Melanoma, Sun, and Its Synthetic Defeat (Sunscreen)

As per the last post, this is courtesy of GrassrootsHealth. The particular presentation I’m highlighting is Skin Cancer / Sunscreen — the Dilema, by Edward D. Gorham, Ph.D., Frank C. Garland, Ph.D., Cedric F. Garland, Dr.P.H.
and Sharif B. Mohr, M.P.H.

Let’s jump right in with some graphical highlights.

Melanoma has been getting worse and worse, where? Indonesia? Brazil? Cuba? How about Tunisia — all places pretty close to the equator where the sun is powerful all the year long. Bzzzzt. Norway.

Picture 6

In fact, the father north you go in the northern hemisphere, or the father south you go in the southern, skin cancer rates go up.

Picture 7

Oh, well that’s because of the ozone, right. Bzzzzt. Wrong again. Looks like ozone thickness is higher at extreme latitudes.

Picture 1

The sunscreen manufacturers are doing just fine.

Picture 8

Really, really fine. The more money they make, the more melanoma, and the more calls go out to use more sunscreen. Excellent business plan.

Picture 9

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Richard Nikoley

I started writing Free The Animal in late 2003 as just a little thing to try. 20 years later, turns out I've written over 5,000 posts. I blog what I wish...from diet, health, lifestyle...to philosophy, politics, social antagonism, adventure travel, expat living, location and time independent—while you sleep— income by geoarbitrage, and food pics. I intended to travel the world "homeless," but the Covidiocy Panicdemic squashed that. I became an American expat living in Thailand. I celebrate the audacity and hubris to live by your own exclusive authority and take your own chances. ... I leave the toilet seat up. Read More

15 Comments

  1. Monica on December 30, 2008 at 17:23

    Wow. Isn't melanoma correlated with either UVA or UVB? And burns with the other wavelength? And aren't we are protecting with sunscreens against the wavelength causing burns and giving us vitamin D, but not against the wavelength causing cancer? Double whammy.

    I haven't looked into the sunscreen issue as I never put on sunscreen anymore unless I'm out in the sun for hours on end on a beach — and I live at high altitude to boot. I do not seem to burn terribly and now seeing these graphs I'm glad I don't use sunscreen adn take plenty of cod liver oil to boot in winter.

    Yikes.

  2. Richard Nikoley on December 30, 2008 at 18:07

    It's a whole new world, Monica dear. Finally, people with just a bit of cleverness and attitude are putting the "health columnists" to shame.

    You know: rotten fruit, vegetables, and eggs — my usual mantra.

  3. Scott Miller on December 30, 2008 at 18:30

    Great post. I've read through all of the fitness entries in your blog and I'm impressed. You're doing a great job spreading the paleo lifestyle message. I've been on this bandwagon for about eight years, and at 47 I'm in athletic shape, low bodyfat, never sick, exceptional health markets. I get a kick telling people who ask me for my secret: Eat fat! I tell them I eat a high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb diet. Plus, zero grains. I also love to mention I eat coconut oil by the spoonfuls. This goes so against anything they've ever been told they just can't to grips with it and think I'm a genetic freak. haha

  4. Richard Nikoley on December 30, 2008 at 20:15

    Scott:

    First, I know we've got a lot to take in from you (I read your original entry at Art's). Please, please feel totally welcome to spread your knowledge. I have been spouting "escape velocity" since 1990 (did you ever read any Neo-Tech — Frank R. Wallace — which is where I apprehended the concept?).

    Yea. I love getting those quizzical, born in total ignorance stares when I tell people of my diet practices.

    Any pics?

  5. jean on February 8, 2009 at 21:29

    I have several women friends who go through several bottles of SPF 30 in a year and make quarterly visits to their derm to take off basal and squamous cell lesions. I cannot convince them to STOP using the sunscreen. They seem to think I'm nuts. They have throughly indoctrinated.
    Since I have been at 5,000iu a day (almost a year), I have had no sunburns, few new wrinkles (at 60 yrs old), and the little scalies have gone. Plus, I get a nice tan.

  6. Richard Nikoley on February 9, 2009 at 08:03

    What a great illustration of mind-blowing modern ignorance.

  7. Ricardo on August 19, 2009 at 23:37

    Sunscreen is VERY important -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfq_A8nXMsQ

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  10. Mary on June 29, 2010 at 04:44

    Call Linda at 772-349-4638 to ask her about her home made all organic oil skin treatment that prevents sunburn while allowing tanning. The last I bought was $16. per bottle. My skin is great and I have a tan for the first time in 30 years. ( I do add a little spf 50 to the tops of my shoulders on a very bright day when I’ll be out in the sun for an extended length of time as I have fair skin.)

    If you take the risk and send her a check she’ll mail you the oil.

  11. Mike on July 8, 2010 at 04:12

    Keep in mind – medicine is getting much better about diagnosing and catching melanoma.

    The question is whether the increasing” incidence” is from better awareness and better diagnosis – as this trend is happening for many diseases.

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