Sunglasses and sunscreen lotions harmful?
I quit wearing sunglasses in 1976. Why? I’ll get to that in a moment. But now that summer is here, slather on the sunscreen, right? Better think twice. This article from Natural News came across my desk a week ago with the provocative pull-quote: “almost half of the most popular sunscreens on the market actually accelerate the development of malignant skin cancer cells.” Here’s an excerpt from: The cancer-causing sunscreen protection racket. Following that, I will provide more information on sunglasses and coatings on eyeglasses.
By Paul Fassa
For starters, there’s no real proof that sunscreens actually prevent most skin cancers. Yet your dermatologist is probably robotically advising you to slather on a toxic sunscreen as a proven skin cancer preventive.
Did your doctor mention studies showing that people who spend a greater percentage of their time outdoors have the lowest risk of melanoma?
For example, office workers have a greater melanoma risk than farmers, construction workers and even lifeguards! Based on population studies, melanoma rates are higher in Minnesota than Arizona, as well as higher in Norway than in the south of France.
Another pesky fact: Melanoma often occurs in dark places shielded from the sun, including the soles of the feet, the genitals, inside the nose and mouth, and under the fingernails.
The evidence indicates that those who spend more time in the sun without burning have less risk for melanoma than those who spend very little time in the sun. Countries where sunscreen is slavishly used like the USA have the greatest rates of skin cancer.
Dr. Marianne Berwick of the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center reviewed the top studies on sunscreens and cancer. Her conclusion: “There is no evidence that use of sunscreen at any age offers any real protection against malignant melanoma.”
Back in 2007, the FDA “tentatively concluded that the available evidence fails to show that sunscreen use alone helps [prevent] skin cancer.” In fact, malignant melanoma, the most deadly type of skin cancer, is on the rise despite years of wholehearted sunscreen use by the public; the number of melanoma skin cancer cases has tripled over the past 35 years.
The most common type of cancer in the United States is melanoma. Approximately 68,000 Americans are diagnosed with melanoma yearly, while another 48,000 are diagnosed with a type of early form of the disease. An additional 2 million people are treated for basal cell and squamous cell skin cancer yearly. Yet the annual death rate is less than 1,000. [End of excerpt]
The rest of the article and the author’s sources are here.
This article reminded me of why in 1976 I chose not to ever again wear sunglasses. (The only exception has been when I have to drive on a bright day having just had an eye exam where they put pupil-dilating drops in your eyes.) Other than that, I find that the way God created our eyes with automatic adjustment mechanisms to handle varying intensities of light works very well. Thank you, Father!
So after reading the sunscreen article I was prompted to pull the book off my library shelf which I had read in 1976. I re-read portions of it last night in order to be accurate before sharing with you. The book is called Health and Light, written by John Ott (1909-2000) in 1973. It is still available from online sources. It is a thoroughly fascinating story of this man’s search for answers, but I will focus only on one point.
Mr. Ott’s experiments convinced him that natural sunlight is very health-producing and that when we filter out certain wavelengths, we are causing harm to our health. He postulated that the sunlight enters our eyes and from there certain wavelengths stimulate the pituitary and pineal glands to produce various hormones which can effect everything from preventing arthritis to preventing cancer.
Not only are sunglasses a culprit in interfering with this natural chain of sunlight to hormones, but if you wear regular eyeglasses, the optician will usually tell you they are coating the lenses with a UV (ultraviolet) “protective” coating. In other words, the industry is under the mistaken impression that natural UV light is harmful and therefore they need to apply the coating to screen out the “harmful” UV light. Precisely the opposite is the case, argues Ott. Incidentally, many stores now carry “Ott lights,” so named because they provide full-spectrum lighting for indoor uses.
Enjoy the sun this summer…sans (French for “without”) sunglasses and sunscreens!
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. (3 John 1:2)