Complementary and integrative approaches

Some of the stuff in sunscreen scares me more than the sun exposure!

I've had skin cancer (basal cell and squamous cell) since I was 29 .. on my face numerous times, chest, shoulder and arms.  I don't wear sunscreen, but do limit my time in the sun.  All those chemicals in sunscreen really irritate my skin. 

Bren

I've been reading with great interest, but haven't posted lately. 

 As most of you, I do believe supplements have a role in our daily lives.  Many of us do not eat properly.  We may be too busy.  Some moms have to work and then run their children around for various activities (my DD does).  Fresh veggies and fruits do not stay "fresh" long...the nutrients are depeleted the longer they sit in our fridge.  We don't know how long the veggies and fruits have been picked.  So many variations of why supplements may be helpful.

This is not like the good ole days when our foods were not tainted with sprays, meat with anti-biotics and hormones and who knows what else.  And do we know if our foods are genetically modified or not.  Not all of us can afford to eat organic only. 

When I was growing up we didn't have soft drinks or other sweets in the house.  It was a rare and special occasion when we did.  We got more exercise by playing outside...not computers are games and gadgets to keep us for playing with our friends.  All schools had physical ed as far as I know.   I don't remember as many obese children then as there are now. 

Thank you for your posts Shirley

White Willow Bark usage for medicinal purposes goes up to about 400BC, when it was first routinely used by the Hippocrates. At the time, medicine men would advise patients to chew the bark to reduce fever and other pains. Today, White Willow Bark's medicinal significance has become a global phenomenon, spreading to China and Europe as an effective treatment of pain.The Willow plant includes a number of different species of deciduous trees and shrubs native to Europe, Asia, and some parts of North America.

Medicinal Values

Medical Researchers now agree that the chemical salicin, an acetylsalicylic acid found in willow bark, is responsible for these pain relieving effects. They also have several antioxidants that reduce fever, contain antiseptic and immune-boosting properties. Many studies now support the view that Willow Bark is as effective as aspirin for reducing pain and inflammation and at a much lower dose.

The following conditions of pain can be effectively treated by Willow Bark

Read more: http://healthmad.com/medicine/how-to-manage-body-pain-with-the-white-willow-bark/#ixzz1SrjGxkue

Vivre tells us that some supplement companies use motor oil as a binder.....yet many on the alt boards do not want federal oversight of supplement suppliers.  I don't get it.

Most sunscreens ARE absorbed - they work from inside your cells (I did a pharmacy continuing education on this topic).  That is why they need to be applied at least 20 - 30 minutes before sun exposure for maximum effectiveness - it takes time for them to penetrate the cell walls.  The exceptions are the ones that use titanium dioxide as the active ingredient.  This white mineral physically blocks the sun light from the skin. 

Thanks for the tip, Ellen. Am heading the the health food store this afternoon. I googled and they carry it!

Sunscreens loaded with carcinogenics "work from inside your cells"....those vitamins supposedly containing petroleum products will be found on the pharma shelves

Anne, check that post from a man on that black cat,s provocative thread "if they go on the moon" or something stu.....he appears verrry learned about GSE

Here's another article about evil sunscreen:

7 Surprising Things You're Not Supposed to Know About Sunscreen and Sunlight Exposure

Learn more:

http://www.naturalnews.com/032815_sunscreen_chemicals.html#ixzz1T2wvYlQ7

Interesting discussion about sunscreens.

I'm sort of at the latent-latent stage of arm lymphedema and working hard to keep it that way and apparently skin pliability is so important for moving lymph fluid. Also, my son was dx with melanoma, thankfully found while still in situ,  shortly after I was dx with BC and as there can be a genetic association between risk of the two cancers I am concerned. (My mother had BC).

Here's what I am reading about the sunscreen ingredient question  in Canada, probably similar to that of the FDA if sunscreen is considered a drug in the USA rather than a cosmetic skin creme.

Health Canada's Role:
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/iyh-vsv/life-vie/sun_soleil-eng.php#ro

Health Canada regulates the safety, effectiveness, and quality of sunscreens in Canada. Sunscreen products are classified as drugs and must meet the requirements set out in Canada's Food and Drugs Act before they may be imported, advertised, or sold in this country.

Canadian Cancer Society perspective:
http://www.cancer.ca/Canada-wide/Prevention/Whats%20being%20studied/Sunscreen%20and%20cancer.aspx?sc_lang=en#ixzz1T31w8rJt

Some advocacy groups claim that sunscreen is harmful and can possibly increase your risk of developing cancer. They believe that a product is harmful if it contains the chemical, “oxybenzone”.
........
Like other Canadian and international organizations that make sure laws are enforced to protect health and the environment (regulatory agencies), the Society is not concerned at this time about oxybenzone in sunscreen. The research on oxybenzone is limited, and so far no animal or human studies suggest this chemical might cause cancer.

Kathy

Merilee & Luan,

Here we go again...confusion!!!!! Am referring to flax seed, my naturapath encourages, said to take 2 tablespoons daily in the breast cancer fight????  Get weary with so many schools of thought!  

Have decided in the last week to pack in all estrogen blockers.  For a yr. have tried Femara, Aromasin and now Tamoxifen and feel like crap!!!  Extreme fatique, nausea, achy muscles - just want to go back to bed after been up for about an hr.  Can't and won't do for another 4 yrs.  Naturapath suggests" Estro Detox", and "D Glucarate" both by AOR Classic series vitamins if I choose to stop the tamoxifen. Reading more about Grape Seed extract as a natural AI - anyone else?  Am somewhat scared about my decision but feel I had no choice....cannot live like this anymore.

Thanks gals. 

Diagnosis: IDC, Stage 1, Grade 2/3, weakly ER+/PR-, Her2+.  Completed Chemo, radiation and herceptin for 1 yr. 

Chico, i know exactly what you mean about Tamox, it,s a beast. I read here about lots of women quitting it. I take Boswelia for pain by AOR, very top of the line, highly recommended. Have taken grape seed extract often on over the years as antioxydant. Will start on continuous basis when i can afford the AOR. Did u look at the post i mentioned in my earlier post ? Re flax seed, being 95% pos, i am erring on the side of caution, u say you,re weak....sorry, i cannot tell u to take it or not take it, i don,t feel qualified to do so

Luan, I was like you for years avoided the sun like the plague. With my onc's suggestion I am now trying to get 15 minutes daily. I will say I have very slowly tanned no burning at all.

Yes, Mary, a lot of the time and it's a pain

I hope Gregory won't mind my copying his post which is very relevant to our subject:

"Medicinal Food Meets Epigenetics

As one of the editors of the Journal of Medicinal Food, Dr. Robert Nagourney, Medical Director at Rational Therapeutics, Inc., in Long Beach, California and an instructor of Pharmacology at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, he was asked to review an article on the chemical activities of grape seed extracts. He wrote an editorial describing the interesting findings in this study and their biological relevance.

For many years, naturopaths and health-conscious individuals have recommended the consumption of grape seed extracts. Chemical analyses of grape seeds have provided a treasure trove of active ingredients including resveratrol, anthocyanins, pro-anthocyanins, and numerous terpenes. Many of these substances are potent antioxidants and there is reason to believe that they may have meaningful health benefits.

The most interesting aspect of this well-conducted analysis was the description of a wholly new mechanism of action for the substances found in grape seeds. What the authors found was that the chemical species in grape seed extracts influence gene expression through a process knows as histone acetylation. What makes this so interesting is the fact the histone acetylation is one of the fundamental regulators of genetic expression and a critical part of the new field of science known as epigenetics.

Epigenetics is the field of study that examines heritable attributes that are not incorporated into DNA sequence. These epi-phenomena take existing genes and determine whether or not they will actually be expressed. The reason that this is so important is that it shines a very bright light on the limitations of genomic analyses (studies that examine the DNA sequence in tissues). Clearly, if the consumption of foodstuffs (like grape seed) can alter gene expression then the use of genomic profiles to predict cellular behavior can only be viewed as highly simplistic.

Dr. Nagourney is continually impressed by the complexity of biology and is humbled when we consider the intersecting pathways that take us from gene to function"

http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/jmf.2010.9401

Luan, No I don't remember all of them. I'm in the prossess of trying to decide which ones to keep and which to dump. I've begun using something called Green Vibrance which is so full of healthy things i'm wondering do I need so many vitamins. I'm going to compair what in this stuff and just get what I  need not in this stuff. I will go back and see if I can find the thread and will let you know if I find it.