New Way to Prevent Skin Cancer

Prevent skin cancer

There is a new protocol that has been showing success in preventing skin cancer.  In the past, the best way to avoid skin cancer was to either stay out of the sun or use a sunscreen when going outside.  The new way to help protect your skin is to take an oral supplement of vitamin B3, nicotinamide, along with two other ingredients, red orange extract and Polypodium leucotomomos.

Red orange extract is a special extract obtained from three types of Citrus sinensis.  On its own, red orange extract has been shown to reduce the intensity of sunburns.  Polypodium leucotomos extract is taken from a specific tropical fern and has shown to help protect skin cells from ultraviolet rays.

Recent studies has shown that taking a pill with these three substances can reduce the risk of getting skin cancer by over 23%.  This is significant and is another weapon to use in trying to prevent skin cancer, which is now the most common type of malignancy.  It is estimated that there are over 3 million new cases of skin cancer a year.  

Over 90% of squamous and basal cell carcinomas, which are the most common types of skin cancer, are caused by too much exposure of ultraviolet rays from the sun.  About two-thirds of the cases of melanoma, the most deadly type of skin cancer, are caused by excessive radiation.

Ultraviolet radiation causes skin cancer by damaging your DNA and producing mutations that can turn cancerous.  The risks of getting skin cancer by being out in the sun have increased because of the reduced ozone layer, which helps reduce the amount of radiation that penetrated the Earth’s atmosphere.

While there are numerous types of cancer, the one type that is exploding is skin cancer.  This will be an ongoing trend with the continued exposure to the sun and not taking the proper steps to protect yourself from this preventable disease.

It is surprising that a B vitamin could turn out to be one of the best ways to prevent skin cancer.  What the nicotinamide does to help protect you is increase energy levels in cells, which allows the cells to repair their DNA that were damaged by ultraviolet rays.  Nicotinamide also helps improve body immune functions that have been damaged by ultraviolet radiation.

While each of the three ingredients help in the prevention of skin cancer, research has shown they work even better when using all three together. Adding the two other ingredients, red orange extract and Polypodium leucotomos, to the nicotinamide help the B vitamin in reducing cancer-causing chemicals produced by ultraviolet rays, and also in reducing inflammation in the body.

The dosage of nicotinamide used in the studies ranged from a low daily dose of 500 mg to a dose of 1500 mg.  The 500 mg dose was easily tolerated by test subjects and had similar results as the subjects taking 1500 mg.

The problem with topical sunscreens is most people don’t use enough to cover all unprotected skin and it can wear off or get washed off.  There is also the problem of using sunscreens with chemicals that can get absorbed into your system and affect hormone levels.  The safest sunscreens are the ones with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.  Always check ingredients before you buy any sunscreen.

Adding vitamin B3, along with red orange extract and Polypodium leucotomos should be on your list of what to take when you are going to be outside for an extended period of time.  Who knew that taking an inexpensive B vitamin could turn out to be one of the easiest and safest way to prevent skin cancer.  There are now supplements you can purchase that contain all three ingredients.  If you don’t want to get the supplement with the three ingredients, at least buy the inexpensive vitamin B3.

Healthy skin is vital since the skin is the largest organ in your body.   Protect yourself by using a natural sunscreen with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, avoid excessive sun exposure, make sure your vitamin D levels are in the optimal range, and try adding the three supplements mentioned in this article.  This is another way to maintain your overall health, along with a healthy diet, a fitness plan, and taking the right supplements.