By Gene Bruno, M.H.S.

Interesting Facts to Improve Your Health
A team from Canada and the U.S.A. reports that data from eight studies reveal moderate or high levels of vitamin E in the diet may help to protect the brain against the development of Parkinson's disease.

• Soy foods, already shown to lower cholesterol levels, could also benefit the heart by keeping blood pressure levels down, suggests the latest evidence in women who consumed at least 25g of soy protein each day.
• Not surprisingly, U.S. researchers found that there is a strong correlation between soft drink consumption and the risk of childhood obesity.
• A Mediterranean-style diet (namely, one rich in vegetables, fruits, cereals and a low intake of meat and dairy products, with a high ratio of monounsaturated fatty acids—mostly olive oil—to polyunsaturated fatty acids) should be recommended to those already suffering from heart disease, says new research, which concludes its ingredients can help them live longer.
• Smokers need more vitamin E, say researchers who have found that the vitamin is used up in smokers more quickly to fight off the damage caused by cigarettes.
• Feeding formulas containing fatty acids such as docosahexanoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) may improve the development of preterm infants.

Nature's Pharmacy
Nature has given us a wonderful way to promote good health. The value of green tea, aloe vera, ginseng and vitamin E can be derived from natural forms or through supplements, creams and gels.

GREEN TEA-Green, oolong and black ("normal") tea are all made from the leaves of the same plant species. Green, unfermented tea is the world's second most popular beverage, after water. It is the polyphenols in green tea that give it biological and medicinal qualities, including its antioxidant, antimicrobial, blood thinning and cholesterol lowering activity. Research has shown that green tea consumption is capable of lowering LDL cholesterol (the "bad cholesterol") and lowering total serum cholesterol, too.

ALOE VERA-Aloe vera is a succulent member of the lily family. The inner leaf contains a gel used in medicines and cosmetics. The gel has also been found to provide significant healing properties when applied to the skin. Although all of the reasons for aloe's healing properties are not known, we do know that aloe increases skin components that influence wound healing. Aloe prevents blood clotting, regulates inflammatory cell function, and forms a scaffold for the collagen and elastic fibers that knit skin together. It has been shown to improve wound healing in diabetics. Applications also include minor burns, radiation burns, sunburn and windburn. Aloe vera gel is a good thing to remember for summer sunburns. Furthermore, aloe gel contains salicylates, which possess anti-inflammatory properties.

GINSENG-Ginseng (Panax ginseng) is native to China, Japan, Korea and other Asian countries. More than 500 studies have been published on ginseng. Here are a few benefits:

• As demonstrated in animals and humans, ginseng improves mental and physical performance and well being in a variety of circumstances.
• Ginseng enhances fat burning during exercise, thereby sparing valuable muscle stores of glycogen (muscle sugar).
• Research has demonstrated the value of ginseng in improving immunity, cardiovascular function, diabetes, and in protecting against reduced platelet counts in individuals undergoing conventional cancer therapy.
• Ginseng also has shown anti-depressant benefits.

VITAMIN E-Vitamin E is a very healing nutrient when used externally (as well as internally). It is particularly effective when used on minor scratches and burns. It may also play an important role in preventing the formation of scar tissue. Since it is an excellent antioxidant, an external application of vitamin E may also protect against some of the oxidative damage to the skin caused by free radicals. In addition, vitamin E cream is an excellent conditioner for the skin. The possible uses for vitamin E cream are extensive and include cosmetic and therapeutic applications. Like aloe vera, vitamin E cream is a good thing to remember for summer sunburns.

Older Adults Require Routine Skin Screening
Many older patients are now paying the price for years of prolonged sun exposure before sun block became widely used, according to Adam Riker, M.D., a surgical oncologist with the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute in Tampa, FL. In fact, skin cancer sometimes is more difficult to identify in older patients than in younger patients.

"Older patients tend to have more moles and other types of skin discolorations compared to younger patients," said Dr. Riker. "They simply have been exposed to the sun longer, too, making them candidates for an array of findings, such as actinic keratoses (a predecessor to skin cancer), seborrheic keratoses (non-cancerous growths) and 'sun spots,' along with skin cancers."

Older adults should be as careful about prevention and early detection as any younger person, Dr. Riker stresses. Most importantly, older adults need to set aside their fears about outcome, costs or modesty and see a dermatologist regularly. "I would recommend that the older patient population see a family physician and/or dermatologist once a year for a thorough, head-to-toe, full-body skin examination. Additionally, they need to do the same examination at home on a monthly basis."

Follow these guidelines from the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention:

• Limit sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. This is when UV rays are the strongest and do the most damage.
• Cover up by wearing a wide-brimmed hat, tightly woven dark-colored clothing, UV-protective sunglasses and applying sunscreen to exposed skin.
• Use sunscreens with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher. Choose one that has both UVA and UVB protection. Sunscreen must be applied 15-30 minutes prior to sun exposure and reapplied every two hours to maintain protection.
• Protect children from the sun by following the same guidelines given for adults. Scientists have found a link between childhood sunburn and skin cancer later in life.
• Avoid indoor tanning. Exposure to UV rays from any source can lead to skin damage.
• Treat your skin and the sun with respect. Although the summer heat is a good reminder to put on that sunscreen, it's important to protect your skin year round, says Vernon Sondak, M.D., leader of the Cutaneous Oncology Program at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute in Tampa.

"Remember that the outside temperature is not a good gauge of the sun's intensity and that clouds block only a fraction of the sun's dangerous ultraviolet radiation," he says. "It's a good idea to take additional precautions to protect yourself and loved ones from the sun."

For information on how to examine your skin, go to MoffittCancerCenter.org and search for "detecting skin cancer."

Article courtesy of H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL. For more information on cancer care, research and prevention, please visit MoffittCancerCenter.org.

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