

1. Does sunscreen cause vitamin D deficiency?

A comprehensive review of the literature from 1970 to 2017 assessed the association between sunscreen use and vitamin D deficiency. When sunscreen is used in real-life conditions, they found little evidence that sunscreen use caused a deficiency in vitamin D. The review also stated that there was no evidence to negate current skin cancer prevention advice.

2. Do sunscreen ingredients get absorbed into the blood?

A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at plasma concentrations of active ingredients of various types of commercially available sunscreen formulations under maximal use conditions.

All four active ingredients tested, avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene, and ecamsule, were absorbed into the bloodstream. Although they were found in concentrations higher than the 0.5 ng/ml FDA threshold for potential safety concerns, the study concluded the following:

• Further studies to determine the significance of these findings are warranted
• Individuals should NOT refrain from using sunscreen.

3. Does sunscreen really kill coral?

In July 2018, Hawaii passed a law that prohibits the sale of sunscreens that contain oxybenzone or octinoxate, claiming that these two ingredients have a detrimental impact on marine life. In particular, they are said to cause deformed coral larvae and contributed to coral bleaching. The claims were based on a study, originally published in the Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00244-015-0227-7.  Of note, the study was done in a laboratory using artificial seawater.

In October 2018, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that global coral bleaching was occurring. Coral bleaching is a phenomenon where the coral releases the algae that live within the coral tissue turning the coral white. Experts believe the main cause is global warming is an elevation of seawater temperature. They also believe that overfishing and pollution likely contribute to coral bleaching far more than sunscreen filters.

Terry Hughes, director of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University, said, “The conclusion from the media is sunscreen is killing the world’s coral, and that’s laughable.” Conclusion: there is insufficient evidence that sunscreen use harms coral reefs. So before you throw away oxybenzone containing sunscreens, lobby your local politicians for practices that decrease global warming.

The bottom line question: Should I wear sunscreen?

Yes! Emphatically YES! apply sunscreen daily.

The benefits outweigh the risks!

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher on all exposed skin surfaces.

Scientific studies show that sunscreen usage decreases the development of skin cancer. It also decreases premature aging of the skin. The benefits of wearing sunscreen on all exposed surfaces, applied liberally and daily, far outweigh any risks of doing so.

Related content

Sunscreen application is only part of a comprehensive sun protection program. It is NOT permission to seek sun or prolong your time in the sun. Limit the amount of skin that is exposed to the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays by wearing protective clothing and hats. And, seek shade when possible.

So, which sunscreen should I use?

The BEST sunscreen is a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher that is used liberally, daily and often. 

For individuals with sensitive skin or for those with certain skin conditions like eczema, physical sunscreen formulations are preferable.

The average adult in a bathing suit should apply 1 ounce (a shot glass full) to cover all exposed skin surfaces. Sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours if swimming or sweating excessively for continued protection. 

The choice of using a sunscreen spray, stick or bottle is personal preference. It’s more important that an adequate amount of sunscreen is applied to obtain the SPF protection printed on the product label.

The post Sunscreen in the News: What is True and What is Not appeared first on The Doctor Weighs In.

Students briskly move from place to place on their way to a variety of destinations: the next class, the bookstore, their dorms, to find food, or to the gym. At certain times, especially between classes, the campus is so overwhelmed by pedestrian traffic it looks like a wave of students crashing upon the educational shoreline. To be perfectly honest, I marvel at the fact that students can actually find their way across campus in today’s world of smartphones. I say this because, most of the time, they navigate this entire journey with earbuds securely planted, and their eyes looking down fixed on their smartphone screens. Some even do this with a hoodie covering most of their head and partly covering their faces.

When I am driving my car during one of these student waves, I am extra careful because students often walk in front of my car without even knowing I am there. I don’t mean to sound old-fashioned or intend to give a “get off my lawn” type of dissertation here. However, the other day, after avoiding what could have been a tragic collision with a student and my car, I began to wonder how many of them are “addicted” to their cell phones. This got me fixated on the very nature of smartphone “addiction”, and how we are approaching the proliferation of devices, and our dependency on them, in our society at large.

The potential for addiction to smartphones

According to the PEW Research Center,¹ 64% of Americans adults use smartphones. This number is even higher when you look at the 18-24 age group often called emerging adults. As is well recognized, smartphones are utilized not only for phone calls and texts but are often utilized to access the internet with the variety of activities and applications available. Thus, in today’s world, smartphones are used in a variety of different ways, and for a variety of different purposes.

Several studies have examined the potential of cell phone use becoming addictive. In a study of 164 college students,² researchers investigated what kinds of smartphone activities were connected with cell phone addiction. They also investigated what differences exist, if any, between men and women regarding time spent on the phone, activities, and potential addiction. Study findings show significant differences between emerging adult men and women. For example,

“women reported spending an average of 600 minutes on a cell phone every day compared to 459 for males (p. 259).”

Texts, emails, and social media were the top three time consumers across participants. The researchers found that social media sites such as Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook were associated with higher scores on the addiction instrument used. This was particularly true for women. For men, emails, calls, and texts were a higher predictor of cell phone addiction.

Motivations for smartphone dependency and addiction

The motivation for cell phone use and possible addiction also differed between men and women. Women were more socially motivated versus more “utilitarian” or practical motivations for men. Overall, the desire to connect with others was a primary motivator for all participants and reveals an important research question for the future. Namely, what motivates us to spend so much time on our smartphones? Interestingly, the researchers noted that “reading the Bible on one’s cell phone” and “Twitter” reduced the probability of cell phone addiction.²

It is likely that the journey to problematic cell phone use begins in early adolescence. Dr. Mark D. Griffiths, a leading expert in this area, conducted a large-scale study of 1,900 students; high school and college.³ Griffiths and colleagues found that problematic use was reported by 2.8% of students. He also rightly points out that “some people may confuse habitual use of such technology as an addictive behavior (when in reality it may not be)” (p. 77).

Defining criteria for smartphone addiction

Distinguishing between significant use and addiction is best assessed through the presence of negative consequences. Common negative consequences of addiction can include factors from various aspects of our life including social, relational, financial, legal, emotional, and physical. It is easy to see how cell phone addiction could impact a person in most of these areas. What is not as easy to determine or define is how cell phone addiction could impact someone legally or physically.

However, an addiction to cell phone use often is associated with other psychological problems and/or behaviors. For example, a review of the literature discovers that problematic cell phone use is often associated with poor quality of sleep and the number of hours of sleep. Sleep deprivation can significantly impact our physical and emotional health. Not surprisingly, alcohol and drug use, as well as other co-occurring psychiatric illness, are correlated with problematic cell phone use.⁴ Alcohol and drug use increases the probability of running into legal problems. These factors point to cell phone addiction most likely being part of a multitude of behaviors related to those susceptible to addiction generally.

In order to distinguish cell phone addiction from significant use, Griffiths³ developed a series of statements in an effort to create a self-assessment review that can be used by any individual. Answering “yes” to six or more of these statements is symptomatic of a cell phone or smartphone problem, and could point to an addiction issue. Listed below are the questions:

• “My mobile phone is the most important thing in my life”
• “Conflicts have arisen between me and my family and/or my partner about the amount of time I spend on my mobile phone”
• “My mobile phone use often gets in the way of other important things I should be doing (working, education, etc.)”
• “I spend more time on my mobile phone than almost any other activity”
• “I use my mobile phone as a way of changing my mood”
• “Over time, I have increased the amount of time I spend on my mobile phone during the day”
• “If I am unable to use my mobile phone, I feel moody and irritable”
• “I often have strong urges to use my mobile phone”
• “If I cut down the amount of time I spend on my mobile phone, and then start using it again, I always end up spending as much time on my mobile phone as I did before”
• “I have lied to other people about how much I use my mobile phone” (p. 77)

Certainly, significant smartphone use can become problematic if it takes us away from important activities and relationships. Given the ubiquitous nature of smartphones in business and personal life though, this line of distinction is difficult to discern. For some, cell phone addiction may actually be a real problem needing intervention. If you found yourself answering “yes” to a number of Dr. Griffith’s questions, please know that you are not alone in this issue. You can and should reach out for help.

The post You’re Addicted to Your Phone if You Agree with These Statements appeared first on The Doctor Weighs In.

You could throw in the towel and blame everything on your gene pool, or you could take the time to learn what it is that separates the slim folks from the rest.

The truth is, there are some habits of people who always stay fit that you should incorporate into your daily routine. They go well beyond transforming your body:

They’re about embracing a whole new way of life.

1. They Start Their Days Early

Early bird gets the worm — or, in this case, a fit body.

Early risers tend to be more proactive!

Instead of letting sleep inertia get the best of them, they use the extra time each morning to exercise, meditate, and have a healthy breakfast, among other things. And, more importantly, they stick to it during the weekend, as well!

The number one habit you need to work on is changing your sleep pattern.

But before you set your alarm one hour earlier than usual, be sure that you move your bedtime, as well. You should still aim to get the recommended amount of sleep each night.

Stick around to find out why!

2. They Don’t Skip Breakfast

I know I risk sounding like your mom here, but:

“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”

And while there are plenty of reasons why you should never skip breakfast. These include a reduced risk of heart disease, enhanced cognitive functions, and a reduced risk of diabetes. But I’ll focus on the one that probably interests you the most:

It helps keep the weight off for good.

However, eating breakfast isn’t a magic weight management solution — your food choices still play a significant role:

Aim to have a healthy, wholesome meal consisting of proteins, healthy fats, whole grains, and fiber, first thing in the morning.

3. They Don’t Shy Away from Routine

Whether you admit it or not, humans are creatures of habit.

I’m not talking about fully scheduled days, of course, but bringing a little structure and organization to your daily life couldn’t hurt.

Starting your day with a plan means you’re planning on getting things done and accomplishing something. This automatically leads to a more positive outlook on life. It is an often overlooked, but important factor for improving your health and wellness.

And just like any other chain reaction, the more happy and optimistic you feel, the more likely you are to engage in healthful habits. Seriously, if there’s one habit you should pick up, it’s this one.

4. They Truly Enjoy Exercise

Most fit people don’t fall into the category of die-hard fitness fanatics. However, they still make an effort to include exercise into their daily life — and you should, too.

Whether it’s yoga, running, or hitting the gym for a resistance training session, the trick is in finding something that you truly enjoy. And don’t mind doing — even if it’s Sunday, even if you’re on vacation, even if your favorite show is on.

Continue reading, and you’ll see what I mean.

5. They’re Active Outside the Gym, Too

Generally speaking, fit people choose to spend their free time doing something, rather than doing nothing. They do this because they respect their body and its needs more than anything else. They think of movement as a way of life, not a means to an end.

Related Content: Want to Know Why Exercise is So Good for Your Brain?

You’ll rarely catch a fit person spending their free time slouching in front of the TV.

They’re too busy having fun outside, be it by going on a hike, riding a bike, or simply walking around the park, and enjoying the fresh air.

That said, two things should be on your daily menu are:

6. They Eat “Real Foods”

Sure, it’s nice to order some take-out or go to a restaurant every once in a while, but as it turns out, one of the many habits of people who always stay fit is that they generally prefer a home-cooked, whole-foods meal over anything else.

Protein, which reduces hunger, increases feelings of fullness and helps you consume fewer calories throughout the day.

Fiber, and viscous fiber in particular, which helps you feel fuller for longer by forming a gel, increasing nutrient absorption time, and slowing down the emptying of the stomach at the same time.

7. They Know Better Than To Make Unrealistic Diet Changes

In a perfect world, you’d eat a 100-percent clean diet. You’d also stick to it at all times. But we both know that’s not how the real world works.

Fit people know that staying slim isn’t about drastically restricting their calorie intake or cutting specific food groups out of their diet. It’s about finding what works in the long run, and embracing the right mindset:

Eat everything in moderation.

After all, it’s common knowledge that the human body is around 60 percent water.

8. They Drink Plenty of Water

Heart and lung function, digestion, body temperature regulation, joint lubrication, and anything else that goes on inside your body requires one vital nutrient — water.

But did you know that drinking more water throughout the day — and especially before a meal — affects not only your hydration levels but your weight, as well?

More importantly, when it comes to water-drinking habits of people who always stay fit, it seems that they’re more likely to swap calorie-packed drinks for water, too.

Unfortunately, though, most of us only remember to watch our diets or hit the gym when we have an important event coming up in a few weeks. You shouldn’t need a date on the calendar to motivate you to take care of yourself — the fact that you only have one body should be a reason enough!

9. They Don’t Need a Reason to Get In Shape

One of the habits of people who always stay fit is that they tend to prioritize their health and fitness — even when it seems like there are not enough hours in the day to get everything done.

10. They Understand the Importance of a Good Night’s Rest

You can embrace a clean diet and an active lifestyle, but if you fail to keep your sleeping pattern in check, all your efforts go straight through the window.

Related Content: How Important is Sleep for Women’s Health?

There’s a quite intimate relationship between sleeping comfortably and fitness:

When you’re sleep deprived (and more than a third of adults are), your hormone levels take a severe blow. This includes those vital for keeping your body fit and healthy — hunger hormones, ghrelin and leptin, growth hormone, and insulin .

Final Thoughts about Staying Fit

If getting to the end of this list of habits of people who always stay fit left you feeling a bit overwhelmed, take a deep breath and relax — no one expects you to start implementing all these new habits at once.

Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Tackle one aspect of your daily life at a time, ditch the fad diet mentality, and take as much time as you need:

You’re building life-long habits here — and that’s a journey, not a race.

The post 10 Habits of People Who Always Stay Fit | The Doctor Weighs In appeared first on The Doctor Weighs In.

Have you ever considered the definition of health? The dictionary tells us that it’s the absence of illness or injury. However, if you think a bit deeper about it, you might decide that merely being free of disease doesn’t make you healthy.

Your health is a continually evolving state. You might feel good today and not so much tomorrow.

How you treat your body affects your overall
health and wellness for years to come.

So, when it comes to health, making the right decisions every day is probably your best strategy. To do this, many experts believe that using a holistic preventive medicine approach can help you achieve maximum function and well-being.

What is preventive medicine?

If you’re looking for ways to boost your immunity and avoid illness, preventive medicine might be able to help. This lifestyle health approach centers around practices that focus on prevention, promotion, and maintenance of health and wellbeing.

Preventive medicine can be formal, like when you go to see your physician for health screenings and immunizations. But it also includes lifestyle changes that you can undertake your own.

In this tech-oriented era, these changes likely involve wearable, and in-home technologies can help keep you healthy. These come in a variety of forms, such as smartwatches, that can track your steps, monitor your heartbeat, and remind you to take deep breaths periodically. But they also include digital home blood pressure monitors, glucose monitors, electronic scales and other devices that can port your data into a tracking app.

What is holistic medicine?

Holistic medicine focuses on the whole person. Instead of just treating one condition or body system, it takes into account the body, mind, and spirit. Holistic practitioners believe that if one part of your body isn’t working as it should, then all other parts will be affected, too.

Further, they believe that staying healthy requires that you must always be in a state of balance. This involves intention and practice. Also, it may mean you need some therapeutic techniques if you lose this delicate state of equilibrium.

Why is holistic preventive medicine necessary?

Six out of every ten adults in the United States have a chronic health disease. Four out of ten have two or more long-term conditions.

The following are the most common and costly illnesses:

All of these conditions have one thing in common: the impact of your lifestyle. Choices like too little physical activity, poor eating habits, and tobacco use can increase your risk of long-term health conditions.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that practicing prevention can lower your healthcare costs. Americans spend $3.3 trillion on healthcare each year. Ninety percent of this total arises from chronic physical and mental health conditions.

When you choose preventive healthcare, you’re placing your long-term health over your short-term lifestyle decisions with the goal of healthy living. This is especially true for women who are pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant, as having a healthy pregnancy is vital for the long-term health of two.

Five advantages of engaging in holistic preventive care for your body

The Case for Health Screenings

As you age, life seems to get busier. This might leave you struggling to find time for routine checkups and tests. Remember, health screenings are a crucial part of holistic health and prevention.

Health screenings can detect chronic conditions and infections early so that you can get proper treatment and slow down the progression of these diseases. These types of exams are essential as you age, especially in the middle-adult and senior years.

Have you ever thought about how essential your heart is to daily life? There are many things you should know about your heart. One of the most critical components of healthy living is taking good care of your heart by making heart-healthy decisions daily.

Simple steps like getting your blood pressure checked routinely, seeing your doctor every year for a thorough exam, and following through with any laboratory tests your provider recommends can decrease your overall risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.

The Case for a Healthy Diet

Choosing to eat a healthy diet decreases your risk of developing conditions like obesity and high cholesterol. Eat fruits, whole grains, vegetables, and fat-free or low-fat dairy products to get on the right track.

If you have any chronic health conditions, like diabetes or gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD), your diet is a critical step to control. If you have GERD, be sure to steer clear of foods that agitate symptoms. This includes spicy foods, coffee, tea, and fatty or fried foods.

Try eating small, frequent meals to avoid the added pressure that a large meal might place on your stomach and esophagus. If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, sticking to a healthy eating plan.

A healthy eating plan can help you control your blood sugar and slow the progression of the disease and other complications. A few diet modifications to consider with diabetes includes

• choosing complex carbohydrates over simple ones
• eating heart-healthy fish
• opting good fats, like avocados and nuts.

The Case for Controlling Stress

When you think of a healthy lifestyle, you might only consider things like diet and exercise. However, the amount of stress in your life is critical to overall well-being. Having a small amount keeps your body performing well, but too much stress can cause headaches, stomach upset, chest pain, and decrease your ability to fight colds and infections.

If you’re looking for holistic ways to get your stress under control, consider practices like mindfulness and meditation. You might also think about joining a local yoga or pilates class. Another strategy to help ease stress and anxiety is the use of CBD. This component of marijuana doesn’t cause any psychoactive effects. But, it has been shown to reduce tension and decrease stress, especially when it’s part of an overall healthy lifestyle.

The Case for Catching Shut-Eye

Sleep is restorative. So walking around in a sleep deprived or deficient state will leave you functioning at a suboptimal level. Unfortunately, too many people think they can run on four or five hours of sleep each night.

However, research has proven that getting about eight hours of sleep every day improves physical health. It also keeps you safe and performing at your best. When you get enough sleep and good quality rest, your overall state of mental, physical, and emotional health will improve.

The Case for Plenty of Activity

We get it. Some days you don’t feel like running 10 miles or engaging in a two-hour long exercise class. The good news is that to get the benefits of regular physical activity, you don’t have to spend a lot of time doing it. If you commit to a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise each day, you’ll get several benefits such as:

• weight control
• combating illness
• boosting your energy levels

The bottom line

If you’re ready to give holistic preventive health a try, you don’t have to make all of these changes at once. Instead, choose one of these strategies and stick with it for a few months before adding in the next one.

One of the easiest ways to begin is to make an appointment with a holistic preventive medicine practitioner for a check-up. Work with her to establish a plan of action to get your health back on track. Then, follow that plan as you gradually discard unhealthy habits and incorporate new health-promoting ones. The next thing you know you will be on the path towards health and a more balanced lifestyle. Good luck!

The post Holistic Preventive Medicine Can Change Your Life for the Better appeared first on The Doctor Weighs In.

No matter how many self-help books you read or how much wisdom you possess on human socialization, there will always come a time when you need to deal with toxic people. As the description suggests, having these people in your life is not healthy.

When in the company of toxic people, you become fearful of speaking up and being yourself. They can even stir up fear and an unshakeable feeling of guilt when you think about breaking up with or cutting that person out of your life.

The bottom line:

Toxic people prevent you from being happy.

To save yourself from the distress, it is important that you know how to spot such individuals so you can avoid engaging with them and remove them in your life once and for all.

What types of people are considered “toxic”?

There are several types of toxic people. And they come in more categories than we care to count. From emotional vampires to drama magnets, these are people who exhibit toxic personalities that can affect your emotional well-being whether they know it or not.

The only way you can avoid these people is to identify who they are based on how they act, what words they say, and how they make you feel.

● Critics

As the name suggests, this type of toxic person undermines your sense of self-esteem. This is mainly because they have low self-esteem.

Although critics will not call you offensive names, they will make it a point to criticize almost everything about you. This can range from your appearance to your beliefs and thoughts. Rather than offer advice on how you can improve, critics will berate your negative qualities incessantly and hinder your growth.

● Passive Aggressors

A passive aggressor exhibits behavior that can be categorized as an expression of rage in a passive manner. They don’t get directly to the point and often find ways to make you feel their anger without explicitly telling you.

Some signs that you are dealing with passive aggressors include sarcasm, backhanded compliments, and expression of mixed messages. When you are in a relationship with this type of toxic person, it might feel like you must choose your words and actions carefully to avoid sparking a confrontation.

● Narcissists

Toxic people that fall under this category often choose a single way to undermine your happiness: one-way communication.

When speaking to narcissists, you will find yourself losing any chance of getting a word in during conversations. The worst part is that they only talk about themselves, don’t wait for any response from the person they’re talking to, and just adore hearing their own voice.

These people should be avoided at all costs, especially if they are starting to make you feel unimportant and unloved.

● Stonewallers

The act of “stonewalling” refers to the refusal to maintain open communication when discussing an important matter about the relationship. Stonewallers are one of the worst people to get into a relationship with. They will leave you hanging and never try to resolve whatever issue you might have.

Commonalities

Although these four are the most common types, they aren’t the only people you should try to avoid. Understanding what these toxic people have in common would help you recognize who they are.

Some of them are downright judgmental, while others don’t take responsibility for how they feel. There are also those who manipulate you and those that don’t apologize even after they made a mistake.

Many toxic people are also known to be inconsistent with their words and actions. Plus there are those that focus on finding fault rather than a solution to problems.

In short, they don’t show sincere support, care, or interest in you and what you’re going through.

5 effective ways to deal with toxic people

While it may be difficult, it isn’t impossible to achieve happiness even when you’re surrounded by toxic people. So long as you know how to handle them and protect yourself from the toxicity they bring, you can get by unscathed.

To help you out, here are five effective ways to deal with the toxic people in your life:

1. Protect yourself during potentially toxic interactions

Sometimes, interacting with a toxic person is unavoidable. When you’ve come to this point, you should know how to protect yourself from the negativity.

To do so, you must use “I” statements. When expressing how you feel, assert that the person you’re speaking with must listen and try to understand your side for you to have a healthy relationship.

2. Identify what makes you an easy prey

Toxic people often cannot help but be negative around you when you appear as easy prey. To avoid this, you should assess your own characteristics to identify why people treat you the way they do.

Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean you’re taking the blame for how other people mistreat you. You just need to determine what you need to change so that the experience won’t happen again with other toxic people.

3. Check your reactions

Like tip no. 2, this doesn’t entail taking responsibility for the dynamic of the toxic relationship you’re in, either. Check. your reactions. This only means you must see whether some of your responses tend to aggravate the toxicity of the other person involved.

For example, showing anxiousness and fear of being left alone might fuel a narcissist’s eagerness to keep playing his or her games. In contrast, a lack of reaction might also cause the toxic person to think that he or she is permitted to mistreat you. That said, there are certain reactions you should avoid, depending on what kind of toxic person you are dealing with.

4. Be wary of the “sunk cost fallacy”

When you keep on holding on to a toxic relationship, one of the most important questions you need to answer is this: “Why won’t you leave? “

After pondering this, some people find out that they’ve succumbed to what psychology experts call the “sunk cost fallacy.” This is the tendency to pursue an endeavor because of the time, money, or any other resource they invested in it.

Based on a study on this fallacy published in the Psychological Science journal, people tend to keep holding on to something because of the nonrecoverable resources they used up to get to that point, even if they will be better off without it. This explains why people tend to find it difficult to break up with someone they’ve been with for a long time, even after realizing that the relationship is no longer healthy.

5. Stay away from toxicity

Toxic people offer nothing but negativity and obstruction to your true happiness. You are better off without people who only give you heartaches and take every ounce of love you have without giving back.

Thinking about your own happiness is not the same as being selfish — so be kind to yourself and just do it.

The post A Guide to Recognizing and Dealing with Toxic People appeared first on The Doctor Weighs In.

Confidence is a leading soft skill that is valuable throughout your entire life. Building confidence should start early to give children the ability to become successful adults. Other “soft skills.” include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Creativity,
• Collaboration,
• Adaptability

Although these skills are very important, they are hard to teach. No book can teach creativity and no parent can teach confidence. It is not like learning to throw a ball or ride a bike, yet, learning to throw a ball or ride a bike does build confidence.

5 ways confidence improves your life

Confidence helps develop a strong character and can set you up for success in life. Here are some of the ways confidence can impact your performance in life:

1. Being a self-starter

Confident people get things done. They do not wait for direction before acting. And, they have no problem with taking control of a situation when needed.

This means they are not afraid to assume and take risks. A self-starting, confident person is well aware of the possibility of failure. But they have the inner strength not to let that prospect stop them. They are aware of the consequences and will often push through these obstacles.

A confident person is also not afraid to volunteer for difficult tasks when they present themselves. More confidence allows for fewer missed opportunities and puts a confident person in stronger positions for promotion as an adult.

Leaders see them as capable of acting and accepting the consequences of their decisions rather than taking the most accessible path. A confident person will shoot for the best possible outcome rather than the safest outcome.

2. Standing up to bullies

Confidence can keep you from being pushed around by others. A confident person will speak up for themselves. And, they will speak up for others when necessary.

When you lack confidence, you do not speak up when others try to take credit for your work. You also allow others to seek opportunities from you without a fight.

Of course, this does not mean physical violence, but a confident person will not let another take an opportunity away from them.

A lack of confidence invites bullying and overreach. A stronger and more sure person will not tolerate such behavior in others whether it is directed at them or other people.

3. Being honest

Confident people are more willing to speak their mind. A more confident person is not afraid to say no when they feel it is best. They will not take on too much or too little due to a lack of assertiveness.

Also, it is hard to go wrong by being honest and stating what is best rather than what people want to hear.

4. Achieving success

Both adults and children who have more confidence do better in life. Studies have shown that for both adults and children, confidence leads to better grades in school and more promotions and higher pay in the workplace later in life.

5. Maintaining higher standards

Believing in yourself means you tend to think more pragmatically and more positively. Someone who thinks positive will have higher standards than others.

Confident individuals set a higher bar for themselves and work harder to reach them. A stronger person will not only be more aware of his limits but will have no qualms about testing those limits to improve.

In fact, studies show just telling someone to have higher standards leads to higher standards.

In contrast to the benefits of plenty of confidence, the lack of confidence leads people to be more cautious and overall less successful in life. It can cause people to have weak goals, to not take advantage of opportunities and to be more accepting of less achievement.

What can you do to improve confidence?

While you can not learn to be confident in the same way you would learn a hard skill such as math or plumbing, there are ways you can strengthen your mindset.

-Fake it till you make it

The first thing to do is to look at the traits of confident people and try to apply them. The favorite phrase these days is “fake it till you make it.”

Even if you lack confidence on the inside, do your best to project confidence on the outside.

One way to do this is to dress for the job you want rather than the job you have. This is because,

• How you dress affects confidence.
• It helps you take pride in your appearance.

So get up, shower, and fix your hair, and (men) shave every day. Then, dress as nicely as you can.

I am self-employed. I have neither a boss who I have to dress for nor customers to please with what I choose to wear. However, every day I get up, shower and shave, put on a nice button up and tie and get ready for work.

I could work in my pajamas if I wanted to, but I dress for success, and that alone helps me succeed.

-Take The 100 Days Of Rejection Challenge

A significant cause of low confidence is lack of exercising your self-esteem muscles. Fear of rejection lowers confidence. The 100 days of rejection challenge is like working out your confidence muscles every day.

Jia Jiang created this challenge. It is simple. It helps you overcome fear and build confidence by coming up with a list of absolutely crazy requests. Then you set out to ask for them. Rejection over and over is not easy. But to not fear rejection, you have to learn to accept it.

-Work out

When you exercise, your body releases endorphins that are very beneficial for improving happiness. You also gain a feeling of accomplishment when you finish your routine.

When you keep it up long enough, you start to see victory in your results. Working out is a great confidence builder because the only person who can tell you no is yourself.

-Surround Yourself With Positive, Encouraging People

Who you surround yourself with makes a difference. You don’t want to be around people who blindly tell you that you are great at everything without question. This builds false confidence.

At the same time, you do not want to surround yourself with people who are negative and put you down to prop themselves up. That can be just as toxic.

Remove people from your life who put you down and replace them with people who believe in you. You will be amazed at the result.

Confidence is awesome

Confidence is awesome. Trying to gain it can be terrifying. But once you have it, it is among one of the greatest feelings you can have.

As an adult, it is never too late to build confidence in yourself. And, if you have children, it is crucial to help your children develop self-confidence.

It will take you far in life, and nobody can take that away from you.

The post 5 Ways Confidence Improves Your Life appeared first on The Doctor Weighs In.

Winter is here and so is seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD primarily affects people in the winter although it can also strike in the summer. Cold temperatures drive people indoors and onto their couches, making you feel sluggish and unmotivated. To get up in the morning, someone needs to start a strong pot of espresso-ground coffee and turn the water hose on you.

Are you feeling the winter blues already? If you’re feeling lethargic or low-energy, you could be experiencing seasonal affective disorder. Instead of feeling trapped inside by winter, there are ways to enjoy the season and lift up your mood and energy levels.

SAD is a real condition. You don’t have to hunker down and “suck it up, buttercup” this year. Stay ahead of SAD with these simple tips:

1. Brighten up your space

The days grow shorter as autumn turns to winter. And if you love summer, your body is feeling light-deprived. Did you know sitting beside artificial light for at least 30 minutes a day has a similar effect to taking antidepressants? SAD sufferers can benefit from personalized light therapy.

Brighten up your space by inviting natural light, too. Open up your curtains and blinds. Bundle up and clip those thick hedges outside your windows. Then, brew more coffee and sit by the window with a good book.

You can also purchase a dawn simulator, which gradually brightens your room in the morning and makes it easy to get up without feeling like you’re jetlagged.

2. Yes, you can have chocolate

Chocolate is especially popular during the colder months for good reason. It helps relieve anxiety — hello, family drama — and boosts your mood. Go for the dark chocolate, which helps produce anandamide, a neurotransmitter that blocks depression. In Sanskrit, the word Ananda means “bliss” or “divine joy”, which sounds like the description of chocolate to us.

Don’t take this advice as blanket permission to gorge on any and all chocolate. Stay away from artificial chocolate and other super-sugary candy, which only give you temporary euphoria. When the temporary high from the sugar wanes, you’ll feel lethargic, but two squares of rich dark chocolate will perk and fill you up, without the downer afterward.

3. Work it out

One study from Harvard University revealed walking five times a week for 35 minutes or an hour three times a week relieved symptoms of moderate depression. Now combine that with working out under a vibrant light, and you’ve got twice the power to prevent SAD.

Bundle up in your favorite coat and take a short walk with the dog in a local park. Get the kids out and about for a calm nature hike. Some guides at state parks offer tours and educational information about the history of the land and what plants and animals you can look for there.

4. Listen to the beat

Music has been a part of culture since the dawn of man as a form of expression, celebration, healing, and more. When you go through a heartbreak, you turn to music to help grieve and heal your heart. You also use music to feel motivated at the gym.

You can also use upbeat music to improve your mood when you feel the onset of SAD in the winter. Regularly listening to cheery music boosts your mood in the long term, too. Do you listen to gospel, pop, rock, or jazz? Why not do karaoke to your favorite Disney songs? Listen to all the holiday music you want. It may be cheesy, but if it makes you feel good, there’s no wrong choice.

5. Plan to be somewhere else

Some days you just want to be somewhere — anywhere — else. Research reveals simply planning a getaway helps relieve depression and improves overall feelings of happiness. When you’re feeling SAD, start planning your dream trip to Hawaii.

6. You can still go outside

Why would anyone want to go outside in the cold? The answer is to avoid cabin fever and prevent SAD. Being surrounded by nature has been shown to improve mental health in a variety of ways.

Bundle up in a comfy sweater, coat, hat, scarf, and your favorite fall boots, and get outside to reduce SAD symptoms, exposing yourself to the benefits of nature, clean air, and natural light.

7. Breathe easier in better-quality indoor air

In winter, you’ll be spending more time indoors with closed doors and windows — recirculating indoor air and recycling the germs that become trapped. Keep out old, stuffy air and germs by changing the air filter in your furnace. Meanwhile, running a humidifier can add moisture to the air and your skin. Purchasing an air purifier will also reduce the risk of germs messing with your body chemistry to boost your depression and give you a cold.

8. Falling back is setting you back

Falling back one hour on your clock gives you extra time to sleep. However, it’s not helping you when it comes to SAD.

That extra hour of darkness negatively affects your mood and well-being, a new study shows. Prior studies showed that the shift in time affects your natural circadian rhythm, and depressive disorders also have an effect on your natural rhythm. Researchers noted higher rates of depressive disorders in psychiatric hospitals during this transition.

Since billions of others across the world fall back an hour, there’s not much you can do to change this practice. You can treat the effects the same way you would recover from jet lag. Instead of making the transition in one night, start adding an extra hour of sleep to your routine earlier, and use a dawn simulator to help brighten your room at the time you’d usually wake up.

The seasonal affective disorder takeaway

Don’t let seasonal affective disorder catch you off guard. Take preventive measures to ease the burden of feeling trapped indoors.

Bundle up and get moving outdoors, and take steps to make your indoor environment healthier, such as adding an air purifier and brightening the lights. Regularly exercise and listen to upbeat music to stay in a positive mindset. Winter is coming, but not for your happiness.

The post Stay Ahead of Seasonal Affective Disorder With These Tips appeared first on The Doctor Weighs In.

Have you ever made a decision using your gut instinct? Felt butterflies in your stomach when you’re anxious? Lost your appetite after hearing or seeing something disturbing? Not had the stomach to do something difficult?

Those are idioms we use every day, but they’re based in science-old science. For over a century, researchers have theorized that there’s a connection between our brains and our digestive system. It’s called the gut-brain axis, or the gut-brain connection.

What Is the Gut-Brain Connection?

The gut-brain connection describes the neural network that links the brain, the stomach, and the intestines. For decades, scientists fretted over “what comes first” problems. Does the brain talk to the gut, they wondered, or does the gut talk to the brain?

Now, we know that the digestive system and the brain are connected through feedback loops that work in both directions. That means that when you’re nervous, your neurons send that information to your digestive system and potentially trigger an upset stomach. Likewise, when there’s something bothering your intestines, your GI tract sends a message to your brain. This message can make you feel too anxious to stray far from home.

It’s easy to hear these sorts of sayings and assume that the symptoms are psychosomatic. The gut-brain connection proves that they’re not all in your head. These symptoms are real, and so are their corresponding mental health concerns.

While the occasional bout of anxiety over a speech or a first date is normal and expected, many people struggle every day with illnesses rooted in the connection between the brain, the stomach, and the intestines. For these patients, mental and digestive problems are not passing whims that should be dismissed or ignored. It’s not something you “get over” or “push through.” They’re legitimate medical problems that require treatment.

Gut Health Improves Brain Health-and Vice Versa

It’s well-documented that patients with chronic illnesses experience depression at higher rates than the general population. For those battling digestive complaints, like ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety is also quite common.

Research suggests that 40 percent of IBD patients have anxiety, too. This anxiety gets worse when the disease gets worse. And it lingers even when the individual’s gastrointestinal disease goes into remission. And because of the link between the gut and the brain, severe bouts of anxiety can cause bowel disease to worsen.

That’s why gastroenterologists are increasingly treating mental health issues as part of a whole-body approach to improving GI symptoms and diseases. By prescribing medication like SSRIs and benzodiazepines as well as alternative therapies. These alternatives include supplements, exercise, and meditation. Doctors are working with their patients to find combinations of pharmaceutical, alternative and lifestyle treatments and changes that hit the wellness sweet spot.

And guess what? Combining these different types of treatments and therapies is making a noticeable difference in both their patients’ mental health and their digestive health.

Related Content: You Can’t Outrun Your Microbes: How Exercise Affects Your Gut

The Supplement That Treats the Gut and the Brain? Probiotics

There are numerous factors that affect the digestive system-this, we know. One of these factors is gut flora.

Gut flora, microbiota or bacteria are the organisms that live in your intestines and help to finish the digestive process a well as important other functions. These include immune support, competitive inhibition of pathogens and helping to maintain a balanced microbiome. You are born with trillions of bacteria already in your digestive system.

Sometimes, the population of gut flora in your intestines can be decimated or one type of bacteria can overwhelm another. These can create an imbalance that makes you sick. Research suggests that this could be a contributing factor to some irritable bowel diseases. It can also be caused by something as innocuous as taking a course of antibiotics.

Supplementing your body’s existing microbiota with probiotics can help restore the balance of “good” bacteria and “bad” bacteria. When the balance between these types of bacteria is reestablished, your body has one more functioning tool to help you digest food. This extracting from it the essential nutrients you need to live.

While probiotics work solely in the intestines, thanks to the gut-brain connection, the work done there can impact your mental health, too. Scientists have linked probiotic supplements with improved digestion and better management of anxiety, depression and other mental health disorders.

Related Content: Your Gut Bacteria and You

Should You Try a Probiotic Supplement?

More research is needed but these supplements have, in some cases, been shown to help mental illness in people dealing with gastroenteritis, or inflammation of the stomach and intestines. It also seems to be an effective addition to psychiatric and mood-altering medications used to treat anxiety and depression in chronically ill patients with gastric complaints.

While you should always consult a doctor before changing your treatment plan or your diet, there hasn’t been any sign that probiotics negatively impact patients in any way. With such positive research to date, the potential probiotic supplements have as a part of your treatment plan is immense and encouraging.

So, how should you choose a probiotic?

Wisely. Your options are vast. Though yogurts and fermented food are probiotic sources, they don’t contain as many bacterial colonies or types of bacteria as a dedicated supplement would. They are good options to help maintain a regular intake of probiotics through your diet. They can help improve your gut flora. But if you’re looking for higher probiotic potencies or recovering from recent antibiotic treatment, we recommend taking a probiotic supplement.

A quick Google search or visit to a health foods store will show you that there are many different types of supplements available. Do your due diligence into both the manufacturer and the probiotic species. Research has linked certain types of probiotics to improvement for certain illnesses and symptoms.

If you decide to try probiotics, be sure to give the supplement time to work. You might see changes in days, but more likely, you’ll see changes in weeks, instead. You also need to stick with it. Consistency is important. If you see positive results, keep taking your probiotics! That’s the only way to ensure that they last.

The post The Gut-Brain Connection: How Probiotics Can Improve Mood appeared first on The Doctor Weighs In.

Antioxidants protect your skin. They make you young. Blueberries have lots of antioxidants. Vitamin C is an antioxidant. Vitamin E is an antioxidant. Vitamin A is an antioxidant. As are beta-carotene, lycopene, selenium, and superoxide dismutase (SOD), a naturally occurring enzyme found in nearly all living cells. There are thousands of different molecules that can act as an antioxidant. Antioxidants are GOOD!

If only it was that simple.

And if “anti” oxidants are good, should we conclude that plain oxidants must be bad?

What is an antioxidant?

Antioxidants are a group of compounds that share a chemical property.

Chemistry 101: A chemical property is a behavior of a substance that is observed when that substance undergoes a chemical change or reaction. For example, “flammables” are any substances that can ignite or burn. Flammables include paper, wood, gasoline, nail polish, hand sanitizer, and rubbing alcohol.

Antioxidants also share a common behavior or chemical property. An antioxidant is any substance with the ability to safely neutralize the damaging effects of free radicals.

What is a free radical?

Biology 101: Our bodies digest the food we eat to make energy. Food is broken down in the mouth, the stomach, and the intestine and absorbed into the blood. Once in the bloodstream, sugars are made into energy within tissue cells by a process called cellular respiration. Oxygen is necessary to produce this energy. Cellular respiration is an amazing process, but it is not perfect.

Oxygen is the most abundant element in the human body. In standard conditions, oxygen is a stable colorless, odorless and tasteless gas composed of two oxygen atoms (O2).

Why two atoms? Because all by itself, a singlet oxygen molecule is unstable and wants to share an electron with a partner. An unstable singlet oxygen molecule, also known as a free radical, will scavenge the body, damaging proteins, DNA and even cause cell death, to find one. For only then will this singlet oxygen molecule, this free radical or oxidant, be stable.

The formation of free radicals is a byproduct of cellular respiration and occurs all over the body. Free radical formation is a part of life. Although highly reactive singlet oxygen molecules are the main source of our bodies’ free radicals, there are others.

In addition to being a normal byproduct of cellular activity, free radicals are also formed from environmental insults like sunshine, tobacco usage, pollution, and alcohol consumption.

Free radicals: beneficial or damaging?

Free radicals can be damaging, but unbeknownst to many, there is ample science showing that free radicals are beneficial and that they promote and are necessary for adequate wound healing.

Whether beneficial or damaging, all free radicals have one thing in common, an insatiable appetite for electrons. And they will take one from any substance they can.

Fortunately, the human body has its own antioxidant system to keep free radicals in check. Our cells produce thousands of compounds in all shapes and sizes including:

• catalases
• superoxide dismutase
• peroxidases
• glutathione
• alpha-lipoic acid

All of these substances have antioxidant activity that controls and limits free radical damage.

These molecules donate an electron to the free radicals without themselves becoming harmful. In addition, we acquire antioxidants from the food we eat. Dark chocolate, berries, kale, pecans, and many other fruits and vegetables are known for their high antioxidant content.

What is oxidative stress?

Oxidative stress is the imbalance between free radical formation and antioxidant activity in the body.

Remember the game of musical chairs that you played as a child? That’s real-life oxidative stress!

Antioxidants: Marketed as ‘The Good Guys’

It is not unusual to see the words “Youth Restoring” on a bottle of antioxidant supplements. Or the words “age-defying” on a skincare cream that promises to restore more youthful skin.

Although this marketing ploy is brilliant, there is little science that proves antioxidants can reverse the aging process.

Scientists have been trying to answer the question, “Why do we age?” for years. All living things age. Yet science has not found a single ingredient or product that can halt or reverse the aging process.

Related Article: A Unifying Hypothesis of Chronic Disease and Aging

Except for studies of caloric restriction diets that extended lifespan in rodents, the protocols used were incompatible with healthy living in humans, therefore, preventing long-term studies of similar scope. Science has yet to discover a way to increase the human lifespan.

It would certainly simplify matters if the aging process was caused by a single mechanism. This would make it possible for scientists to discover the aging mechanism and reverse it. But it is much more likely that the aging process is a culmination of a multitude of underlying processes.

Aging theories

There are many theories about what causes the aging process. Here are a few:

• Evolutionary Senescence Theory of Aging
• Genome Maintenance Hypothesis of Aging
• Neuroendocrine Hypothesis of Aging
• Replicative Senescence Hypothesis of Aging
• Rate of Living Theory of Aging
• Cross-Linking Glycation Hypothesis of Aging
• Oxidative Damage/Free Radical Hypothesis of Aging

The Free Radical Theory of Aging gets a lot of attention. However, this theory is not the most widely accepted.

Free radicals are toxic byproducts of normal cell metabolism. Yes, our bodies have amazing systems to neutralize these damaging compounds, but the protective systems aren’t perfect. Free radicals can still find a way to damage DNA and cellular proteins.

More importantly, from a business perspective, compounds that can protect our cells from free radicals, namely antioxidants, are easy to market and something to sell. And sold they are, to a tune of $4 billion US dollars a year.

Perhaps since there is something to sell, namely antioxidants (the anti-free radical), the Free Radical Theory of Aging gets talked about a lot.

Related article: Skin Care Products-Are You Being Deceived?

Free radicals can be damaging but are most likely not the main cause of aging. There is more and more evidence that free radicals may be beneficial and that high doses of antioxidants may be harmful.

Free Radicals: Falsely Marketed As ‘The Bad Guys’

Studies in London by David Gem and others using C. elegans roundworms, a species commonly used in aging research, showed shocking results when genetically modified worms without certain natural antioxidant systems were engineered. The worms’ free radical levels skyrocketed allowing for oxidative damage to ravage the worms.

Of course, the scientists expected the worms to die an early death. These mutant worms, however, did not die; they lived as long as the normal worms. Colleagues repeated these experiments, and once again, the mutant worms, the ones with the high levels of “damaging” free radicals overtaking them, lived as long as the normal worms.

Similar studies in the United States by Arlan Richardson showed the same results using mice. Over the next decade, many more experiments to look for the support of the Free Radical Theory of Aging have found conflicting results. Perhaps free radicals aren’t the cause of aging but rather the useful flames needed to ignite the normal defense mechanisms that keep us healthy.

Studies done by Siegfried Hekimi at McGill University supported this idea. Using roundworms that overproduced superoxide, a damaging free radical, he postulated that these worms would die an early death. Instead, he reported that not only did these worms not develop oxidative damage from the free radicals but also that the worms lived 32% longer than the normal worms. In addition, when he treated the worms with Vitamin C, a potent antioxidant, he prevented the increase in the lifespan of these very same worms.

Oxidative damage may contribute to the aging process but to conclude that it is the driving force is quite a different thing.

Perhaps free radicals increase with aging as a defense mechanism, a way for the body to repair itself from infection, or single cancer cell development.

Perhaps Free Radicals Are The Good Guys

Elevated free radical formation is known to occur with exercise.

This may explain why exercise is beneficial for anti-aging effects. In 2009, Michal Ristow, a nutrition professor in Germany, published the results of a study comparing the athletic performance of athletes who took antioxidants with those that did not.

The results showed that the athletes w ho did not take the vitamins outperformed those who did. Thus, if free radicals aren’t always bad, perhaps antioxidants aren’t always good. And there is plenty of scientific evidence that may corroborate this postulate.

Perhaps Antioxidants Are The Bad Guys

In the 1990’s the hype touting antioxidant claims were born after several studies implicated free radicals in the development of certain diseases like atherosclerosis, cancer and several other chronic conditions. Clinical trials testing individual antioxidants like beta-carotene, Vitamin E and Vitamin A began (although the results of these trials were mixed).

The Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention (ATBC) Study of more than 29,000 male smokers between 1985–1993 concluded that male smokers should NOT take beta carotene, a plant-based vitamin A antioxidant, as the study showed an increase in mortality in male smokers who did so.

The Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial (CARET) involved 18,000 people in a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial assessing the safety of beta-carotene and Vitamin A in a high-risk population for lung cancer. The study was originally designed to end in 1997 but was halted in January 1996, 21 months early, as it became overwhelmingly evident that the antioxidant supplementation offered no benefit and increased the mortality of those taking them.

Antioxidants in Skincare

Antioxidants in skincare are widely used but how much they truly benefit the skin is still debatable.

Antioxidants are very unstable compounds. It is difficult to keep them from denaturing within a formulation as well as from becoming inactive once applied to the skin. Most antioxidants are charged molecules making them very difficult to absorb into the skin especially at a concentration high enough to effectively make an impact without causing irritating side effects. The mere presence of light and oxygen often inactivates antioxidants necessitating the need for dark opaque bottles and metal tubes.

Most antioxidants, like Vitamin C, one of the most popular antioxidants found in skincare, are charged molecules and have little ability to penetrate the skin surface. In addition, many antioxidants, like Vitamin C, are optimized at a certain pH. Unfortunately, the pH of a skincare product is not listed on the label.

There are studies that show antioxidants when applied to the surface of the skin, may protect the superficial top layer of non-living cells from sun damage. However, these are not the cells that cause wrinkling or the signs of aging.

To make a real effect on skin aging, antioxidants would have to penetrate in a high enough concentration and get through 15–20 layers of superficial non-living cells, through the remaining 50–60 layers of the viable epidermis and into the dermis where collagen and elastin, the structural proteins of skin are being produced.

The benefits of using over-the-counter skin care products with antioxidants, like Vitamin C, are probably negligible. The cost of purchasing Vitamin C skincare products varies and the formulations with higher concentrations of a more stabilized Vitamin C are often over $150/ounce ($2400/pound).

And because these formulations often have a very low pH, the user commonly feels a burning or tingling sensation on the skin and may even develop red itchy irritation at the application site. Fortunately, the risk of severe side effects to these Vitamin C containing preparations is small.

Unfortunately and most importantly, based on the current science that is available today, applying topical antioxidant creams is unequivocally not as beneficial to skin health as sunscreen application.

Related article: Sunscreen — What’s True and What is Not?

The bottom line

Antioxidants are necessary for maintaining good health. And unless you are deficient in a specific vitamin, or unless your physician tells you so, skip the supplements. Getting a balanced variety of antioxidants is best accomplished by eating a well-balanced diet rich in colorful foods that contain antioxidants, namely fruits and vegetables. As for skincare products with antioxidants, sure, go ahead and use them, but don’t expect miracles. Exercise. And wear your sunscreen!

The post Antioxidants and Free Radicals: Hope or Hype? | The Doctor Weighs In appeared first on The Doctor Weighs In.

Ah, summertime — that wonderful time of year full of relaxation, vacations, outdoor activities, and sickness.

Wait, that’s probably not where you thought we were going with that sentence. However, there are many summer health risks that you might not even consider before you head out the door for a pool party or day on the beach. If you want to keep yourself and your kids safe and healthy this summer and avoid heading to the doctor or emergency department, here is some critical information you need to know.

Sunburn

Too much sun exposure can cause red, irritated skin known as a sunburn. Your skin might feel warm to the touch, and you might even experience itching and minor swelling. Depending on the severity of the burn, you may also experience fluid-filled blisters on the surface of your skin. Blisters indicate that you have a second-degree burn.

People who are severely burnt experience symptoms that aren’t just confined to the skin. You might feel nauseous, extra sleepy, and suffer from headaches. Sunburns can cause long-term effects if the burns are repeated. A few possible effects include rough spots on your skin, wrinkles, and some skin cancers, like melanoma.

The only way to get over a sunburn is to let it heal on its own. Sunburns can take a few days to get better. The process usually causes the top layer of skin to peel.

Luckily, you can find relief from a sunburn. If you’re in a significant amount of discomfort, take an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as ibuprofen. You can also try a cool shower or bath to soothe the skin and discomfort. Be sure to pat the skin dry and apply a moisturizer afterward. If you’re looking for ways to soothe a sunburn, purchase an aloe vera lotion or gel. You can also use the gel of an aloe plant by breaking off a leaf and applying the gel inside directly to your sunburn.

Preventing Sunburns

Sunburns are actually quite simple to prevent. You just need to spend a little time planning ahead. Here a few quick strategies that will keep you and your family sunburn-free this summer:

• Protect your skin, even on cloudy or mild days: Many people think that sunburns only happen on hot, sunny days. However, being out in the sun anytime places you at risk of getting burnt, especially if you’re around water or sand, which can reflect the sun’s rays.
• Avoid going out when the sun is the strongest: This means you should plan activities in early or late in the day. Stay out of direct sunlight between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
• Cover as much of your skin as possible: Wearing hats with a brim and light clothing to keep skin protected.
• Apply sunscreen early and often: It takes about 15 minutes for sunscreen to absorb into the skin, so be sure to apply it with plenty of time for optimal protection. You should also remember that sunscreen will lose its strength throughout the day. Reapply every couple of hours.
• Choose the best sunscreen: Find a product that’s water-resistant and has an SPF of 30 or higher. You should also check the label for broad-spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays.
• Protect delicate skin: When applying sunscreen, pay particular attention to sensitive areas, such as the neck, tops of your feet, ears, and your scalp.

Head and Neck Injuries

Summer is full of activities that get you moving. Riding a bicycle is an excellent exercise for you and your family, but it does come with a few risks. In 2015, over 800 bicyclists died on roads, and another 45,000 were injured in traffic. Many children are treated for bicycle injuries that range from minor scrapes and cuts to injuries of the head and traumatic brain injuries.

Wearing a helmet is the single most critical thing you can do to stay safe when riding a bike. It protects you from head injuries, including traumatic brain injuries, which can have severe consequences. Here are a few easy strategies to get the most out of your helmet.

• Choose the correct size: Make sure the helmet fits properly. It should cover your forehead, and the straps should be fastened snugly under your chin.
• Wear your helmet every time you ride: Remember that no trip is too short. If you have young children, make it a rule that they must wear their helmet each time they get on their bike.
• Replace your helmet: If you think your helmet is damaged in any way, be sure to replace it right away because a cracked or damaged helmet won’t provide the necessary protection.

Heat Stroke

Summertime can be hot and put you at higher-than-average risk of suffering from overheating. Heatstroke happens when your body overheats from too much exposure to extreme temperatures or physical activity. If you or someone you know has been out in the heat and experiences any of the following symptoms, be sure to get them emergency help:

• Body temperature, measured rectally, of 104 degrees Fahrenheit or higher
• Headache
• Rapid pulse
• Red skin that’s hot and dry
• Nausea and vomiting
• Change in mental status, including confusion, agitation or irritability
• Fast and shallow breathing

If you’re out and about on a hot day, there are a few things you can do to avoid heatstroke.

• Choose lightweight clothing: Breathable fabrics, like cotton, work best on hot and humid days.
• Stay hydrated: Increase your water intake to account for the temperature outside and how much you’re sweating. You can add in fruits such as berries or kiwi to give it a bit more flavor and keep it refreshing.
• Avoid the heat: If you’re doing yard work or other activities that will keep you moving, try to plan them early in the morning or later in the evening to avoid the hottest times of the day. Take plenty of breaks inside or at least in the shade when outdoors.

Eye Damage

Too much sun exposure isn’t only damaging to your skin but can cause sunburn to your eyes, also. This is officially known as photokeratitis, which is the inflammation of the cornea, or the clear covering in the front of your eyes.

If your eyes get too much ultraviolet light, you might experience eye pain, headache, excessive tearing, redness, and blurry vision, just to name a few of the potential symptoms. If the photokeratitis is severe, you might even experience temporary vision loss or color changes in your vision. However, these symptoms are rare.

Protecting your eyes from sun damage is critical. Here are a few of our favorite methods:

• Wear sunglasses: They offer good protection from eye injuries and the dangers associated with UV rays. Choose glasses that block or absorb 99–100% of UV rays to get the best coverage.
• Grab a hat: Wearing a hat with a brim adds an extra layer of protection.
• Consider contacts: Another way to protect your eyes is with the use of UV protection contact lenses. These lenses ensure clear vision and offer the added benefit of limiting the UV rays that get into your eyes, too.

Food Poisoning

The summer months usually bring about parties and celebrations, which means food. However, that potato salad that’s been sitting outside for a few hours might be a dangerous food choice. Modern conveniences such as refrigerators can make us forget just how quickly food can spoil. And, the lack of hand-washing facilities when you’re outside can put you at risk for germs and bacteria. Common signs of food poisoning include watery or bloody diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and fever.

The best news about food poisoning is that it can be prevented. Follows these steps to keep your food safe outside:

• Plan ahead: If you know you’re going to be outside, be sure to scope out hand-washing facilities before you eat and after using the bathroom. If you’re not close to clean, running water, pack an alcohol-based hand sanitizer to clean your hands.
• Bring water: If you’re not positive that the water in parks and other outside locations is safe for drinking, be sure to pack your own.
• Ensure meat is thoroughly cooked: Be extra careful to check that meats, like pork and chicken, are cooked all the way through. This helps to kill any bacteria that might be lurking inside.
• Keep it on ice: Store cold items in an insulated cooler until it’s time to eat and return any leftovers to the cooler once you’re done. If you’re ever in doubt if food has been sitting out too long, toss it, just to be safe.

Be Safe Out There

Summertime is full of fun and memories. You need to plan for safety during your family vacation, sporting events, and just about every warm weekend in between. Be sure to use these strategies to avoid sunburn, food poisoning, heatstroke, and more so that you and your family get the most out of your summer.

The post Common Summer Health Risks and How to Avoid Them appeared first on The Doctor Weighs In.