What Everybody Ought To know About Sun Protection Factor SPF

Sun protection factor (SPF) is the most important ingredient in sunscreen products.  SPF is important in fighting against skin cancer, eye damage and aging skin.  So far study has shown that the sun emits harmful ultraviolet rays but there are two types of sun rays that the scientists are most concern about and these are UVA and UVB.

What is UVA or UVB?

UVA  is ultraviolet rays that is part of the electromagnetic (light) spectrum that reaches the earth from the sun, it's wavelength is 320- 400 nm,  UVA penetrates the skin layers, going through the epidermis then entering the dermis layer until it reaches the subcutaneous layer.  This results in damages to the skin cells and changes the DNA hence resulting in premature  skin aging.  People are subjected most to the UVA rays, since 95% of the rays to penetrate the earth comes as UVA rays.  A lot of people feel that tanning in the salon is better, less harmful alternative to direct sunlight but it is the UVA rays that emits from the technology of the tanning beds.

Like UVA, UVB  is ultraviolet rays that is part of the electromagnetic (light) spectrum that reaches the earth from the sun. UVB wavelength is shorter at between 290-320 nm.  UVB has slightly more energy than UVA rays. They can damage skin cells’ DNA directly, and are the main rays that cause sunburns. They are also thought to cause most skin cancers.  These are the rays predominantly responsible for skin reddening, sunburn and painful episodes, which can sometimes get infected if not treated immediately.  To protect oneself from the dangers of the sun rays, we use sunscreen products, of which there is a variety to choose from.

What is the best level of SPF to use?

“The SPF [sun protection factor] of a sunscreen is derived by taking the time it takes you to burn with a sunscreen and dividing it by the time taken for you to burn without a sunscreen. For example if you burn in 300 minutes with a sunscreen and 10 minutes without a sunscreen, this is 300/10 = 30. So the sunscreen will have an SPF of 30".  On the market one can find so many different brands with so many different variations of ingredients and all saying that that particular product is the best all rounded sun protector.  An all rounded sun protector would be a product which has the SPF that protects effectively against UVB, can protect aginst UVA, has the best ability to moisturize the skin, is waterproof  and stays on for numerous hours without having to reapply often.   Due to these promises there is usually a debate about the different brands and whether or not they deliver on their promises.  One of the biggest debates however, is what strength of SPF really stops the UVB sun rays from bodily damages, since there are products with SPF from 15 -100 ?  Well, most studies have shown that SPF 30 and over is most effective,  However, one would think that SPF 100 would have to be the best but studies have shown that after about 40 - 50, it does not matter.  ''According to Spencer, a SPF 15 product blocks about 94% of UVB rays; an SPF 30 product blocks 97% of UVB rays; and an SPF 45 product blocks about 98% of rays. "After that, it just gets silly," he says. Sunscreens with higher SPF ratings block slightly more UVB rays, but none offers 100% protection".  To make sure you are getting effective UVA protection  as well as UVB coverage, look for a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher, plus some combination of the following UVA-screening ingredients: stabilized a avobenzone, ecamsule (a.k.a. MexorylTM), oxybenzone, titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide.

www.skincancer.org/prevention/uva-and-uvb

www.webmd.com/beauty/features/high-spf-sunscreens-are-they-better

http://www.sunsense.com.au/news/sunscreen-101-spf-50-means/

A person should apply sunscreen 30 mins before exposure and reapply sunscreen after about every two hours. One should also wear UPF  (ultraviolet protection factor) protective clothing with conscientious coloring (this is for another topic).  Stay in the shade, especially between 12 pm -3 pm. and make sure babies and children are well protected, for they are more vulnerable to the sun's damages. 

Take a look at Cosmopolitan list of its 24 best sunscreen choices.

http://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/beauty/advice/g3973/best-new-sunscreens/

The KETOGENIC DIET

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet that forces the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates. “Ketogenic” is a low-carb diet, similar to the Atkins diet. The theory is that you to get more calories from protein and fat and less from carbohydrates. You cut back most on the carbs that are easy to digest, like sugar, pasta, soda, pastries, and white bread.

When you eat less than 50 grams of carbs a day, your body eventually runs out of fuel (blood sugar) it can use quickly. This typically takes 3 to 4 days. Then you’ll start to break down protein and fat for energy, which can make you lose weight. This is called ketosis.

EPILEPSY

Board-certified neurologists, believe the Ketogenic Diet happens to be a proven treatment for epileptic seizures in kids. They believe the diet remedies a metabolism imbalance in brain cells when ketones are produced. Dominic D’Agostino, a Ph.D. and associate professor at University of San Francisco. According to website mensfitness.com, D’Agostino believes the diet remedies a metabolism imbalance in which brain cells are starved of, or unable to process, glucose, causing the brain to go haywire. Live brain cells are extremely difficult to study (for obvious reasons), but researchers have been able to tease out some clues from the petri dish about why keto diets are good for the brain. Aside from being an energy source, ketones are also important neural signaling molecules and gene transcription facilitators. Ketones also seem to modulate the stress response in neurons and make them more resilient to excitatory nerve transmissions—the kind that can cause seizures. D’Agostino also found that ketones can elevate levels of the calming neurotransmitter GABA.
http://www.mensfitness.com/nutrition/what-to-eat/truth-behind-worlds-most-cutting-edge-fat-burning-performance-meal-plan-keto


KETO DIET LINK TO CANCER

Dr, Thomas Seyfried, strongly believes what Otto Warburg discovered over 90 years ago., with regard to tumors relying on glycolysis for their nutrition/energy from the oxidative phosphorylation of cells. 

Cancer cells are unlike normal cells in many ways, but one of their traits that is most unique regards insulin receptors. They have ten times more insulin receptors on their cellular surface. This enables cancer cells to gorge themselves in glucose and nutrients coming from the bloodstream at a very high rate. As you continue to consume glucose as your primary diet source, cancer cells will continue to thrive and spread. It is no surprise that the lowest survival rate in cancer patients is among those with the highest blood sugar levels.

https://thetruthaboutcancer.com/ketogenic-diet-weakens-cancer-cells/

Dr David H. Gorski, MD, PhD, FACS is a surgical oncologist at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute specializing in breast cancer surgery, where he also serves as the American College of Surgeons Committee on Cancer Liaison Physician as well as an Associate Professor of Surgery and member of the faculty of the Graduate Program in Cancer Biology at Wayne State University. He believes that although there is something believable about Dr. Seyfried's theory, he is not buying into it because, Dr Seyfried clinical trial results are very poor.  Dr.Gorski believes that "cancer is complicated, real complicated. The relative contributions of genetic mutations, metabolic derangements, immune cell dysfunction, and influences of the microenvironment are likely to vary depending upon the type of tumor and, as a consequence, require different treatments. In the end, as with many hyped cancer cures, the ketogenic diet might be helpful for some tumors and almost certainly won’t be helpful for others. Dr. Seyfried might be on to something, but he’s gone a bit off the deep end in apparently thinking that he’s found out something about cancer that no one else takes seriously—or has even thought of before".
https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/ketogenic-diets-for-cancer-hype-versus-science/.