Vitamins D3 & B3 May Reduce Your Risk of Skin Cancer

If you’re like most people, you’ve probably listened to the advice from most dermatologists and public health officials to stay out of the sun to avoid skin cancer. Unfortunately, total sun avoidance is inadvisable, as it can actually increase your risk rather than lower it.

Vitamin D, which is metabolized when UV rays strike your skin, has been shown to reduce not only your risk of melanoma, which is the deadliest form or skin cancer, but also the most common types of cancer too.

According to Australian researchers, vitamin B3 (nicotinamide) may also offer protection for those who are prone to certain skin cancers.

Vitamin B3 May Reduce Recurrence of Some Skin Cancers:

As reported by NBC News: “The Australian researchers tested it on 386 people who had already been diagnosed with skin cancer - either squamous cell or basal cell carcinoma. These are extremely common and slow-growing cancers, much less serious than melanoma...

The volunteers took either two 500 mg vitamin B3 pills a day for a year, or a placebo. After a year, those who took the B3 were 23% less likely to have another cancer diagnosed...

The pills also reduced the numbers of pre-cancerous lesions called actinic keratosis. These thick, scaly patches of skin were reduced by 20% among the volunteers who took nicotinamide after nine months of treatment.”

Those who took nicotinamide started seeing results in about three months. However, the protection vaporized once they stopped taking the vitamin, so to reap the rewards, you’d have to continue taking it indefinitely.

It’s thought that nicotinamide works by helping repair DNA damage caused by excessive UV exposure, and by bolstering your immune system.
That said, at present the researchers only recommend the supplement to those who are prone to skin cancer. It’s still unknown whether it might confer protection against skin cancer among the general population.

Five Tips for Safe and Sensible Sun Exposure From Dr. Mercola:

You definitely want to be very careful and always avoid getting burned-- virtually all of the harm from sun exposure is related to sunburn—but you also want to avoid shielding yourself from the sun entirely. Here are a few tips to help you reap maximum rewards while minimizing your risks:

1. Expose large amounts of your skin (at least 40% of your body) to sunlight for short periods daily. If using a sunscreen, give your body a chance to produce vitamin D before you apply it, and be sure to select a non-toxic sun lotion that protects against both UVB and UVA rays. The Environmental Working Group offers a comprehensive “Guide to Sunscreens”

2. Stay out just long enough for your skin to turn the very lightest shade of pink, if you’re naturally light-skinned, or just a hint reddish if you’re dark-skinned. Shield your face from the sun using a safe sunscreen or hat, as your facial skin is thin and more prone to sun damage, such as premature wrinkling.

3. When you’ll be in the sun for longer periods, cover up with clothing, a hat, or shade (either natural or shade you create using an umbrella).

4. Consider the use of an “internal sunscreen” like astaxanthin to gain additional sun protection. Astaxanthin is a potent antioxidant (and pigment) produced by marine algae in response to their exposure to UV light. Typically, it takes several weeks of daily supplementation to saturate your body’s tissues enough to provide protection.

5. Consuming a healthy diet full of natural antioxidants is another useful strategy to help avoid sun damage. Fresh, raw, unprocessed vegetables and fruits deliver the nutrients that your body needs to maintain a healthy balance of omega-6 and omega-3 oils in your skin, which is your first line of defense against sunburn. Vegetables also provide your body with an abundance of powerful antioxidants that will help you fight the free radicals caused by sun damage that can lead to burns and cancer.

Read More