This is the second in a two-part piece that started last Sunday with ‘Sunscreen: Snake oil of the 21st century’.

WE know that sun exposure (without burning) can provide protection against melanoma. We also know that sunscreens offer no protection. But could they actually cause cancer?

The evidence is affirmative. To begin with, the greatest rise in melanoma has been found in countries where sunscreens are used the most. Of course, this only establishes a correlation. To identify a causal relationship, we have to dig deeper.

Here are four reasons why sunscreen can actually cause skin cancer (and other forms of cancer too).

1. Sunscreen blocks your production of protective melanin

Melanin is the pigment in your skin that is responsible for the tanning response. It is also inversely correlated with the amount of DNA damage that occurs due to excessive UV radiation. In other words, the tan produced by sunlight protects your skin from damage.

Sunscreen blocks your skin from producing this protective pigment. It prevents your body from employing its natural defence against overexposure to sunlight – a tan. If you use sunscreen regularly, you are more likely to burn without it.

There is no evidence that tanning is a risk factor for any disease. However, there is a lot of evidence that tanned skin – particularly during childhood and adolescence – provides protection against melanoma.

2. Sunscreen blocks your production of vitamin D

Vitamin D is highly protective against internal cancers. That’s why people who live closest to the equator (where UV exposure is higher) have lower rates of colon, lung, breast, and prostate cancers. But it also protects against melanoma. In lab experiments, vitamin D has been shown to cause melanoma cells to self-destruct.

Vitamin D is critical to your body’s anti-cancer defence system. And sunscreen can virtually eliminate its production. A sunscreen with an SPF of eight reduces your ability to produce vitamin D by more than 95 per cent. A sunscreen with an SPF of 15 reduces vitamin D production by more than 99 per cent.

It is beyond the scope of this discussion, but there are at least seven distinct ways that vitamin D fights and prevents cancer as documented in detail in the book published with Dr Al Sears, Your Best Health Under the Sun.

3. The chemicals in sunscreen promote cancer

Most commercial sunscreens use chemicals to absorb UV light. Unfortunately, most of these chemicals are carcinogenic. That means they’ve been proven to cause cancer – the very thing these products claim to protect against.

One of the most common chemicals used in sunscreen is known as PABA or padimate-O. PABA is essentially harmless in the dark. However, exposure to UV light causes it to attack the DNA within your cells.

One study that proved this was published in Mutation Research. It showed that when sunscreen containing padimate-O was used, it increased DNA damage 75-fold compared to the absence of sunscreen. Another study in Great Britain looked at the tendency of PABA to induce genetic mutation. The researchers stated: “Chemically speaking, it is identical to an industrial chemical that generates free radicals when illuminated… Our results suggest that some sunscreens could, while preventing sunburn, contribute to sunlight-related cancers.”

And, of course, this is just one of the common chemicals within sunscreen. There are at least half a dozen others that have been proven to promote cancer and disrupt your hormones.

Some of these chemicals mimic the effects of oestrogen in the body. This can also promote tumor growth and speed up the spread of cancer. And, that’s not all. These gender benders can also cause a decline in male sperm count, trigger early puberty in girls, lower fertility in women, and induce feminine characteristics in men.

A Swiss study published in Environmental Health Perspectives found five sunscreen chemicals that behave like oestrogen:

* Octyl-dimethyl-PABA (OD-PABA)

* Benzophenone-3 (Bp-3)

* Homosalate (HMS)

* Octyl-methoxycinnamate (OMC)

* 4-methyl-benzylidene camphor (4-MBC)

In laboratory testing, all of these chemicals cause cancer cells to grow more rapidly. And they can have a synergistic effect when they’re combined. Two “weak” oestrogen-mimics can produce a very strong response. These chemicals also penetrate the skin and enter the blood. That means they can exert their toxic influences throughout the body, especially when you follow your dermatologist’s advice to apply generous amounts every two hours.

4. Sunscreen does not block all the rays of the sun

For several decades, most sunscreens only blocked UVB rays. These are the rays that produce vitamin D. They are also the rays that cause sunburn. By blocking these rays, you could stay out in the sun for hours without burning.

But what the sunscreen manufacturers didn’t tell you is that their products did nothing to block UVA rays. While UVA rays don’t cause sunburn, they do penetrate deep into your skin. Prolonged exposure to UVA can cause cellular damage. It is also associated with wrinkles, premature ageing and skin cancer.

Without sunscreen, it would be difficult to stay in the sun long enough for UVA to cause damage. You would start to get sunburned, and for your own protection, you would either cover up or go indoors. But sunscreen “short circuits” your body’s natural protection instinct. This allows you to stay in the sun for long periods of time, fully exposed to UVA radiation.

Some sunscreen manufacturers now make “broad spectrum” sunscreens. These are supposed to protect against both UVA and UVB rays. But most UVA sunscreens only have a sun protection factor (SPF) of about four. Don’t count on sunscreens to protect you from UVA rays.

Understanding the REAL causes of skin cancer

The use of chemical sunscreen is certainly not the only cause of the rise in skin cancer.

The increasing rates of skin cancer are also related to changes in the human diet. Science proves that some foods – foods we eat in abundance – strongly promote skin cancer (and other cancers too). On the other hand, there are other foods which strongly prevent skin cancer. And these are in short supply in the modern diet.

When foods that promote skin cancer are eaten in excess and nutrients that prevent it are absent, the skin becomes far more vulnerable to sunlight. In other words, we have artificially raised our risk factors for skin cancer while simultaneously removing our natural defences against it.

So what precautions should you take?

Well, hiding from the sun certainly isn’t the answer. In fact, your optimal health depends on moderate sun exposure and the production of vitamin D. But, of course, you should never allow your skin to burn.

Use the common sense we used for eons. Get out of the sun before you start to burn. Seek shade when necessary. And if you’re going to be in the sun for longer periods of time, protect yourself with clothing and wear a cap or visor.

Thankfully, you can also find mineral-based sunscreens that are free of harmful chemicals. Some manufacturers tout titanium dioxide as an alternative to chemicals. But some studies show that titanium dioxide can also cause free radical formation DNA damage. Look for a chemical-free sunscreen that uses zinc oxide instead. It goes on thick… but it is safe and effective.

Dr Harvey’s Chiropractic Centres now offers chiropractic services in Montego Bay, and Sav-la-mar, and we have increased our service days and hours in Kingston, Portmore, May Pen, and Mandeville. Call today to secure your appointment with one of our offices. We welcome Dr Dahl and Dr Mallary to our team.

Don’t forget to “Ask Your Chiropractor” every week where your questions may be published and answered in subsequent articles. Address questions to: Dr Chris Davis, the Spinal Mechanic at movethebone@gmail.com; or, Dr Michael Harvey, director, at dr.michael_harvey@yahoo.com or visit www.drharveychiropractic.com and search for Dr Chris Davis on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.