Commercial sunscreens are a danger to your health
A recent study has shown that a potent sunscreen ingredient, oxybenzone, may be a cause of endometriosis. This condition occurs when uterine tissue grows in abnormal sites in the abdomen and causes severe pain. Women are usually diagnosed because of severe cramping during their periods. In this study of 600 women, those with the highest levels of a form of oxybenzone in their urine had a 65 percent increased risk of endometriosis. Oxybenzone, like bisphenol-A (BPA), is a chemical that mimics estrogen. And endometriosis growth is fed by estrogen.
This study should be another warning sign that oxybenzone should not be put on the skin. The highest levels of oxybenzone in the urine of women in this study occurred in the months of July and August, proof that the sunscreen ingredient is readily absorbed into the bloodstream.
Exposure to sunlight promotes good health. The more sun exposure we get, the better our bodies function. Preventing sunburn during the hottest part of the day is a good idea. Sunburn damages the skin. But with all of the evidence that sunlight is beneficial in the prevention of cancer and heart disease, maintaining a strong immune system, and building bones, no one should be using sunscreens on a routine or daily basis.
This study provides further evidence that commercial sunscreens that contain cancer-causing and estrogenic chemicals should never be used. Sunscreens with oxybenzone, methoxycinnamate, and PABA are dangerous. The only proven safe sunscreen ingredient is zinc oxide.
Reference
Kunisue T, Chen Z, Buck Louis GM, Sundaram R, Hediger ML, Sun L, Kannan K. Urinary Concentrations of Benzophenone-type UV Filters in U.S. Women and Their Association with Endometriosis. Environ Sci Technol. 2012 Apr 17;46(8):4624-32. Epub 2012 Mar 29.
Sun exposure lowers cancer risk
A study that correlated exposure to sunlight with cancer risk found that people exposed to more sunlight had a significantly lower risk of many types of cancer (Lin, 2012). This study followed more than 450,000 white, non-Hispanic subjects aged 50-71 years from diverse geographic areas in the US. Researchers correlated the calculated ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure in these different areas with the incidence of a variety of cancers. The diverse sites included six states (California, Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina), and the metropolitan areas of Atlanta and Detroit. They followed these subjects over a period of nine years in the study and eliminated other known risk factors for cancer such as smoking, body mass index, and physical activity. This was the first prospective study (participants were actively observed for the duration of the study) to look at the relationship of sunlight to cancer.
Less sun more cancer
A total of 75,000 participants in the study contracted cancer. The study found that 12 types of cancer were reduced in those subjects exposed to more sunlight. These included cancers of the lungs, prostate, pancreas, colon, thyroid and many other types. As expected, melanoma and other skin cancers occurred more often in the participants exposed to more sunlight. The incidence of cancers of female organs including the ovaries, breast, and uterus were not reduced in this study, possibly because men spend more time outdoors than women. This confirmed a previous study that showed a decreased incidence of cancer in men but not women in relation to sun exposure (Grant, 2012).
Cancer prevention formula: sunlight, vitamin D, and antioxidants
This research confirms the protective effect of Vitamin D for many types of cancer. No other known factors in sun exposure would account for these findings. This provides more evidence that sun exposure is protective and that the routine use of sunscreens is counterproductive. Sunscreen should be used to prevent sunburn during prolonged exposure to bright sun at midday. And only zinc oxide sunscreens are safe. Eating organic fresh fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants will also help prevent sunburn and protect you from skin cancer. Sun exposure and ultraviolet radiation promote health and prevent cancer. Similarly, in parts of the world and times of the year with limited sun exposure taking a vitamin D supplement in adequate amounts is beneficial to the immune system, promotes bone growth, prevents cardiovascular disease, and reduces the incidence of cancer.
References
Grant WB. An ecological study of cancer mortality rates in California, 1950–64, with respect to solar UVB and smoking indices. Dermatoendocrinol., epub April 2012
Lin SW, Wheeler DC, Park Y, Cahoon EK, Hollenbeck AR, Michal Freedman D, Abnet CC. Prospective study of ultraviolet radiation exposure and risk of cancer in the U.S. Int J Cancer. 2012 Apr 26. doi: 10.1002/ijc.27619.
California Citizens – Call your State Assembly member today
I am forwarding an urgent message from the National Vaccine Information Center. The unconstitutional and coercive bill to require a doctor’s signature in order to obtain a vaccine exemption for school entry has passed the appropriations committee and is headed to the full Assembly.
Please call your assembly member and urge them to Vote No on AB 2109.
You can easily find your Assembly member at this website.
http://assembly.ca.gov/assemblymembers
URGENT CALIFORNIA ACTION ALERT:
CALL YOUR ASSEMBLY PERSON NOW TO OPPOSE AB2109
Bill Requiring Medical Visit for Vaccine Exemptions Scheduled for Assembly Vote TODAY May 3rd
Dear California NVIC Advocacy Team Members,
AB2109 is on the schedule for a vote in the full assembly today, May 3rd.
PLEASE STOP EVERYTHING AND PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL YOUR ASSEMBLY MEMBER TO ASK THEM TO VOTE NO ON AB2109! (directions below)
AB2109 was passed out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee with a “B” roll call on May 2nd which means the vote went straight down party lines with 12 l Democrats voting yes and 5 Republicans voting no. NVIC submitted financial arguments in opposition and California State NVIC Director Dawn Winkler testified at the hearing against the bill. We disagree that the fiscal analysis done by the committee staff accurately portrays the cost burden of this unnecessary bill.
Video of the hearing in Assembly Appropriations and Assembly Health Committee are both available to watch on-line. Look for Assembly Appropriations Committee on May 2nd and Assembly Health Committee on April 17. Click on the video link. http://www.calchannel.com/
ACTION NEEDED:
1. Contact your state assembly member and tell them to VOTE NO when AB2109 comes up for a vote on the assembly floor. If you log in to the NVIC Advocacy Portal at http://NVICAdvocacy.org your legislators are displayed on the right side. You can click on their names to open up their contact information. Additional information for all members is available at http://assembly.ca.gov/
2. Send this to as many friends and family in California that you can and ask them to please register for the NVIC Advocacy Portal at http://NVICAdvocacy.org so they can get added to this state email list and receive updates on how they can help fight this bill. If the bill is passed by the full assembly, it will then go to the senate.
SAMPLE PHONE PLAN:
- Call the office number for you state assembly member, introduce yourself and ask to talk to someone about AB 2109 which is being voted on today.
- Let the appropriate person know you are opposed to AB 2109 because it requires you to have to pay for an extra medical office visit you don’t want or need, it requires additional bureaucratic paperwork, and as a parent if this passes, you have no guarantee you will be able to find a provider who will take these appointments or sign the form. (If you’ve ever been harassed by a doctor before or denied care, this is a great place to talk about this). If you have a vaccine injured child, tell them the vaccine vulnerable or vaccine injured should not have to go back to the same doctor who caused the injury to your child in order to be “counseled” and get permission to exercise your right to a personal belief exemption.
- Let the legislative office know that this bill wastes your time and money because you are already well educated on vaccine risks and benefits (explain the steps you have taken to educate yourself above and beyond any handout could provide).
· Let them know about your personal story, what got you involved in this issue and why an unrestricted personal belief exemption is important to your family especially if anyone in your family has had a vaccine reaction.
Don’t Be Misled About Sharing Your Bed with Your Baby
There is a concerted campaign to dissuade parents from sleeping with their babies. The latest study published in the American Journal of Public Health attempts to prove that sleeping with your baby can cause death. This was a survey of statistics concerning babies who died unexpectedly. The data reveal that significantly more babies who died unexpectedly of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) were sleeping in a parental bed than sleeping alone in a crib. These statistics were taken from data over a three-year period in nine states to assess where babies who died of SIDS were sleeping when found. However, this study proves nothing.
A similar study could be done showing that more children develop asthma symptoms when outdoors. Should we then dissuade children from going outdoors or exercising? Or we could study low income families and discover that more of these children have asthma compared to children from more affluent families. Obviously other factors are present which would increase the risk of these children developing asthma such as poor nutrition or more exposure to pollution. Similarly there are risk factors that increase the likelihood of babies dying of SIDS, such as a parent’s use of alcohol, drugs, or sleeping pills. However, the greatest risk factor that remains relatively unknown is the toxic fumes that disperse from mattresses treated with fire retardants. Simply covering the mattress with plastic sheeting or using an organic mattress brings the incidence of SIDS to zero.
Maligning the family bed is a favorite pastime in conventional medicine. The vast majority of families in the world sleep with their babies, and SIDS incidence in those cultures is low. Many studies have shown the benefits of babies sleeping with a parent, including an increased incidence of breast feeding, better sleep for babies, more stable heart and breathing patterns, and greater confidence and security in babies. At least one other study has shown a fourfold decrease in SIDS in co-sleeping babies. All of these studies should reassure parents that the family bed is a safe and healthy choice for babies to sleep.
Schnitzer PG, Covington TM, Dykstra HK. Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths: Sleep Environment and Circumstances. American Journal of Public Health. 2012 Apr 19. [Epub ahead of print]
Vaccine Choice Still Endangered in California – Support Letters Needed
A California Congressional bill (AB2109) threatens to take parents’ choice about vaccinating their children and placing that choice in the hands of doctors. If this bill is passed into law, then parents who choose not to give a vaccine on the recommended schedule will need to find a doctor who is willing to sign a paper stating that they have informed parents of their choices. This will require a visit to a physician who is willing to discuss vaccines. If parents cannot afford or cannot find a doctor willing to do this, then they will not be able to obtain a personal belief exemption. This bill could effectively eliminate the personal belief exemption in California because many pediatricians refuse to see children whose parents choose not to give a vaccine they recommend.
A public hearing on Assembly Bill 21009 has been scheduled for April 17 by the Assembly Committee on Health. I urge you to write a letter to the Committee members opposing this bill. The law as it stands is completely adequate to provide parental choices in their vaccination decisions. No legislative action needs to be taken to ensure that parents have the right to choose what vaccines their children will receive.
Letters must be received by 12:00 PM on April 11 either by mail or by fax.
A simple letter stating your opposition to the bill is sufficient. Here is some suggested text.
Dear California Assembly Health Committee Members:
I am opposed to the passage of AB2109, which would impair a parent’s ability to obtain a personal (philosophical) belief exemption to vaccination for their child. This should be a parent’s right, and California immunization act currently allows parents to make this choice. The requirement to obtain a doctor’s approval of this choice places an unnecessary burden on parents, who may not have access to a physician willing to sign such a waiver.
Mail or Fax your letter to:
Assembly Member Bill Monning
Chair, Assembly Health Committee
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0027
Tel: (916) 319-2027
Fax: (916) 319-2127
