Reduce Skin Cancer Risk with Edible Sunscreen & Vitamin D

 

Did you know that the foods you eat on a daily basis could be playing a major role in how quickly your skin gets damaged by the sun? I had no idea before I was diagnosed with Melanoma that my diet could be attributing to how I was being affected by the sun (Read more about my story)! Antioxidants and the pigments that give fruits and vegetables their color help prevent sun damage to skin cells. Plants have to protect themselves from UV rays, just like we do, and they use color pigments from carotenoids as a sunscreen. When we eat a variety of fruits and veggies, the pigments act as antioxidants and help protect us from UV rays in the same way they protect the plants. When we consume diets rich in carotenoids from natural foods, such as fruits and vegetables, we become healthier and have a much lower chance of chronic illnesses.

• Carotenoids are yellow, orange, and red pigments synthesized by plants. The most common carotenoids in North American diets are lycopene, lutein, alpha and beta carotene. Some great examples of lycopene are:
  • Watermelon,
  • Pink grapefruit
  • Tomatoes

 

• Veggies that are high in Lutein and Alpha and Beta Carotene are:
  • Carrots
  • Dark green leafy vegetables like kale, spinach, turnip greens and collards
  • Sweet potatoes.
  • Another way to get these carotenoids and antioxidants is to take a supplement you can trust. Shaklee’s Caratomax contains all three antioxidants and is very trusted.

 

• CoQ10 is a powerful antioxidant that is naturally found in the body. As we get older it becomes harder to produce. According to the Mayo Clinic, by adding CoQ10 into your diet it can decrease the rate of recurrence of Melanoma once surgically removed. It also helps reduce and prevent metastasis, the spreading of cancer. It is found in:
  •  Fatty fish (tuna and salmon)
  • Organic beef(grass-fed and finished) and
  • Spinach, cauliflower and broccoli along with strawberries
  • Shaklee’s CoQHeart supplement

 

• Vitamin D is used by your organs to repair damaged cancer cells and has a multiple protective effects against cancer. Those with Vitamin D deficiency are more prone to skin cancer than those that have sufficient Vitamin D levels. Great sources of Vitamin D are:
  • Sunlight is the greatest source of Vitamin D
  • Eggs
  • Salmon
  • Oranges
  • Shaklee’s VitaD supplement is a great source too!