Skin Cancer Prevention

By Bonnie Jenkins, Advanced Natural Medicine

As many of us enjoy the soft, warm days of Indian summer and prepare for the coming cold weather, we tend to forget about sun protection. Before you pack away the sunscreen, it’s important to know that UV rays can damage your skin, no matter what time of year it is.

But what if protecting your skin from the sun meant indulging in delicious dark chocolate? That may not be as far-fetched as it sounds. A recent German study, published in the Journal of Nutrition, found that drinking a cocoa beverage high in flavanols every day shielded participants from several types of sun damage – including skin cancer. Beauty in the Candy Aisle

The study involved 24 women, ages 18 to 65, who were divided into two groups. One group consumed a daily cocoa drink containing 329 mg. of flavanols daily while the control group drank one containing just 27 mg. of cocoa flavanols. The main flavanols in the study’s cocoa were epicatechin and catechin, two antioxidants that help the body’s cells resist damage by free radicals.

The women who drank the high-flavanol cocoa saw a marked reduction in reddening of the skin in response to UV light – 15 percent at six weeks and an impressive 25 percent at 12 weeks – compared with the beginning of the study. There was no decrease in reddening in the control group.

The skin of the women receiving the hefty flavonoid dose was also 16 percent denser, 13 percent moister and 11 percent thicker, as well as smoother and less scaly than it was at the beginning of the trial. They also saw blood flow to their skin double at 12 weeks, while the low-flavanol group experienced no change.

Go wIth the Flow

The researchers admit that they don’t have a clue about the exact mechanism for most of the skin benefits, but they suspect that improved blood circulation is more than likely a factor. Healthy skin, as with all other bodily tissues, depends on good blood flow. Another theory is that the flavonoids in dark chocolate help protect the skin via a twofold process – they absorb UV light that can damage skin and they act as antioxidants, scavenging harmful oxidants created by the sun’s rays. Some flavonoids have also been found to inhibit the inflammatory process involved in sun-damaged skin, which would explain why the women drinking the cocoa experienced less skin reddening.

The German findings show that continued consumption of a high-flavanol cocoa product decreased sensitivity of human skin toward UV light and improved overall appearance and hydration of the skin.

One Last Thing ...

The amount of cocoa flavonoids consumed by the high-flavonoid group was equivalent to 100 grams (just over three ounces) of dark chocolate. Remember, the highest amount of flavanols is found in dark chocolate rather than milk chocolate, which is higher in fat and sugar. But dark chocolate is also relatively high in fat and calories, and it can contribute to weight gain, so don’t go crazy and eat more than three ounces a day.

The skin-protective effects of chocolate in the German trial are similar to findings in earlier studies using lycopene-rich tomato products. Previous research also suggests that dark chocolate confers cardiovascular and other health benefits.

But just because dark chocolate offers some protection from the sun’s harmful rays, don’t think you can ditch the sunscreen. Chocolate isn’t a substitute for sunscreen but might offer an extra line of defense. Your best bet is to generously slather on a mineral based sunscreen containing zinc oxide or titanium dioxide on all your exposed parts before enjoying your daily dose of chocolate.

This Just In ...

According to the American Heart Association, 550,000 new cases of heart failure are diagnosed each year. But a study conducted at the University of Arizona in Tucson shows that Pcynogenol may help reduce that number by preventing heart damage caused by high blood pressure.

Earlier studies show that this pine bark extract improves many types of cardiovascular disease including the risk of stroke, high cholesterol and hypertension. But this new study demonstrates that Pycnogenol counteracts cardiac remodeling (the deterioration of heart muscle due to a lower rate of collagen collective tissue in the heart chamber walls), which may cause heart failure.

Researchers found that the cardiac tissue in mice treated with Pycnogenol had significantly more collagen. Chronically hypertensive critters that didn’t get the extract lost collagen fibers, thus weakening their cardiac chambers. The lead researcher of the study notes that Pycnogenol is a safe, natural approach to heart health.

If you’re at high risk for heart failure, you might want to consider taking 150 mg. of a standardized extract three times a day. But if you’re currently taking heart medications, talk to your doctor before using this natural alternative. And because Pycnogenol can enhance the immune system, don’t take this supplement if you suffer from an autoimmune disorder like Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.

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References:

Heinrich U, Neukam K, Tronnier H, et al. “Long-term ingestion of high flavanol cocoa provides photoprotection against UV-induced erythema and improves skin condition in women.” The Journal of Nutrition. 2006;136:1565-1569.

Neukam K, Stahl W, Tronnier H, et al. “Consumption of flavanol-rich cocoa acutely increases microcirculation in human skin.” European Journal of Nutrition. 2007;46:53-56.

Rohdewald P. “A review of the French maritime pine bark extract (Pycnogenol), a herbal medication with a diverse clinical pharmacology.” International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 2002;40:158-168.

Zibadi S, Yu Q, Rohdewald PJ, et al. “Impact of Pycnogenol on cardiac extracellular matrix remodeling induced by L-NAME administration to old mice.” Cariovascular Toxicology. 2007;7:10-18.