Most educational and government institutions around the world have a very poor track record when it comes to influencing the practical habits that keep their populations healthy. They say we are destined for disease depending on our genetics and biology without ever addressing some of the most significant determinants that shape our health.
1) What Your Skin Absorbs
Our skin’s production of vitamin D dramatically influences our health. It is influenced by age (people ages 65 and over generate only one-fourth as much as people in their 20s do), skin color (African Americans have, on average, about half as much vitamin D in their blood as white Americans), and sunscreen use (slather on sunscreen in the summer and you’re guaranteed to eliminate prime opportunities to soak in Vitamin D). Spraying toxic bug repellents, creams and other cosmetics influence your immunity. Children have a large body surface area and tender skin, making them more prone to cross-skin absorption. People over 65 tend to have thinner skin and have had years of exposure to sun, which also makes their skin absorb more of these chemicals. The last thing you should be doing after 60 is applying cosmetics, moisturizers (unless they are natural), makeup, and using conventional shampoos and conditioners. Researchers have discovered specific molecular signaling events by which vitamin D via skin production prevents inflammation. In experiments, many researchers have shown that low levels of Vitamin D, comparable to levels found in millions of people, failed to inhibit the inflammatory cascade–a series of rapid biochemical events which propagates and matures the inflammatory response within the immune system.
