Skin Deep - The Real Deal on Dermal Absorption

There is a growing population of skin care consumers out there that are ready to take the power back. Health concerns raised in the media are a powerful phenomenon that educate, inspire, motivate and frighten consumers. Especially when it comes to our health and the well being of our families. Many are resentful of the fear factor presented by the media as it is harmful, insensitive and more often misinformed (we have all learned from the latest H1N1 updates). Some are lead to believe that pretty much everything we are exposed to is going to result in cancer from every “expert’s” perspective. We all know that our bodies are genetically pre-dispositioned to proliferate cellular degeneration throughout the naturally occurring processes of aging (and, from the time of birth, we are all aging). Taking charge, are the masses of consumers who are tired of fear mongers who cry wolf and produce no qualitative evidence. I love the feel good campaigns, the ones that celebrate the intelligence and productivity of our species!

When it comes to our skin, it is time to take the power back. Be confident that skin is physiologically extraordinary and superior. Covering our body is the largest organ, your skin. We have 2.5 million sweat glands on our bodies; one square inch has 650 sweat glands, 65 hair follicles, 234 feet of nerves, 1250 pain receptors, 57 feet of capillaries, 19,000 sensory cells, 94 sebaceous (oil) glands, 13 cold and 78 heat receptors, plus immune (Langerhans) cells. Skin is adapted to protect us from environmental assault, but it is also designed to let things in as well. And this is a positive receptor that grants many health benefits.

Particularly, dermal absorption is an area of skin function that is sometimes misunderstood and misrepresented. Skin represents both an important physical barrier to absorption of toxic matter and simultaneously a significant portal of entry for healthful applications. It is a locus for the biotransformation and photochemical transformation processes that reduce the toxicity of substances. Yes, be aware of the substances you apply and limit exposure to the effects of the sun, but do not be over reactive or underestimate the capacity of the body’s largest organ.

Dermal absorption is a route of exposure to the healthy benefits of anti aging substances such as antioxidants and essential amino acids. Skin and its associated structures - hair, nails, sweat or sloughed cells are also a route of excretion of toxicants or their by-products. It is crucial to free skin of relatively harmless but useless environmental pollutants, slough dead skin cells, and provide the necessary nourishment and protection in order to maintain skins ability to rejuvenate because that is what it is designed to do.

Oxidative stress to the skin is a major cause of aging. The environment, as determined by the industrial age, UV light, air pollution even oxygen, cigarette smoke, and the effects of normal internal cell activity can cause a build up of destructive cells called free radicals. Healthy nutrients and antioxidants found in products rich in soy are central to maintaining cellular function as we age (and, from the time of birth, we are all aging). If they become damaged, they have difficulty protecting their interior structures, as well as letting the right substances in and keeping other substances out of cellular components. Using nutrient rich products containing anti-carcinogenic phytoestrogens and antioxidants found in soy and utilizing the effects of percutaneous absorption is a mode to reversing oxidative stress and strengthening the body’s immunofunction.

The body does produce its own antioxidants that help keep free radicals in check but the level of oxidative stress in which we live is beyond what the body can regulate. Therefore, we must treat our skin to create an external balance. Left untreated, the result of accumulated free radical damage results in accelerated aging. And I’m not talking wicked witch of the west skin melting but those perfectly acceptable but annoying premature wrinkles, allergic reactions, uneven skin tone, and the loss of skin elasticity. Let’s not overlook the genetic predisposition with which we were born either. With a positive attitude, healthful practices, your skin will not only look as healthy as you treat it (notice how I didn’t say “younger” – no false promises here) but your body will also be physiologically responsive like a well-oiled machine.

Melani

Fetal Cells in Skin Cream create anti-abortion fury

"a bit weird" says Toronto dermatologist

Are you a self proclaimed skin care junkie? Will you try anything for a fix? Is your taste for new cutting edge products a budget buster? Here's an skin care innovation certain to burst your bubble...

A Swiss company names NeoCutis uses aborted fetal cells in its skin cream. It claims that the scientific rationale is an attempt to replicate the extraordinary healing properties that fetuses have shown in prenatal surgery.

The cultures used in making NeoCutis's products containing fetal cells are cloned in a lab from the original donated cells from the parents of the aborted fetus and were previously used in research. A spokesperson from NeoCutis claims "there are no continuous donations". According to Dr. Shotnicki-Grant, a Toronto based dermatologist, "Cultured cell lines have been around since the 1960's. These lines are expensive and this is the line they (NeoCutis) bought".

Debi Vinnege, from God for Life, a Tennessee anti-abortion group that initiated a boycott campaign against these NeoCutis products says, "There's just no excuse for using aborted babies in skin care products". When asked about their effectiveness, Dr Jason Rivers, BC based dermatologist, claimed, "I don't think there is enough clinical data to decide."

Depending how experimental one wants to be in their quest for beauty, sounds like a product with a radical approach and according to some observers, a high price to pay. A 50 ml tube of Neo-Cutis Restorative Skin Cream with Processed Skin Proteins is available online in Canada for a cost of $160 and possibly many sleepless nights.

Eeeeww!

Melani

The Soybean

Elements of the Bean

Soy Protein

The protein in the soybean contains all of the essential amino acids necessary for humans and can sustain health at all stages of development.

Soy Oil

Soybeans, in comparison to other beans, grains and cereals, comtain a high amount of fat. Fortunately, the fat found naturally in the soybean, and that which ends up in soy by products can be categorized as a healthy fat.

Approximately 50 percent of the fat in soybeans is linoleic acid, a polyunsaturated fat and an essential nutrient. In addition, soy oil can contain as much as 8 percent alphs-linoleic acid which is an omega-3 fatty acid, the type found in fish which is bellieved to be beneficial in lowering risk of diseases. Extensive research indicates that omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and help prevent risk factors associated with chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and arthritis. These essential fatty acids are highly concentrated in the brain and appear to be particularly important for cognitive (brain memory and performance) and behavioral function.

Vitamins and Minerals

The major mineral components of soybeans are potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, and phosphorus. Mineral content can wu=idely cary due to both to the type of soil and growing conditions of the soybean. Soybeans contribute to over all nutritional well being.

The water soluble vitamins in soybeans are thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pnatothenic acid, biotin, folic acis, inositol and choline. Fat-soluble vitamins present in the soybean are vitamions A and E. Vitamin A exists as provitamin beta carotine and is present in higher levels of hte immature green vegetable soybean, than in the mature or dry soybean. Tocopherols are an important constituent of soy oil due both to the vitamin E supplied for human nutrition and the antioxidant properties of tocopherol that protect the oil.

Isoflavones

Soy isoflavones are not only special because of the effect they are believed to have on health, but also because for all the most potential to prevent or treat certain cancers. Isoflavones are also sometimes referred to as phytoestrogens (plant estrogens) because of their similar chemical make up to estrogen (although the estrogenic effect of isoflavones is weaker than the natural hormone).

In Soy...

• There are lipid soluble antioxidants which target lipid rich (fat-containing) parts of cells such as the cell membrane.
• There are aqueous or water-soluble antioxidants which protect the water containing interior portions of cells.
• There are intrinsic antioxidants which can be applied or ingested
• And there are intrinsic antioxidants which are present inside cells.

Soy Rocks.

Melani

The House That Soy Built

The House That Soy Built

Associated Press -- BROOKINGS, S.D. -- May 31, 2009 -- Munjal Patel, polyol research manager at Volga-based Urethane Soy Systems, spends all day in a lab trying to develop soybean oil into polyurethane applications.The company's research is making big strides, using soy-based polyols to create biorenewable products such as foam for insulation, packaging and cushioning, truck bed liners, and more. Now Patel is taking his work home with him - literally.

The researcher and his wife, Vaishali, are building an energy efficient home in Brookings, and they want their contractors to use as many soy-based products as possible, such as soy-based spray foam insulation, carpet padding and a countertop material product based on - you guessed it - soy materials. Besides spray foam insulation, the couple will install other efficient products, like doors, appliances and windows, and then plan to test the efficiency of the soy-based products and their home overall.

Patel, a five-year employee of Urethane Soy Systems, "With our technology, we can convert soybean oil into a polyol that could be used for any of those applications," he said. "Soy-based spray foam works the same way as standard polyurethane. At the end of the day it does give you an advantage, because now you are using soy-based material, and you know the amount of energy going in to grow the soybeans, crush the beans, make the oil and convert it into polyol, versus taking the crude oil out of the ground, convert it and make polyol. There's a good advantage there."

Soy-based polyol products are every bit as good as petroleum based products, and even better when you consider that they're more environmentally friendly. Some products, such as the spray-foam insulation, actually cost less than their competitors.

On the Net: http://www.soyol.com

Global Organic Market In Decline

Organic Market In Decline; Companies Add Broader Sustainability Strategies to Retain and Attract Consumers

Press Release -- LONDON -- June 2, 2009 -- Global organic food sales have been increasing by over US $5 billion a year, exceeding US $50 billion in 2008. However, single digit-growth could occur for the first time this year because the global economic slowdown is impacting organic product sales.

Organic food sales are being affected by the reduction in consumer spending power. Consumers are curbing expenditure on food products because of rising price sensitivity. Organic Monitor (www.organicmonitor.com) finds another factor affecting market growth is increasing consumer sophistication. Consumers are demanding more from organic food products; they are increasingly looking at ethical sourcing, traceability, the carbon footprint, sustainability and corporate social responsibility. Thus, the organic production method only partially meets rising consumer expectations.

Recognising the change in consumer behaviour, leading organic food companies are adopting ‘Organic Plus’ strategies. Such companies are going beyond organic and adopting highly ethical, ecological and sustainable business practices. Increasingly, these companies are marketing their organic products on these values.

Bioelectricity Promises More 'Miles Per Acre' Than Ethanol

Bioelectricity Promises More 'Miles Per Acre' Than Ethanol

Press Release -- Stanford, CA -- June 4, 2009 -- Biofuels such as ethanol offer an alternative to petroleum for powering our cars, but growing energy crops to produce them can compete with food crops for farmland, and clearing forests to expand farmland will aggravate the climate change problem. How can we maximize our "miles per acre" from biomass? Researchers writing in the online edition of the May 7 Science magazine say the best bet is to convert the biomass to electricity, rather than ethanol. They calculate that, compared to ethanol used for internal combustion engines, bioelectricity used for battery-powered vehicles would deliver an average of 80% more miles of transportation per acre of crops, while also providing double the greenhouse gas offsets to mitigate climate change.

Saving our souls with Soy.

Today, more than 963 million people are undernourished in the world. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the current financial and economic crises could tip even more people into hunger and poverty. UNICEF reports that undernutrition, including protein deficiency, is a major contributor to more than one-third of all deaths of children under age five. Hunger manifests itself in many ways other than starvation and famine. Long-term impacts of protein deficiencies include stunting in children and heightened susceptibility to illness of children and adults. The Soya Boutique supports the World Soy Foundation in a commitment to overcome world hunger.

Founded by North American soybean farmers, the World Soy Foundation (WSF) is a 501c3 organization that works collaboratively with humanitarian organizations, corporations, public and private foundations, international organizations, governments and individuals to deliver soy protein and nutrition education to people in developing nations. The WSF touches lives around the world with nutrition and health education. They focus on worldwide humanitarian efforts to feed, educate and measure the effects of soy in communities around the world offering support, soy products, funding and other resources to groups.

The Soya Boutique joins in efforts to bring innovative solutions to those who benefit most from our country's bountiful resources by spreading the word. Canada is world renowned for developing and implementing agricultural technologies, it's natural resource management and for it's thriving and profitable agricultural sector (50% of which consists of soy crops). So, The Soya Boutique wants to help relieve famine in key global areas with the nutrient rich and sustainable soy bean food source and esteems to put Canada on the map by joining forces with the major players who have the expertise and the corporate philosophies that can make a powerful impact on defeating world hunger. For more information and to donate to the cause click HERE.

Thank you for supporting the SOYCULT.

Melani