Benefits Of Vitamin A In Reducing Melanoma Risk

Promising findings on reducing melanoma risk have come from a new study that has found that one of the benefits of vitamin a supplements might be to offer protection against disfiguring, dangerous and sometimes deadly melanoma. Despite this, researchers are not suggesting you start taking vitamin A supplements, as this nutrient can be dangerous in high doses.

Vitamin A is found naturally in foods like carrots, eggs, milk, liver, spinach and sweet potatoes and plays a key role in our vision, bone health, reproduction, cell division and differentiation as well as helping to manage the immune system.

It's also known to help the skin and mucous membranes stay strong and keep out both bacteria and viruses. Surveys have found that most Americans get enough vitamin A in the diet, and deficiencies in this country are rare.

The researchers looking for a link between vitamin A and melanoma examined melanoma risk for 69,635 subjects who were 62 years old on average. After a period of six years, 566 had been diagnosed with melanoma.

For the 59,000 subjects who had never taken vitamin A supplements there were 506 melanomas, but for the 5,800 who were taking supplements and had used them regularly over the past decade, there were just 28 cases.

In fact, those who got additional vitamin A through supplements had almost a 40% less chance to be diagnosed with melanoma as those who didn't take such supplements.

The strange thing is, it was only the supplements that lowered the risk, not getting the nutrient from foods.

The reduced risk was more significant in women compared to men, and the protection was greatest in parts of the body that have frequent exposure to the rays of the sun. Women may benefit more than men because they are more susceptible to skin damage from UV radiation than men are.

The researchers are emphatic that the reduction in melanoma was associated with the supplements not the nutrient obtained from the diet. They know this because the protective benefits were only seen in those who were taking on board more vitamin A than can be found in commercially available multivitamin formulas.

And it was only the vitamin A, not carotenoids that brought the lower risk of melanoma. A carotenoid is a precursor (converted by the body as needed) to vitamin A - beta-carotene or lycopene may be names you know.

Other experts, not involved in the work, aren't surprised that vitamin A offers some protection against melanoma. The thing is, experts are quick to warn that the findings are preliminary and that excessive amounts vitamin A is a dangerous thing; it can bring serious risks such as birth defects, lower bone mineral density or liver toxicity, as well as troublesome symptoms like dry skin or hair loss.

The National Institutes of Health recommends a daily intake of 700 micrograms of vitamin A for women and 900 micrograms for men. Taking over 2,800 micrograms can lead to toxic symptoms.

Researchers speculate that supplements of this nutrient might have a place in high risk patients such as those who are fair skinned, have a history of sunburn or a lot of moles on their skin. For the rest of us, if you're concerned about skin cancer, be smart about the sun and supplement with a multivitamin that has the benefits of vitamin A as one of many nutrients. These people should also avoid the sun, use sun protection consistently and have an annual skin exam by a dermatologist.

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Vitamin D3, The "Sunshine" Vitamin

It's been said that "more" is better, but with regards to sunshine that "more" has been proven to have results we do not need. Sunshine is a vital part of our lives and to not have it means serious health problems. Too much or too little sunshine can lead to serious problems both inside the body and outside on the skin. While it's not always practical to depend on sunshine, it's difficult in our diets to get sufficient amounts of the vitamins it gives us. In these cases a vitamin supplement is needed.

Science has proven that the many benefits from taking a vitamin D supplement are practical. It is helpful in regulating blood pressure, boosting immunity, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes and osteoporosis. In addition to its role in bone metabolism, vitamin D has shown to help prevent or help a verity of cancers. Limited amounts of this vitamin can be obtained from the ultraviolet rays in sunshine, and a few minutes a day are sufficient while too many tends to destroy the vitamin and its benefits.

When you are young, getting skin cancer from too much sun can seem to be a small price to pay for that "fun in the sun" time. Some skin cancers take time to develop, but years later as we age we find ourselves having to go to a skin specialist to try to correct the damage we have received from too much sun. Limiting our time in the sun and being sure our skin is protected is necessary, and a vitamin D supplement will provide us with many internal and external health benefits.

Sometimes the cure for a disease can be worse than the disease itself, and this is often the case with cancer, both internal and external. Vitamin D studies show that this vitamin is important for preventing and treating many types of cancer. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends the safest way of getting vitamin D is from food or supplements, not the sun.

Prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays have been linked to skin cancer, skin aging and eye damage in the elderly who have a reduced ability to synthesize vitamin D from sunlight. There are two types of ultraviolet rays, UVA and UVB. The UVA rays are the rays that burn our skin while UVB rays pass through the outer skin layers and cause problems internal to the body.

Sunlight is our normal source for vitamin D and overexposure has been directly related to skin cancer. Currently there are several questions being asked as to the value of sunscreens, do they really block the ultraviolet rays and if so, do they also block the vitamin D from getting into the body. There are more than 2 million cases of serious skin cancer reported a year in the United States, and almost 20% of Americans will develop some form of skin cancer over their lifetime.

Fair skinned people need to take vitamin D supplements, and of the various types available, vitamin D3 has been found to be the most beneficial. It is estimated that 37% of people in the United States are currently taking vitamin D, but there is still an overwhelming majority that are suffering from a vitamin D deficiency. Some study's have shown that people with higher rates of vitamin D in their blood have been found to have lower rates of skin cancer.

Vitamin D3 Tablets provide all the health benefits this vitamin has proven to offer. Vitamin D is known as "the sunshine vitamin" for its ability to be helpful with many health benefits normally obtained through the sun. It has shown positive results in dealing with cancer and various skin conditions among its other accomplishments. These tablets are a dietary supplement as diets alone only account for very little vitamin D found in the blood.

Evelyn and Don are co-owners of Ladies Hair Care By ED where they offer a selection of all natural health & beauty products. With over 50 years as a licensed cosmetologist, Evelyn has selected the best all natural organic/herbal hair, health & skin care supplements available. Visit them at http://www.ladieshaircarebyed.com/ and discover the products they have to offer.

Vitamin D3 Tablets

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Skin Moles Associated With Melanoma

Generally, skin moles are harmless features on your body. However, do not deny that these skin moles are a cause for concern. Have you ever encountered the word 'Melanoma'? It is the medical condition of a person having skin cancer. There are so many factors that serve as promoting factors, to convert skin moles into a serious cancer. It is important to know what these factors are in order to steer clear of having skin cancer.

Some of the factors that can turn moles into melanoma include the presence of dysplastic nevus or the presence of more than 50 moles in the body. Having a lot of moles or dysplastic nevus does not automatically make one have cancer, though. But if you compare the chances of getting cancer of one person with a lot of moles and another with less, the latter will have lesser possibilities. This was also backed by scientific research.

A lot of research was also put on the other causative factors. Melanoma might also be associated with genetic factors. You may have melanoma, if you notice that it runs in your family. For instance, if you have your very close relatives like father, mother or siblings with skin cancer, then you might have a higher chance. In some families, there will be certain inherited diseases or disorders like xerodermapigmentosum. When that happens, melanoma occurrence is highly probably because of the skin's sensitivity to the sun. But there are a lot of wonderful remedies to remove them, so don't be too concerned. Thanks to the advancements in technology, complete mole removal is possible. Melanoma patients have successfully undergone laser surgeries.

Sensitivity to the sun sometimes does not come naturally to the skin. However, sensitivity can develop due to the use of certain antibiotics and drugs. Cancer tendencies can also be increased by the intake of some hormonal tablets. In these cases, you will experience having your immune system become suppressed. Thus you might end up having melanoma. This is not to cause unnecessary alarm to people with moles.

It is only meant to make people more aware and mindful of their moles. If they avoid the causative agents, melanoma can be easily prevented in future. The sensitivity to sun exposure is higher for those with very fair complexion. People with fair skin, blue eyes and blond hair have a higher chance. They need to be more careful, while traveling in summer. Moreover, if you have already developed one kind of melanoma, it is easier to get other associated kinds of melanoma. You may be aware of some people using sun lamps or tanning booths. People with moles who are under 30 years of age are warned by doctors against using these tanning booths. Avoid exposing your skin to them for prolonged periods of time.

I hope that this article makes you aware about all the indicators that show how a normal skin turns out to be cancerous. Again, they are not dangerous and benign. Generally, they do not pose any threat to humans. In fact, in some cultures, they are regarded as beautiful if found on certain parts of the body.

In order to understand a bit more concerning removing skin moles. Pay a visit to http://www.moleremoval.net/

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