Could Sunscreen Cause Skin Cancer? You Bet...

By Jon Herring

When sunscreen lotion first came on the market, it was marketed as a way to prevent sunburn. Over the years, however, the marketing angle changed when manufacturers realized there is more money to be made by claiming their products protect against dreaded skin cancer.

Only problem is that while sunscreen can protect you against sunburn, there is no evidence it will protect you from skin cancer. In fact, the evidence suggests the opposite - that sunscreens have partially caused an increase in skin cancer!

One of the most common ingredients in commercial sunscreens is a chemical known as PABA or padimate-O, which is known to produce genetic mutations that can lead to cancer. Even more incredibly, PABA becomes aggressively carcinogenic only when it is illuminated by UV light. In other words, exposure to sunlight is what causes this chemical to attack your DNA.

According to a study published in the journal Mutation Research:

"Any padimate-O in contact with the cells substantially increases indirect damage [to DNA]... We estimate that applying an SPF-15 sunscreen which contains padimate-O to human skin followed by exposure to only 5 minimum erythemal doses (MED) of sunlight could... increase [DNA] strand breaks in cells under the epidermis by at least 75-fold compared to exposure to 1 MED in the absence of sunscreen."

You should certainly think twice before slathering chemical sunscreens on your skin. Whenever possible, protect yourself from sunburn with clothing and shade. And when you do need to use sunscreen, use one with natural ingredients, with the physical barrier zinc oxide as its active ingredient.

[Ed. Note: Discover four more connections between sunscreen and skin cancer in Your Best Health Under the Sun, a book by Jon Herring and Dr. Al Sears. Plus, learn just how powerful the healing forces of sunlight are - and why this information is being kept from you.]

It's Fun to Know: Contact Lenses Ready for Battle

DARPA, the agency in charge of U.S. military innovation, has put out a call to researchers for help in designing special contact lenses to be worn by soldiers in battle. The lenses would give the solders magnified vision, as well as access to up-to-the-minute battlefield information, maps, and communications.

Similar capabilities are currently provided by bulky "monocles" that attach to the soldiers' helmets. And pilots have had "heads up" displays on their helmet visors for years. But the new lenses would be easier to use and less cumbersome. DARPA hopes to deploy them within three to five years.

(Source: Wired and DARPA)

Word to the Wise: Pervicacious

"Pervicacious" (pur-vih-KAY-shus) means stubborn or obstinate - refusing to change your ideas or behavior. The word is from the Latin for "to maintain one's opinion."

Example (as used in the New York Law Journal): "The language of the bureaucrats and administrators must needs be recognized as an outgrowth of legal parlance. There is no other way to explain its pervading, pervicacious, and pernicious meanderings."

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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2344, 05-01-08], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.