The Paleo Diet - Loren Cordain [68]
Here are the keys to healthy sun exposure:
• Build up sun time gradually (fifteen minutes or less at first, depending on your skin color and ability to tan).
• Never let your skin burn.
• Where it is possible, take the sun year round.
• Use sunscreens at first to prevent burning; look for sunscreens that block both ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B sunlight.
• However, because sunscreens also impair vitamin D and melanin production, as your tan develops, you can gradually reduce the level of sunscreen protection.
Antioxidants
Although our bodies are basically the same as those of our ancient ancestors, we live in a vastly different world. The pristine, unpolluted Paleolithic environment no longer exists; we are regularly exposed to numerous toxic substances that didn’t exist 100 years ago. The food we eat, the air we breathe, and the water we drink contain minuscule residues of pesticides and chemical and industrial contaminants. These pollutants are inescapable; they’re even found in remote parts of Antarctica and Greenland.
Nobody knows the effects of a lifetime exposure to these noxious agents. However, it’s clear that a well-functioning immune system—bolstered by antioxidant vitamins and minerals—may help protect you from a variety of environmentally dependent cancers and diseases. The medical literature is overflowing with studies showing the potential of supplemental antioxidants to reduce the risk of heart disease and many cancers.
The Paleo Diet is exceptionally rich in antioxidants—even with no supplementation. It contains, on average, more than 500 milligrams of vitamin C (more than nine times the RDA), more than 25 IU of vitamin E (more than three times the RDA), and more than 140 micrograms of selenium (more than 2.5 times the RDA). Also, because this diet is loaded with fresh fruits and vegetables, it’s high in beta-carotene and many other plant substances (phytochemicals) that protect against many types of cancer. But for some antioxidants, it may be beneficial to supplement your diet. These include:
• Vitamin E: Many of the beneficial effects of vitamin E have been shown to occur with pharmacological doses that cannot be achieved by diet alone. Because vitamin E is completely safe and has virtually no side effects, daily doses between 200 and 400 IU may provide additional disease protection.
• Vitamin C: Here, too, you may want to bring your daily level higher than you could reach with diet alone. Daily supplementation of 500 to 1,000 milligrams has been shown to improve immune function, lower cholesterol, and reduce the risk of some types of cancer.
• Selenium: Selenium may be one of our most important allies in preventing or waylaying the cancer process. In a randomized, double-blind study (the “gold standard” in medical research) of 1,312 older people, selenium doses of 200 micrograms reduced the overall incidence of cancer by 42 percent and cut cancer death rates in half. The selenium content of fruits and vegetables varies greatly, depending on how much selenium was in the soil where the produce was grown. To make sure you get ample amounts of selenium, you would do well to supplement your diet with 200 to 400 micrograms a day.
Fish Oil Capsules
Some people just don’t like fish or shellfish, no matter how it’s prepared. If you’re one of them, I recommend that you take daily fish oil capsules. There are two active ingredients, both fatty acids, in fish oil that produce its many beneficial effects—eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). You should try to take 1 to 2 grams of EPA and DHA daily. Depending on the brand and the size of the capsules, you will need to take about four to eight capsules per day to get sufficient EPA and DHA. Regular fish oil supplementation will decrease your risk of cancer and heart disease and may reduce certain symptoms of