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Thu Sep 02, 2004 8:39 pm  |
Got this in an e-mail newsletter from Dr. Susan Lark and thought some of you might find it interesting. Dr. Lark writes books on natural hormone balance, but this newsletter is on skincare. She does give websites for some of the things she recommends, but they are not things she sells. At least, not yet. I think she says she's working on a skincare supplement to come out in a few months. The info is good though, whether you try the ingredients she recommends or not. I have no affiliation with Dr. Lark other than reading her info and passing on what seems good.
Most of the things she talks about here are things I'd not heard of, so thought it would be of interest to check out. 
You do have to know that she believes in working on your skin through proper nutrition and she does make a comment about "slathering yourself with lotions." I just figured it could be good to know nutritional approaches while I keep "slathering myself with lotions" too! 
Dr. Lark's newsletter:
It’s undeniable—we all want beautiful, flawless skin, regardless of how old (or young) we are. Unfortunately, a lifetime of sun, wind, improper nutrition, hormonal changes, and stress can take its toll, causing dryness and wrinkling. So to achieve the skin we desire, we slather ourselves with lotions, creams, and cleansers that promise to erase years off our faces. However, these products are only part of the solution. What many women don’t realize is that the real secret to great skin is not just what you put on your body, but what you put in it.
Moisture is a Must
Hydrating your skin helps keep it soft, smooth, and supple. So how do you get the moisture you need? It’s in the right essential fatty acids (EFAs). Two EFAs I’m particularly excited about are krill oil and cranberry seed oil.
Incredible Krill
Derived from tiny shrimp called Antarctic krill, krill oil is an essential fatty acid complex that’s a unique source of omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9 fatty acids, as well as naturally-occurring phospholipids and antioxidants, including vitamins A and E, and astaxanthin.
Krill oil’s fatty acid and phospholipid content can help provide moisture and hydration to your skin. In fact, a study conducted with Neptune Krill Oil showed that when used as a supplement, it had a positive effect on skin health and physical appearance, and helped improve hydration.
Additional studies suggest that, when taken orally, krill oil has a photo-protective effect, helping to protect the skin from UV-induced skin redness.
Cranberry Craze
Cranberry seed oil is the only dietary oil with a naturally balanced 1:1 omega-3 and omega-6 profile. This is important for the absorption of essential fatty acids in the skin, which naturally decline with age. Research has shown that a high concentration of omega-3 boosts the vitality of your skin.
Cranberry seed oil can provide powerful protection against UV rays and free radicals, helping your skin maintain its youthful appearance. And an interesting fact—cranberry seed oil is unique in that it contains natural antioxidants that help to keep it fresh for years.
Repair Collagen
“Build and repair collagen” seems to be the newest catch phrase in skin care these days. Found in the dermis (the inner layer of the skin), collagen is the major structural protein that gives blood vessels their strength and integrity. Over time, the dermis begins to thin, and collagen starts to break down. This causes lines and wrinkles on the outer layer of skin.
So how can you repair and build collagen in your skin? Proline, vitamin C, and citrus bioflavonoids may be the answer.
Proline is important because it’s the main amino acid found in collagen. In fact, 15 percent of collagen is made up of proline. And, proline is one of the main building blocks of elastin, which is responsible for skin’s elasticity. However, proline doesn’t work alone. In order to actually produce collagen, it requires another important component—vitamin C.
Studies indicate that the older your skin is, the less it’s able to create collagen as compared to newborn skin. However, adding vitamin C enhances the skin’s ability to make collagen. Vitamin C also works synergistically with another crucial element—citrus bioflavonoids. Bioflavonoids are a class of water-soluble plant pigments that support health as antioxidants. In studies, bioflavonoids have been shown to protect collagen.
Arm Yourself with Antioxidants
Antioxidants are the body’s defense system against free radicals—a by-product of our energy-producing efforts. Free radicals are highly reactive forms of oxygen that are missing an electron. When they come into contact with normal molecules, they try to steal an electron, damaging the healthy cell and its DNA.
Free radical damage has long been believed to be a risk factor of many degenerative aging processes, including wrinkles. Antioxidants fight free radicals by gobbling up as many as they can and deactivating them, preventing them from doing damage.
Believe it or not, the olive has powerful antioxidant properties. This is why I’m such a huge fan of olive oil. Interestingly enough, only 15 to 20 percent of the olive is actual oil. More than 50 percent of an olive is juice (olive pulp extract). Once considered a by-product of olive oil production, this juice is where substances called polyphenols—known for their antioxidant properties—are found.
Hydroxytyrosol is the main polyphenol extracted from olive pulp extract. It has been shown to have the highest free radical scavenging activity ever reported for a natural antioxidant. Healthy subjects given oral doses of olive pulp extract found the antioxidant capacity of their blood plasma increased as the dosage increased. And, animal studies have shown that supplementing with olive pulp extract helps prevent UV damage and helps keeps skin in its normal, healthy state.
My Recommendations
Unfortunately, at this time there is no single product that contains all these nutrients. However, the good news is, I have been able to combine them all into one convenient product, which should be available early next year. In the meantime, you can purchase several of these products individually. For Neptune Krill Oil, call Source Naturals at 800-401-9186 or visitwww.discount-vitamins-herbs.net. To purchase olive pulp extract, try Olivenol from Life’s Vigor— 661-589-1818 or visitwww.lifesvigor.com.
As far as cranberry seed oil, it’s difficult to find as a stand-alone product, but I did find one company that sells it—Natural Oils International, Inc. (805-433-0160 orwww.naturaloils.com). Since cranberry seed oil is usually found as part of a larger product, individual dosage information may be hard to come by. However, I recommend 430 mg.
As you can see, nourishing your body from the inside out can hydrate, protect, and even repair your skin. So instead of using handfuls of lotion to moisturize, or expensive cosmetics to hide your wrinkles, turn to nature to discover the secret of beautiful skin.
Here’s to your health!
Susan M. Lark, MD
Hope this helps someone work on beauty from the inside out!
JUDY |
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Looking young never grows old! |
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Fri Sep 03, 2004 1:28 pm |
I have to say I don't believe in the arctic krill oil... Mostly because you have to have a vast amount of krill to produce any oil, it spoils easily and most krill that is fished is sold too japan.
Other han that we all know we are what we eat, and an unhealthy diet will show on your skin eventually. |
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Fri Sep 03, 2004 2:03 pm |
Thanks Aurora for that insight. I was totally unfamiliar with the krill oil. However, I read these articles all with a grain of salt and with an open mind. I'm not necessarily a "follower" of Dr. Lark's, but she has gained a certain amount of respect in the area of women's health.
Come to think of it, there is another person who could give an evaluation of these ingredients and I'll ask her about it. Dr. Betty Kamen was the first female Ph.D. in Nutrition in the U.S. She's a best selling author and speaker and a foremost authority in homone balance and nutrition. I've talked with Betty many times and had her as a speaker at events. I'll bet if I e-mail her that article and ask her opinion, she'll give a well researched, knowledgeable opinion. Will keep ya'll posted. 
On the one hand, the fact that Dr. Lark is going to be coming out with a product containing all these ingredients, could say that her article was more sales pitch than solid advice. 
On the other hand, with the advancements in technology, who knows if they may come out with a whole new way to extract the krill oil. Every ingredient started out as new at one time. 
Best we can do is research what we can, try and test things and see what works for us, hoping that we didn't waste money in the process! 
JUDY |
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Looking young never grows old! |
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Fri Sep 03, 2004 2:28 pm |
Hello JudyMarshall,
Thank you for sharing this wonderful article with us. I do not think it was a sales pitch. I'll tell you why. I have believed for so long that all the lotions and potions we pay so highly for (and I am guilty of this)and put on our faces cannot do all they claim to because of the simple fact that they do not reach the deeper layers of the skin (where wrinkles form.) What does? Good nutrition, vitamins and minerals. They are the building blocks to good health and good skin. If all the wrinkle erasers worked as well as they claim to then why do so many women still resort to invasive procedures such as botox and plastic surgery?
I truly enjoyed this article and believe in the soundness of the information.
Thank you. |
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Fri Sep 03, 2004 7:46 pm |
Another very important nutritional element that can help skin greatly is an enzyme blend. The purpose of enzymes for our body is to repair and protect. So, a lack of enzymes can result in the skin aging more quickly than it should. Actually, the entire body ages more quickly than necessary, but we're in a skincare discussion here.
We are all born with an adequate supply of enzymes meant to last our entire life. However, our American diet is very deficient in enzymes so the body doesn't get what it needs and has to constantly draw on that enzyme store that we were blessed with at birth. After years of drawing on the enzyme store, we can deplete our supply, so our digestion is poor, which means we don't absorb necessary nutrients sufficiently and our bodies don't have the ability to repair and protect. 
Basically, the only way to get enzymes from our diet is to eat 80% raw fruits and vegetables. That also keeps the body alkaline instead of acid. Our body being in an acid state also ages us faster than necessary. 
What would have prevented this is our eating more raw fruits and veggies all throughout our life so that our enzyme store wasn't depleted.
At this point, we must take supplemental enzymes to restore our ability to properly digest and absorb nutrients, enabling our bodies to once again repair and protect itself.
May not be easy to do, but the result is priceless! 
JUDY |
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Looking young never grows old! |
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