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Barking Up The Right Tree — Introducing Pycnogenol
Now that the long, hot summer has drawn to a close, the toll of excess sun exposure may be appearing on your face and body.
Hyperpigmentation is one of the negative effects of chronic overexposure to sunlight, which also plays a role in skin aging and the development of skin cancer. In fact, it is UV radiation that is the main environmental factor that causes human skin aging. Fortunately, a new generation of anti-inflammatory, antioxidants can help counteract these problems.
The Sun + Hormonal Imbalances
Human skin, like other organs, undergoes chronological aging; however, unlike other organs, our skin is in direct contact with the environment. Even worse, our face and hands are the two areas that do not have protection from clothing, exacerbating the problem.However, it is not just the sun exposure at fault. Hormonal imbalances and other factors also contribute to the loss of radiance, uneven skin tone and skin discolorations; ongoing problems that worsen with each passing year.
Lightening the hyperpigmentation and skin discolorations has always been a challenge to many dermatologists, including myself. Many of the most popular substances used for this purpose are either ineffectual or potentially dangerous.
Introducing Pycnogenol®
I was immensely pleased to learn that there was another option, a superior antioxidant known as Pycnogenol, a natural plant extract originating from the bark of the maritime pine tree, which grows exclusively along the unspoiled coast of southwestern France. Perricone readers know that antioxidant act as natural anti-inflammatories, and inflammation is a key factor in the vast majority of skin problems.
Repair and Renew with Protein
Don’t forget your protein. Protein is key to cellular repair and the days that we don’t get enough protein are the days at which our aging is accelerated. Protein foods will also give you a boost in alertness and your ability to concentrate—perfect for focusing on important mental tasks.
Dr. Perricone’s Favorite Anti-Inflammatory Recipes: Broccoli Parmesan
I love cooking broccoli and find this broccoli recipe a real treat. Its easy to make and the lemon and parmigiano cheese add the perfect blend of flavors to the broccoli.
broccoli (about 1 pound)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano – look for cheese aged 2 years for optimum flavor
1 organic lemon, juiced
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Trim the ends of the broccoli stalks and cut into spears.
Place the broccoli In a glass or ceramic baking dish lightly rubbed with olive oil.
Drizzle the rest of the olive oil over the broccoli and add salt and pepper to taste.
Gently toss to evenly coat each broccoli spear.
Bake for about ten minutes.
Remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle the cheese over the top.
Bake another ten minutes until the cheese melts and forms a lattice over the broccoli.
Remove from oven, using a spatula, gently lift broccoli onto a plate and drizzle the the fresh lemon to taste.
Alpha Lipoic Acid Essentials – The Universal Antioxidant
Recent studies have shown ALA is an even more powerful antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory agent than previously thought; however, therapeutic amounts can only be obtained from supplements, because it is almost non-existent in foods.
Alpha lipoic acid is unique among antioxidants because it is soluble in both fat and water. This gives it the ability to penetrate the lipid or fat soluble portions of the cell, such as the cell’s first line of defense, the cell plasma membrane. In addition, it can also penetrate the watery portions of the cell, known as the cytosol. Because ALA can protect both the fat- and water-soluble parts of the cell, scientists have named it the “universal antioxidant.” ALA is found as part of an enzyme complex in the mitochondria that converts food to energy, it is also known as the “metabolic antioxidant.” Diseases of aging are caused by the damage and inflammation that result from free radical damage to the cells. Since ALA can protect all portions of the cell, it is ideally suited to help prevent the diseases of aging and the signs of aging in the skin…
All About Supplements
Nutritional supplements have come a long way from the minimal, “one-a-day” multivitamins of past generations. Now we have highly targeted antioxidants, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals that can do everything from sharpening our brain power, repairing our bodies on a cellular level, increase the burning of body fat, regulate blood sugar and insulin, increase muscle [...]
Essential Fatty Acids
The omega 3 essential fatty acids are particularly important and the best sources are the aforementioned cold water fish and fish oil capsules, with nuts and seeds as the second best source. However, omega-3 is not the only type of essential fatty acid necessary for good health. Also important are the omega-6 and omega-9. All [...]
Causes of Sun Damage
Ultraviolet radiation (UV) Everyone recognizes that chronic overexposure to sunlight plays a role in skin aging and the development of skin cancer. UV radiation is the main environmental factor that causes skin aging and makes us need a wrinkle cure. While human skin is like other organs, it is the only one in direct contact [...]
Essential Fatty Acids
The omega 3 essential fatty acids are particularly important and the best sources are the cold water fish and fish oil capsules, with nuts and seeds as the second best source.
However, omega-3 is not the only type of essential fatty acid necessary for good health. Also important are the omega-6 and omega-9. All are needed to form and maintain the structural and functional integrity of cell membranes, provide fuel for cellular energy and create the hormone-like messenger chemicals, the prostaglandins and the eicosanoids, which regulate many key metabolic functions.
Because the body cannot make these essential fats, we must obtain them from our diets. This is a lot easier said than done. For one thing, many of us consume a low ratio of essential fatty acids compared to our intake of saturated fatty acids, such as those found in full fat dairy products and meat (we all know that saturated fats are pro-inflammatory and are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease).
Unfortunately, when most of us do consume essential fatty acids, they tend to be omega-6, which is found in grains and vegetable oils such as corn and safflower. In fact, very few of us are getting the proper ratio of omega-3 to omega-6, which may account for the growing prevalence of serious health conditions like heart attacks, cancer, asthma, lupus, schizophrenia, depression, accelerated aging, ADHD, Alzheimer’s disease, metabolic syndrome, obesity, and diabetes in our society.
This imbalance upsets the proverbial fat-metabolizing apple cart. An overabundance of omega-6 is inflammatory and interferes with the body’s ability to use omega-3s—a serious situation because of the positive effects of omega-3s we talked about earlier: They inhibit the calories we consume from being stored as body fat, while promoting the burning of body fat we already have. It is believed that humans evolved with a 1:1 ratio of omega 3 to omega 6. It is now believed that the Western diet is 15:1 or significantly greater with the omega 6 intake far surpassing the omega 3 intake. To prevent disease and to look and feel your best, drastically limit intake of omega 6, eliminate all refined vegetables oils other than extra virgin olive oil and increase your intake of the omega 3’s.
Tomorrow we’ll discuss the best food choices to get your Omega 3s and Omega 6s.
Tier Two: Nutritional Supplements
Antioxidants = anti-inflammatories Dr. Perricone recommends a variety of unique nutritional supplements in addition to the complete spectrum of vitamins and minerals recommended by nutritional experts worldwide (B-complex, Vitamin E, Vitamin C Ester, Calcium, Magnesium, etc.). His research has shown that nutrients that possess anti-oxidant properties act as natural anti-inflammatories. These nutrients offer anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, [...]
Barbecue Tips
Barbequing food can create AGEs. As we know AGEs lead to wrinkles and sagging skin, for which we will desperately need a wrinkle cure. However, there is good news – we do not have to give up the fun of barbecuing. We can still barbecue and reduce our risk of creating toxins if we follow [...]
