This is one of the most common questions I get asked here at Dr. Sears’ wellness clinic, especially from women. With the way things are in the modern world, I don’t blame them for being concerned.

Your bones are under constant assault from toxins. Air pollution, cosmetics and even tap water can have any number of poisons in them, especially metals like lead, cadmium and aluminum which are very toxic for your bones.

The good news is, with five simple steps, you can help your body get rid of these toxins and keep your bones healthy and strong.

Why is it so important to eliminate these metals?

Well, lead will commonly store itself in your bones, displacing calcium. It also limits calcium absorption by disrupting the way you make vitamin D. This can give you weak bones and prevent vitamin D from doing its bone-building job. As your bones break down, especially after menopause, lead can be released and reenter the body.

Cadmium can increase bone mineral loss and change the way your body metabolizes calcium. Too much cadmium can also lead to osteoporosis and an increase in bone fractures.

When you have too much aluminum, it also keeps your body from absorbing calcium. This interferes with bone mineralization and production of bone-supporting proteins like collagen.

Your body is equipped to handle a small amount of these metals and eliminate them from your system. Unfortunately, there’s more than there used to be, and it can overwhelm your ability to eliminate them the way your body normally would.

The good news is, you can help your body overcome this modern body burden. You can get rid of these toxins and increase your bone density naturally at the same time.

All you have to do is follow what we at the clinic like to refer to as a “bone-building lifestyle.”

Here’s what I tell the women who come into the center:

Step 1 – Go Out in the Sunshine. Vitamin D is critical to bone health. And your skin uses sunlight to make it. Vitamin D regulates and assists in calcium absorption, helps maintain your immune system, regulates energy metabolism, muscle strength and coordination, and helps reduce inflammation. These are all important to building strong bones.

Do your best to spend at least 10-15 minutes in direct sunlight every day. If you can’t because of the area you live in, you can supplement with Vitamin D3.

Step 2 – Take the Test. Here at the clinic we perform a test that measures the heavy metals in your body. If the results come back high, we put our patients on a detox program to help get rid of them. The outcomes have been amazing. Patients start feeling better almost immediately!

Step 3 – Move Your Body. To improve the strength of your bones, try weight-bearing exercises like walking, Pilates or calisthenics. PACE is a great one. Keep in mind that weight-bearing means that gravity is involved, so swimming, in this case, does not work so well.

Step 4 – Water Yourself. Start off your day with a big glass of water. This simple step can really help your body’s systems get rid of toxins naturally. Stick to natural spring water or filtered water.

Step 5 – Feed Your Bones. Eat bone-boosting foods that are high in calcium, magnesium and vitamin K. See the chart below for specific examples. Steer clear of foods high in sugar and refined grains, and avoid processed foods in addition to limiting your caffeine intake.

Foods That Boost Your Bone Health

Sincerely,

Kamila Fiore, ARNP, NP-C

[Ed. Note: Kamila Fiore is the resident Nurse Practitioner at the Sears’ Center for Health and Wellness in Royal Palm Beach, Fla. Kamila is passionate about taking a natural approach to healthcare. She believes it’s a vital necessity in this day and age – a time when our health is being jeopardized by the chemicals, toxins and processes that are incorporated in almost everything we consume, touch or breathe. She earned her Master of Science degree in Nursing from the University of Florida and became state-licensed and board-certified in 2007. Her professional experience includes Aesthetics, Internal Medicine/Geriatrics and Anti-Aging. Kamila educates her patients on health promotion and disease prevention.]

But hydrating your skin can be difficult. Especially during the winter months when dry, chapped skin is accepted as just part of the season – even here in South Florida.

Most people will just stock up on moisturizers, lotions, creams and balms that promise to relieve and heal their dry skin.

But what you may not know is these “solutions” are most likely making your skin worse.

You see, many of the skin-care products on the market contain alcohol. And even though your skin may feel softer and more comfortable after you first apply it, eventually your skin’s going to be drier than when you started.

Some of these products even contain caustic ammonia or other skin irritants that you don’t want on your skin.

When I recommend moisturizers to my patients, I skip the drug store lotions and look to nature instead.

Here are a few of my favorite natural solutions:

• Shea Butter. Soothing, moisturizing Shea butter helps limit water loss from your skin… leaving it feeling softer and smoother. Shea butter can hold up to two-and-a-half times its weight in water.
• Glycerin.This is one of nature’s gentlest moisturizers. Canadian Willowherb also soothes your skin.
• Cupuacu Butter. You can retain even more moisture with cupuacu butter. This plant extract is similar to Shea butter, but contains powerful antioxidants – including quercetin and kaempferol – which may help boost your skin’s natural defenses.^1,2

Together, these powerful moisturizers promote a softer, smoother look and feel. So no matter where you are – or what season you’re in – your skin will always feel comfortable and look beautiful.

That’s why I combined them to create my skin-protecting formula, Solis. I originally developed Solis to help shield your skin from sun damage without dangerous chemicals.

But when I dug deeper, I found that the ingredients help guard your skin from damage and dryness all year by:

• Making it easy to get the natural vitamin D your body needs
• Guarding your skin from sun damage
• Providing moisturizers, antioxidants and other nutrients to promote healthier, younger-looking skin
• And even helping keep the bugs away

Plus there’s no chemical smell. Only the light natural fragrance of thyme and orange.

In fact, I’m so sure you’ll love everything about Solis, I’ll let you try it risk-free.

I pulled out all the stops to finally give my patients – and you – a skin-care product with true balance. One that soothes, moisturizes and promotes healthy, younger-looking skin. You’ll love how Solis makes your skin look and feel.

I want you to try Solis yourself – with absolutely no risk.

If you’re not completely satisfied – at any time, or for any reason – just let me know, and I’ll refund every penny of the purchase price. No questions, no hassles.

And no returns… because I’m not even asking for the “unused portion” back. You can keep it with my thanks for giving Solis a try. It just doesn’t get any easier than that.

And I’ve made it easy to get Solis, too. Just click on the link below to place your order, and I’ll rush your Solis right to your door.

Now you can give your skin the powerful sunblock it needs – without the chemicals – and safely nourish your skin for a healthier, more youthful look. All with one simple step. Get started right away.

To Your Good Health,

But now the truth is out. Eggs may have gotten a bad reputation in the past for being high in cholesterol, but you don’t have to steer clear of them. Even better, you don’t have to eat egg substitutes or egg whites in your omelet the next time you whip up a delicious breakfast.

The good news is, one medium egg has roughly 185 mg of cholesterol, mainly in the yolk. And scrambling up a few eggs for breakfast won’t cause any problems for your heart health when you enjoy your eggs in moderation.

Eggs are one breakfast superfood not to be overlooked. One single egg yolk has 3 µg of choline, a vital nutrient that regulates the cardiovascular system, nervous system and brain. Eggs are also one of the only foods that naturally contain vitamin D.

Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption to improve bone health and enhance the structure of healthy skin cells. Calcium will stimulate cell renewal and support antioxidants in the skin to protect healthy cells from DNA damage.

Eggs are also an excellent source of amino acids to strengthen the skin, hair and nails. Amino acids are essential to naturally moisturize the skin, too, leaving it silky, soft and balanced.

In fact, the collagen in your skin is made up of amino acids. Collagen is a substance that breaks down with age, causing the skin to wrinkle and sag prematurely. Eating foods rich in amino acids like eggs will support the natural structure of your skin and strengthen collagen to greatly reduce sagging and wrinkling.

Eggs are a unique food because they can benefit the quality of your skin inside and out. Eating an egg or two for breakfast each day will help keep your skin firm and strong. You can also try a natural home remedy to tighten aging skin using an egg white mask treatment.

To try this home remedy, whip two egg whites for 30 seconds and apply to clean skin. Allow the egg whites to dry completely. You will feel tightening as the egg whites dry on your skin. Leave the mask on for 15 minutes, rinse well, and moisturize as usual.

Egg whites are highly nourishing to soften and hydrate the skin. An egg white face mask will also tighten the pores and give you a quick mini-facelift in the comfort of your own home. As the egg whites dry, they draw deep impurities from the pores to firm the skin. This home remedy will leave your complexion soft, clean and exfoliated.

Best Wishes for Health and Beauty,

Tara Smith, ARNP, NP-C

But this is junk science at its worst. You need sunlight for good health. More than 200 studies prove that avoiding sunlight is one of the biggest medical mistakes of the last half-century.

Here are just a few of the ways sunshine can improve the quality of your life…

• Sunshine promotes stronger bones. So you can enjoy all your favorite activities – even into your 90’s or beyond.

• Stop worrying so much about sniffles, sore throats and other seasonal complaints. Sunshine helps strengthen your immune system.

• A healthy heart helps you stay active. Getting more sun can lower your risk of heart disease.

• Plus, sun exposure can help cut your risk of 17 kinds of cancer.

So, how does sunshine do all this for you?

How Sunshine Works Its Magic

Sunshine’s secret is vitamin D. For most of human history, sunlight has been our major source of this critical vitamin. And vitamin D is so important that nearly every cell in your body has vitamin D receptors.

For example, your body needs vitamin D to protect itself from invading microbes. Vitamin D helps regulate normal cell growth. And without vitamin D, your body can’t absorb calcium, leaving your bones weak and brittle.

Vitamin D also promotes immune health, improves insulin sensitivity¹ and boosts overall lung function.²

Without enough vitamin D, you’re more likely to be weak, sickly… and stooped over from unhealthy bones.

And on top of all this, research shows sun exposure could help cut your risk of 17 deadly cancers. The proof is strongest for 3 of the worst cancers:

• Breast cancer

• Colon cancer

• Ovarian cancer

But there’s solid evidence for bladder, uterine and pancreatic cancers… cancer of the esophagus… stomach and rectal cancer… plus 8 other varieties – including prostate cancer.

Here’s how it works…

Vitamin D and Cancer

Studies show that vitamin D plays a role in discouraging cancer growth 7 different ways.

• It converts tumor cells into normal cells.

• It keeps cancer cells from multiplying and triggers apoptosis – also known as “programmed cell death” – in cancer cells.

• Vitamin D inhibits the spread of cancers.

• It suppresses the genes that cause cancer cells to proliferate.

• It inhibits the development of blood vessels in tumors – literally starving them.

• Vitamin D modulates your body’s immune response – including cancer.

• It increases the ability of your blood to carry oxygen to healthy cells.

By now, you may be asking yourself, “If sunshine helps prevent cancer, why do I hear so much about sun exposure causing it?”

That’s a good point. Let me respond by asking a couple of other questions. Questions many “experts” have overlooked.

Beating the Cancer Myth

• If sunlight is their major cause, why are skin cancers less common among people who live and work at high altitudes – like the Hunzas and Vilcabambas – where the sun is more intense?

• Over the last 30 years, our use of sunscreen and avoidance of sun exposure have dramatically increased. If sunlight is the major cause of skin cancers, why have skin cancer rates risen over those years, instead of falling?

The truth is, the two most common forms of skin cancer – accounting for about 95% of all cases – are most often linked to sunburn, not just sun exposure.^3,4

That may explain why the Hunzas and Vilcabambas near the equator work outside under intense sun, but rarely suffer from skin cancer.

The key is responsible exposure.

Today, almost our whole lives are lived indoors. Most jobs are indoor jobs, too. Even much of our recreation keeps us inside. So when people get out for a day in the sun, their skin isn’t prepared.

If you haven’t been getting a lot of sun, increase your exposure gradually. And don’t stay out in the sun long enough to burn. Gradual exposure will result in a tan – your body’s natural protection from sunburn.

Getting the Most Out of the Sun’s Protection

It doesn’t take a lot of sun exposure to make the vitamin D you need. Just 15 – 20 minutes of summer sun on your face and arms each day is enough for light-skinned people.

People with darker skin need more exposure (up to 10 times more). That’s because melatonin – your skin’s protective pigment – blocks some of the light needed to make vitamin D. And the darker your skin, the more melatonin is present.

If you live north of Atlanta, Georgia, the winter sun is too weak to trigger vitamin D production. So taking a vitamin D supplement is a good idea in the winter. Vitamin D3 – the natural form of vitamin D – is best.

The truth is, you don’t have to be afraid of the sun. Just the opposite. Getting responsible exposure to the sun is one of the healthiest things you can do for your body.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD

1 Mason, R.S., et al, “Vitamin D: the light side of sunshine,” Eur J Clin Nutr. Jul 6, 2011;doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2011.105. [Epub ahead of print]

2 Berry, D.J., et al, “Vitamin D status has a linear association with seasonal infections and lung function in British adults,” Br J Nutr. Jun 6, 2011;1-8. [Epub ahead of print]

3 Van Dam R., et al, “Risk Factors for Basal Cell Carcinoma of the Skin in Men: Results from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study,” American Journal of Epidemiology 1999;50(5):459-460.

4 “Skin cancer: Who gets and causes,” American Academy of Dermatology 2011.

Additional source: Sears, Al and Herring, Jon (2007) Your Best Health Under the Sun. Wellington, FL. Wellness Research & Consulting, Inc.

But it shouldn’t… because these products don’t work.

Advertisers almost make it seems reasonable that you should use something to “sanitize” your hands from all the “harmful” bacteria.

In fact, most people firmly believe that anti-bacterial soaps are better for you than regular soap.

But it’s just not true.

A recent study split volunteers into two groups. One group washed with anti-bacterial soap, the other with only water. Researchers measured the number of viable bacteria on their hands after washing and found that the number was exactly the same for each group.1

Hand sanitizers are no better.

A study conducted by the University of Virginia tested hand sanitizers on two different groups. The first group used a hand sanitizer every three hours for a total of 10 weeks. The second group did not and continued with their lives as usual.

The participants in the groups saw no differences in the viruses on their hands.2

What’s worse is that anti-bacterial soaps can trigger a number of problems, including:

• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny nose
• Fever
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting

Even if you somehow could reduce the number of bacteria on your hands, there’s no reason why you should. Unless you’re a surgeon, believing you have to sterilize yourself is a mistake. You’re isolating yourself from the natural world we were born to thrive in.

Our natural world is not sterile. We are meant to be exposed to bacteria.

So here’s what to do instead. Naturally boost your immune system’s strength. That way, your body can easily fight off the bacteria you normally encounter in your environment. Here are three easy ways to help your body protect itself:

1. Sleep well each night. Sleeping gives your immune system the opportunity to fight off illness and outside attack. Studies have shown that sleep is an essential regulator of immune function.3 Research also shows that less than seven and more than nine hours of sleep can negatively affect your health.

If you have a difficult time getting to sleep at night, remember to spend time outdoors each day in natural sunlight. This will trigger the natural hormone melatonin to help you fall asleep and sleep even more deeply at the proper time each night.

2. Get Enough Vitamin D. Vitamin D is essential to normal immune response. The first thing immune cells do before they fight attackers is look for vitamin D. If your vitamin D level isn’t normal, your immune function won’t be normal, either.

Going outside in the sun not only helps regulate your sleep cycle, but also helps you produce your daily vitamin D. If you can’t get out in the sun for 20 minutes each day, there are a few foods you can eat that have lots of vitamin D. These include eggs, mushrooms, alfalfa and small fish like herring.

Another is cod liver oil. One teaspoon contains 1,360 IU of vitamin D. If you need to supplement, I recommend at least 2,000 IU each day.

3. Don’t forget raw garlic. To give your body the strength it needs to fight off harmful bacteria, try nature’s antibiotic: raw garlic. It helps stimulate your immune system and can even wipe out bad bacteria in the gut while keeping the good bacteria in your digestive system intact.

These good bacteria, called flora, help you produce B vitamins and are vital to strengthen your immune system.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD

1 Long, Paul F.,  PhD, Shepherd, Owen, HNC, Clifford, Sarah, PhD, et al, “The Efficacy of Antibacterial Travel Wash Soaps,”Journal of Travel Medicine March 2006;13(2): 114
2 Turner, Ronald B., University of Virginia, Annual Meeting of Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. Boston, 2010
3 Reis, E.S., Lange, T., Köhl, G., et al, “Sleep and circadian rhythm regulate circulating complement factors and immunoregulatory properties of C5a.” Brain Behav Immun. Apr 23, 2011

A group of my friends and I decided to take a five-day vacation to relax and unwind. A few martinis later, everyone was suddenly discussing the different stress factors in their lives and how everything seemed to change past the age of 30.

For starters, our tolerance for drinking had definitely gone down! Our skin regimens seemed to have become significantly more complicated. Our attitudes toward exercise had become discouraging to say the least.

Until my girlfriends and I got together to talk, I thought I was the only one who felt these frustrations. A friend who was over 50 assured the group that it only gets worse with age. This got me thinking: How can we battle the exhaustion that we feel and still preserve our pretty?

Here is what I have learned over the years as I have dealt with these side effects of age:

Hormonal Changes Come with Age

In today’s environment, hormonal changes are starting earlier than in our mother’s and grandmother’s day. The breakdown of collagen and elastin in the skin causes the complexion to become wrinkled and acne-prone. Less oil production means that our skin begins looking dry and saggy, and our hair and nail growth seems to slow down dramatically.

As we age and our ovaries become less functional, the decrease in estrogen and progesterone causes a decline in bone density. Digestion takes longer, and our metabolism starts to slow down. This makes us become even more prone to weight gain. And let’s face it… if we don’t look good, we don’t feel good – plain and simple.

Proper Diet and Exercise Is Instrumental

• Make sure to get enough magnesium and vitamin D. Calcium works with vitamin D to strengthen your bones and benefit the appearance of your hair and nails. But my friend Dr. Al Sears, MD, says if you want stronger bones, calcium supplements won’t help. Calcium is in so many foods that you already get plenty from your food. And taking even more calcium in supplement form puts women at a huge risk for heart attacks. To retain the calcium you get from food, make sure you get enough magnesium. It works in your bones to balance your calcium. It’s no coincidence that the foods with the most calcium also have a lot of vitamin D – small, cold-water fish, dark, leafy vegetables, and dairy products like cheese, yogurt and milk. Of course, your natural source of vitamin D comes from the sun – so aim for 10 to 20 minutes of sun exposure each day and you’ll make up to 20,000 IU of vitamin D. If you don’t get out in the sun much, you should try to get at least 2,000 IU per day of the D3 form. Try to get at least 400 mg of magnesium per day.

• The best way to stay hydrated is to drink plain, purified water. It’s also important to use a hydrating body moisturizer to help your skin retain moisture and prevent dehydration.

• Eat lots of protein and leafy greens to keep you full and energetic. It’s also important to eat foods rich in antioxidants to protect you from disease and premature aging, like broccoli, blueberries, tomatoes, garlic, grapes and spinach.

• Cut down on drinking. Alcohol only makes you feel bloated and dehydrates the skin, contributing to premature aging.

• Exercise is a terrific stress reducer and a must to keep you looking fabulous. With a lack of energy increasing with age, we have to try to make our exercise routines a little more fun for motivation. Next time you exercise, try something different! How about a walk on the beach, a bike ride around the neighborhood, or even signing up for dance classes or tennis lessons? Do whatever it takes to get moving. I do PACE workouts every day. It takes just 12 minutes and is great for building my heart and lung muscles. This simple callisthenic routine definitely gives me more energy.

Gentle All-Natural Skin Care Is Critical

As you age, you’ll notice that your skin begins to get a little more sensitive. Be sure to use gentler products and:

• Cleanse your skin daily with a non-drying non-toxic cleanser.

• Exfoliate regularly to get rid of the outer layers of dead skin that cause the complexion to look dull.

• Moisturize daily, especially at night.

• Use vitamin A creams to rebuild lost collagen that causes sagging in the skin.

Fortunately, there are many wonderful products on the market that really work. Be sure to choose products that contain no parabens, gasoline distillates or other harmful toxins.

When it comes to makeup, less is always more. For mature skin, it is best to avoid using heavy foundation since it will only highlight fine lines and wrinkles.

• Light concealer underneath the eyes tends to highlight wrinkles rather than hide them. Choose a concealer that blends well with the tone of your complexion.

• Bright, shimmery eyeshadow should be a thing of the past. Daytime makeup should be light and natural. A little more drama in your makeup is okay at night – but apply in moderation!

• Blush should be applied on top of the cheekbones and not directly on them. This will provide the illusion of higher cheekbones for a quick mini-facelift. Stay away from too much red in your choice of rouge. With age, it is more natural not to look too rosy.

• Heavy lip liners are outdated. Pick a lip liner color that is closest to the lipstick that you will be wearing. Apply the lip liner in a thin and delicate line when lining your lips.

There is no way to opt out of going through menopause, even though we would choose to if we could. But there are definitely some graceful solutions. Wisdom should come with age – so we can finally be smart about the way that we approach aging.

Keep on Stylin’!

Anesta Dawkins

Who doesn’t feel good with a little sunshine? And how about a glass of cabernet with your dinner tonight?

I’ve got evidence of remarkable new benefits from these two things…and you don’t have to sacrifice to get them.

But first, I need to tell you a little bit about how your aging program works.

Genetic aging is controlled by a piece of your DNA called “telomeres.” They can be found in every cell in your body and are critical to youthful cell function.

As your cells divide, your telomeres get shorter. And as they shorten, your cells begin to slow down and act old.

We now know that telomeres are the primary cause of human aging. Shortened telomeres have been linked to serious degenerative conditions, like heart disease and organ failure. They’re also responsible for other, less-serious aging concerns, such as the appearance of wrinkles and sagging skin.

Now, for the first time in history, we can halt and even reverse the shortening of telomeres. The secret lies in an enzyme called telomerase. Telomerase makes your telomeres longer. That means your cells actually get younger as time goes by!

Simply put, telomerase turns back the hands of time. It’s in every cell of your body – but the gene that makes it turns off as you age.

A new anti-aging therapy called TA-65, switches that gene back on. It’s a natural extract that comes from the Astragalus plant.

I’m very excited about TA-65 and have been spreading the word as much as possible. However, it’s only available through licensed practitioners, like myself. People fly in from all over the world to visit my clinic so they can benefit through younger expression of their genes.

If you want to learn more about how you can stop and even reverse your genetic aging clock, I suggest you pick up a copy of my TA-65 DVD, called Switch on Your Immortality Gene.

In the meantime, you can start to slow down the rate that your telomeres are shortening right now.

I always tell my patients that getting 10 to 15 minutes of sunshine a day is critical for their health. In moderation, sunlight helps to increase your antioxidant levels and provides your body with a free, natural source of life-saving vitamin D.

But did you know that vitamin D has been linked to longer telomeres? A study published in the American Society for Nutrition showed that participants with higher levels of vitamin D were also likely to have longer telomeres.₁

Here’s the problem: Even if you take vitamins, you’re probably not getting enough D. In one study, over 1,200 people were randomly screened. It turned out that more than 87% had a vitamin D deficiency.₂

To get the telomere-lengthening effect of vitamin D, try to go outside and get some sunshine every day. As little as 10 minutes in the midday sun produces 10,000 units of vitamin D.

You can also affect your aging with red wine.

You’ve probably heard about resveratrol, the active ingredient in red wine. But here’s what you probably don’t know. Resveratrol turns on an anti-aging gene that slows down the aging clock by activating something called “sirtuins.”

Sirtuins transmit signals to every cell in your body that cancel out the effects of aging. They bring the processes that lead to cell death to a crawl, buying your body more time to repair the DNA damage that brings life to an end.

Drinking one or two glasses of red wine is one way to benefit from resveratrol. I also recommend adding foods rich in resveratrol to your diet. It’s found in plums, grapes, blueberries, cranberries, and other plants.

Resveratrol can also be purchased in supplement form. A good dose is 10 mg per day. It has never been associated with any worrisome side effects. You can take it any time of day, with or without food.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD

1. J Brent Richards, et al. “Higher serum vitamin D concentrations are associated with longer leukocyte telomere length in women.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 86, No. 5, 1420-1425, November 2007.
2. Ray MM, Long AN, et al. “Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency in an Urban General Internal Medicine Academic Practice,” 2009 Southern Regional Meeting Abstracts Session: SSGIM Research Abstract Session C.

The national campaign to keep us out of the sun has finally caught up with us. The result?

A study from the prestigious Archives of Internal Medicine found that an astounding three out of four Americans don’t get enough vitamin D.

Here’s why you should care:

Low vitamin D levels don’t just cause rickets in children and weaken bones in adults. They are strongly linked to cancer, heart disease, and many other serious health problems.

The study shows that vitamin D levels dropped 20% from 1994 to 2004 on average. The number of people who have a clinical deficiency of vitamin D tripled, and those who are below the healthy level of vitamin D jumped by almost 50%.₁

Given our obsession with staying out of the sun – nature’s way of creating vitamin D in our bodies – and the dramatic drop in vitamin D nutrients in our foods, it’s no wonder that this has become a national epidemic.

Plus, the government has kept its recommended levels for vitamin D supplements way too low for far too long. Its current recommendation is to take:

• 200 IU per day from birth to 50 years old
• 400 IU per day for aged adults 51 to 70
• And 600 IU per day for those 71 and older

The study’s authors recommend taking 1,000 IU or more a day of vitamin D supplements on top of increasing your exposure to the sun. The government, however, is dragging its feet and says it may take up to a year to recommend new guidelines.

Don’t wait. This report will show you how to safely increase your vitamin D levels and avoid the risks of vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D: Don’t Fear the Sun – It’s Nature’s Cancer Fighter

Your body needs exposure to the sun to produce vitamin D. An Anticancer Research study found that just by getting a little sunlight every day – about 20 minutes for fair-skinned people and two to four times that much for those with dark skin – could reduce the risk of 16 types of cancer.₂

Numerous studies prove the cancer-destroying properties of vitamin D. In fact, it causes melanoma cells to self-destruct.₃

One group of scientists at the University of New Mexico found that exposure to the sun helped cancer patients to recover from already established melanoma. So much so, their rate of survival doubled!₄

But with their stern warnings and dire predictions, you won’t hear many dermatologists – or the $6 billion sunscreen industry – voicing this evidence. Just like the great “cholesterol con” that tricked so many into fearing cholesterol and swallowing toxic “statin” drugs – their “fear of the sun” campaign is just as ridiculous.

The real research suggests that the best way to avoid deadly melanoma is to spend more time in the sun. For instance, dozens of studies show that people who work inside – like office workers – have a much higher risk of melanoma than those who work outside – like construction workers and lifeguards.₅

To underscore this point, melanoma commonly occurs in areas that don’t receive any sunlight at all – like the palms of your hands, the soles of your feet, under your arms, beneath your fingernails – even inside your nose.

Enjoy the Sun and Protect Yourself Naturally

First, some common sense: Avoid sunburn. It hurts and damages your skin. Second, stop using chemical-based sunscreens – like the ones you get at the drugstore. The chemicals can actually be carcinogenic. If you like, you can find sunscreens available on the internet that are natural and chemical-free.

Most importantly, it’s critical that you boost your body’s natural defenses. Our change in diet has left us defenseless against the sun’s normally health-enhancing rays. Thanks to commercial farming and processing, the nutrients we need to prevent skin cancer are increasingly absent from our food. That’s why we require supplements to get the nutrients we need.

Here are my favorite supplements to help:

Cod Liver Oil - The lack of healthy omega-3 fatty acids in our diet is one of the primary factors contributing to the rise of skin cancer. Grains, sugars, and processed foods – even commercial beef – are full of omega-6 fatty acids. Not only are these inflammatory, but they prevent your skin from fighting the sun’s UV rays.

A tablespoon of cod liver oil a day will replenish your omega-3 levels and keep your skin looking young and fresh. It will also give you a boost of vitamin D in its most natural form.

Astaxanthin is a carotenoid found in shrimp, lobsters, salmon, trout, and algae. It gives them their red/pinkish color. (Carotenoids are nutrients that protect plants and animals from UV radiation.)

Astaxanthin is hundreds of times more powerful than most carotenoids and multiplies the effects of vitamin C and E, increasing their antioxidant activity.₆ This is one of the best supplements to prevent skin cancer. During periods of prolonged exposure, you can’t beat it. It’s available as a capsule. I recommend 2 mg a day with meals.

Alpha-Lipoic Acid - ALA is a powerful antioxidant that works at all levels – including your skin. Not only does it protect skin cells from free radicals, it protects their mitochondria (the power plant of every cell) and pumps up your cancer defense mechanisms.

It also preserves collagen and prevents the damage associated with aging skin making your skin more youthful and vibrant. I recommend 200 mg to 400 mg daily.

Vitamin C – A lack of vitamin C makes your skin vulnerable to damage from the sun’s rays. And we have recently started getting far less vitamin C in our diets.

I recommend 3,000 mg per day if you’re currently in good health. This will give you enough to produce the collagen required for strong blood vessels and heart disease prevention.

Pregnant women should get at least 6,000 mg per day – and in times of stress or sickness, you can take up to 20,000 mg. A powdered form may be more convenient for larger doses.

Vitamin D – Finally, take a good vitamin D supplement. I recommend 1,000 to 2,000 IU daily, particularly during the winter or if you live in cold, damp climates with little sunlight.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD

1. Ginde, A. Archives of Internal Medicine, March 23, 2009; vol 169: 626-632.
2. Grant WB et al, “The association of solar ultraviolet B (UVB) with reducing risk of cancer: multifactorial ecologic analysis of geographic variation in age-adjusted cancer mortality rates,” Anticancer Research, 2006; 26:2687-2700.
3. Danielsson C, et al. (1998). Differential apoptotic response of human melanoma cells to 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and its analogues. Cell Death Differ. 5:946.
4. Berwick M, Armstrong BK, Ben-Porat L, Fine J, Kricker A, Eberle C, Barnhill R. Sun exposure and mortality from melanoma. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2005 Feb 2;97(3):195-9.
5. Elwood JM, et al. Cutaneous Melanoma in Relation to Intermittent and Constant Sun Exposure – The Western Canada Melanoma Study. Int J Cancer 1985;35:427
6. www.astaxanthin.org/benefits.htm

What’s behind this trend? Is it mainstream medicine’s belief that women get too much sun exposure?

Let’s see. Sales of sun care products have grown substantially in the past 30-plus years. According to a cosmetic and toiletry report, the global market for sun care products is expected to grow 6% per year to $4.8 billion by 2011.¹

Yet the cases of melanoma continue to grow.²

Could it be that the more likely culprit is the sunscreen itself?

Sunscreens block UV rays, eliminating your body’s ability to make vitamin D. Research indicates that vitamin D is the most potent cancer fighter there is. In fact, a Nebraska University report says that vitamin D has the potential to lower the risk of all cancers in women over 50 by 77%.³

Moreover, several common sunscreen ingredients have dangerous, even cancer-causing, side effects. Yet they have never been safety tested or safety approved by the FDA. So make sure to check your sunscreen for the following ingredients…

• Oxybenzone, sometimes called Benzophenone-3, is linked to allergies, hormone disruption, low birth weights, cell damage, and more. It also helps other chemicals penetrate the skin.⁴ The Center for Disease Control says 97% of Americans have this chemical in their system.
• Octyl methoxycinnamate (OMC) kills skin cells.
• PABA, also known as octyl-dimethyl and padimate-O, attacks DNA and causes genetic mutation when it is exposed to sunlight.

Sunscreen is in lip balm, make-up, moisturizers and more. In one study of more than 10,000 teenagers, girls were 34.4% more likely to use sunscreen than boys were.

If you really want to protect yourself from skin cancer, go outside! All you need is about 20 minutes a day of unprotected sun exposure to get your daily dose of vitamin D.

An Anticancer Research study found that just by getting a little sunlight every day – about 20 minutes for fair-skinned people and two to four times that much for those with dark skin – could reduce the risk of 17 types of cancer.⁵

If you plan to spend more than 20 minutes of fun in the sun, there are natural ways to protect yourself. Here are some tips.

• Get enough antioxidants, one of your best lines of defense against all types of skin damage.
• Vitamin D. Take 1,000 to 2,000 IEUs per day, particularly during the winter or if you live in cold, damp climates with little sunlight.
• Vitamin C. Fights free radicals, reduces inflammation, and boosts immune response. Take 500 mg twice per day with food.
• Vitamin E. Great for skin health. I recommend 400 IU per day. Look for vitamin E as “mixed tocopherols” on the label. They are the organic compounds most readily absorbed by your body.
• Alpha-Lipoic Acid. A powerful antioxidant that protects skin cells from free radicals, guards their mitochondria (the power plant of every cell), and pumps up your cancer defense mechanisms. I recommend 200 mg to 400 mg daily.
• Get enough omega-3s. Studies show that omega 6:3 ratio is important in preventing skin cancer.6 A tablespoon of cod liver oil a day will replenish your omega-3 levels and keep your skin looking young and fresh. It will also give you a boost of vitamin D in its most natural form.
• Try rubbing a little mango butter or shea butter on your skin as a sun blocker without the toxic chemicals. You can also use zinc oxide, a natural mineral that provides a reflective barrier on your skin. You can find these in most health food and supplement stores.

To Your Good Health

Al Sears, MD

1. Kate Phillips. “Bright Outlook for Sun Care Market, Suppliers Absorb Growth”, Chemicalweek.com. 4/4/07
2. American Cancer Society. Overview: Skin Cancer – Melanoma. www.Cancer.org. viewed 2/10/09.
3. Lappe et al. “Vitamin D Status in a Rural Postmenopausal Female Population”. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 2006; 25(5):395-402.
4. Carrie Gouldin. “CDC: Caving to Industry, FDA Delays Safety Standards for Decades”, Environmental Working Group, http://www.ewg.org, 3/25/08
5. Grant WB et al, “The association of solar ultraviolet B (UVB) with reducing risk of cancer: multifactorial ecologic analysis of geographic variation in age-adjusted cancer mortality rates,” Anticancer Research, 2006; 26:2687-2700.
6. Guangming Liu, et al. “Omega 3 but not Omega 6 fatty acids inhibit AP-1 activity and cell transformation in JB6 cells”. Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, 2001.