Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Skin Whitening

Everybody admires someone with a pale skin tone. The very urge of flaunting a porcelain complexion no-doubt hovers around everyone’s mind at some point of his or her life.
Skin whitening
is a craze for every community around the world. Light skinned people epitomize demureness but due to harsh sun rays and other factors such as aging and environment, our skin suffers darkening.
The obsession for flaunting a lighter appearance is driving people crazy to take up extreme steps like skin whitening injections and laser resurfacing treatments. These techniques can be fatal if not executed properly. It has various side effects.
It is always advisable to perform natural and safe methods for attaining a whitercomplexion.
Glutathione is the key ingredient used by skin whitening injections that can easily pose dangers to your body. This ingredient can cause various deadly diseases such as liver damage, thyroid disorders and leukemia. It can also cause nausea, vomiting and stomachache.
What is GLUTATHIONE??
Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant that exists within every cell in the body. It’s used as a medical treatment, and its effectiveness in many medical conditions continues to be researched in ongoing clinical trials. Because it’s synthesized in the body from amino acids, it’s not an essential dietary nutrient–but the amino acid building blocks must be provided to ensure adequate levels of glutathione.

Definition

Glutathione is a protein that’s produced in the liver from three amino acids: cysteine, glutamic acid and glycine. It exists as a single molecule called reduced glutathione and as two molecules joined together, which is oxidized glutathione. These two forms are the key to its important role as an antioxidant.

Antioxidants

Within the cells of the body, many chemical reactions are at work to create energy, build and break down tissues. Although the reactions are responsible for essential products such as energy, they also create byproducts called free radicals that can interact with cell tissues and cause damage to the cell. Antioxidants grab the free radicals and render them harmless. The reduced from of glutathione is available to all cells in the body, ready to serve as an antioxidant to stop damage from free radicals. One example of this occurs in red blood cells where glutathione reduces peroxides. Without enough glutathione, the peroxide would attack the plasma membranes and the red blood cells would decompose.

Other Functions

Glutathione serves other critical functions. In the kidney, glutathione interacts with amino acids to transport them across the cell membrane and into the cell. It functions as an enzyme involved in the formation of deoxyribonucleotides, which are the building blocks of DNA. Glutathione joins with drugs to make them more water soluble. In this role, it’s essential for the detoxification of acetaminophen. It participates in the synthesis of leukotrienes, which are molecules that help regulate the immune response.

Supplements

According to information provided by Samuel Uretsky at the Gale Group, oral glutathione supplements don’t actually increase the levels of glutathione inside the cells. In fact, “supplements of vitamin C are more effective at increasing intracellular glutathione than taking oral glutathione supplements.
” Supplements of alpha-lipoic acid and whey protein also help improve intracellular levels of glutathione. They work by increasing the elements necessary to synthesize glutathione, especially cysteine. One example of the many studies showing this relationship was published in the Journal of Cystic Fibrosis in December 2003, in which Grey, Mohammed et al. demonstrated that whey-based products increased glutathione levels in patients with cystic fibrosis. Their conclusion said, “This nutritional approach may be useful in maintaining optimal levels of GSH and counteract the deleterious effects of oxidative stress in the lung in cystic fibrosis.”

Clinical Uses

In the same way that it detoxifies acetaminophen, glutathione is being used to reduce the toxicity of drugs used during chemotherapy. The Food and Drug Administration has classified it as an orphan drug in the treatment of lean tissue and weight loss related to AIDS. Clinical trials indicate its effectiveness is being or has been studied for a wide range of conditions–including cystic fibrosis, diabetes, neuropathy, different types of cancer (breast, lung, pancreatic), hepatitis C and autism.

Natural Skin Whitening Methods

  • You should perform regular cleansing and moisturizing for whitening your complexion. You should keep your skin hydrated by drinking lots of water. Weekly exfoliation can easily remove your dead cells.
  • Taking proper diet and rest can also stimulate the process of skin whitening. You should eat nutritious foods such as fruits and vegetables for flushing out toxins.
  • Protection from sunlight can easily promote skin lightening. You should preferably apply a good sun block with high SPF before stepping out of your home.
  • Apply bleaching cream and lotions to inhibit the production of melanin. You should preferably use meladerm for whitening your complexion. This cream contains natural ingredients such as lemon juice extract, licorice extract, emblica powder, niacinamide (Vitamin B3), kojic acid and Alpha-Arbutin.
Most people associate Vitamin C with fighting off cold and flu viruses, but one of its main functions is in skin health and the production of collagen. Collagen is responsible for wound healing, a healthy appearance, helps prevent wrinkles and aging of the skin, it’s also the glue that holds cells together so it’s extremely important for cell structure. It’s the main protein structure in connective tissue.
Collagen makes up about 30% of the body’s protein content.
We know that many women have collagen injections to help saggy under eye skin and to plump lips. It could be if those people added extra Vitamin C to their daily nutrient intake, they could avoid some of those costly injections. Collagen is also used to help reduce the appearance of scars and wrinkles.
Many bed-ridden patients suffer from bed sores and abscesses. A study at the Human Tissue Reconstruction Institute in Chicago conducted a test many years ago and concluded that Vitamin C is highly effective in treating these maladies when other conventional treatments didn’t work. Doctor’s prepared of poultice of simple and complex sugars along with Vitamin C and amino acids to treat the wounds once a day. These sores had shown no signs of improving by other methods but after these solutions were applied, patients showed almost immediate improvements. Complete healing still took time, but the wounds stayed cleaner and lost their foul smell within a few days. The patients who received this treatment also had less signs of scarring.
Another study conducted at the University of Genoa in Italy had patients who suffered from boils and abscesses that wouldn’t heal. After taking high doses of Vitamin C the patients recovered and many had no signs of skin ailments after a year.
Contain:
Vitamin C also known as, ascorbic acid.

VITAMIN C
Subcutaneous infusions of vitamin C should only be used for emergency situations, such as combating advanced cases of scurvy.
Injections are also an invasive procedure. It breaks the skin. The biggest danger from injections is not so much a dirty needle as it is dirty skin.
Needles can push bacteria and other contaminants that normally reside safely on the surface of the skin beneath the skin causing a nasty and ugly condition called orbital cellulites.
Cellulites is only treatable by intravenous infusions of antibiotics, takes a long time to cure, leaves nasty scars and can result in amputation if the infection travels to the bone.

If you eat a regular balanced diet (a good mix of fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains and meats) get enough exercise and rest and keep stress levels down, you do not need to take vitamin supplements.
The body’s absorption of vitamins through supplemental oral means (pills, liquids, gels) is minimal and most of the vitamins taken this way are excreted through urine and feces without ever being absorbed into the body.
Vitamin C injections regular dose of 1000 mg or more, are used in many third world countries for skin whitening or bleaching.
It is used mainly in places where the lighter your skin, the better your job and life opportunities are.
South Africa banned the practice almost 20 years ago and it has never been legal for use in the United States.

Ascorbic acid assists in the biosynthesis of many connective-tissue components. These are: collagen gene expression, elastin, procollagen secretions, fibronectin, proteoglycans, bone matrix and elastin-associated fibrillin.
Injecting vitamin C into the skin does not assist with this process.

Vitamin C comes is a couple of forms known as L-ascorbic acid and L-dehydroascorbic acid. It is critical in iron absorption, storage and movement.
If you look at the chemical matrix you will see how ascorbic acid reduces ferric iron to ferrous iron.
This reduces the amount of cell damaging oxygen in our bodies through oxidation of the iron. Too much vitamin C and your risk reducing the amount of oxygen our bodies need to survive.
Another risk factor, especially in older males, is that it can increase to toxic levels, especially for the prostate, the amount of iron stored in the blood.

You really only need about 5 to 10 milligrams a day of vitamin C.
Can you see the danger of regular 1000 milligram injections?
You are looking at over 100 times the amount your body needs n a day! While the body can typically get rid of an over abundance of vitamin C in its regular processes, can you imagine how you would overtax you bodies ability to remove waste by-products by over indulging?

About 5% to 10% of the total vitamin C content of fresh fruits and vegetables is comprised of dehydroascorbic acid. In the case of processed foods, dehydroascorbic acid makes up about 30% of the vitamin C content.
D-ascorbic acid (erythorbic acid or isoascorbic acid), the epimer of L-ascorbic acid, is frequently added to food as an antioxidant preservative.
Erythorbic acid has very low vitamin C activity.

The molecular formula of Vitamin C is C6H8O6. (Six atoms Carbon, 8 Atoms Hydrogen and 6 atoms Oxygen.)
It is a very organized and relatively stable crystal. But when you look at 6.022 x 10^(-23) you can begin to see where some carbon bumping will occur.
This is good for the most part in amounts the body can handle, but start exceeding this and where will the excess carbon manifest?

When taking 30 to 150 milligrams of supplemental doses of Vitamin C, 70% to 90% is absorbed. At doses up to about 500 milligrams, absorption still occurs but as the dose of supplemental ascorbic acid increases, the percentage of its absorption proportionately decreases.
At doses over 500 milligrams, absorption ceases, replaced by diffusion.
Storage then occurs in the pituitary gland and other areas of the body and its antioxidant properties are reduced.

Side-effects of large dose vitamin C intake.
Using Vitamin C in supplemental manners elevates it to the status of a drug and has commensurate side-effects.
Vitamin C derived from grapefruits and used in supplements can have even more detrimental effects.

-If you have or have had kidney stones taking more than the daily allowance of Vitamin C is dangerous.
-If you have renal system problems (serum creatine levels) also be careful of excess amounts of Vitamin C.
Because ascorbic acid plays an important role in iron absorbtion, an overload of vitamin C can cause problems in people with anemia, sickle cell anemia, hemochromatosis, erythrocyte G6PD deficiency, thalassemia, or sideroblastic.
-If you are pregnant, intending to get pregnant within six months, or nursing avoid high amounts of vitamin C.

In healthy adults the most common adverse reaction when taking oral doses greater than 3 grams a day are gastrointestinal. Symptoms are nausea, abdominal cramps, diarrhea and farting a lot.
This comes from unabsorbed vitamin C passing through the intestines.

Rare adverse reactions include elevated serum glucose levels in males, intestinal obstruction in females and esophagitis.
Antacids don’t mix well with high doses of vitamin C and can cause urinary track problems, usually of great concern to women. High dose aspirin can also cause problems when combined with high vitamin C use.
While some research suggests that vitamin C and its antioxidant properties can help prevent certain types of cancers, vitamin C supplements or high levels in the blood can counteract chemotherapy, thus interfering with the treatment of existing cancer.
Ascorbic Acid can increase estrogen inhibition of oxidized LDL formation, an important consideration for women entering menopause.
High doses in some research actually suggests an adverse effect on collagen. This is the glue that holds your skin to your body. Lose collagen and your skin starts to sag and wrinkle. Vitamin C is an important part of the chain that causes amino acids to coalesce into pro-collagen, the pre-curser to collagen.
In this process a molecule of ascorbic acid is destroyed. One reason why we need to continually ingest vitamin C. Once again, however, continuous mega doses can create problems in the collagen function.

Overall, vitamin C may be the most important and useful chemical reactive agent in our bodies.
However, like anything else, overuse and misuse is bad news.

Generally in healthy adults high amounts of vitamin C is not considered toxic.
The excess is passed through the urine without being used but can cause high stress on the urinary system.
Injecting vitamin C is a long-term effects that you may experience ten or 20 years down the line.

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