nutritional protection from uv rays

The Importance of Sunglasses
For some, sunglasses are an extension of their personality, for others a fashion accessory and for many just a practical instrument to keep the sun out of their eyes. However you view your sunglasses, protecting our eyes with sunglasses is part of general eye care which has become a necessity in this day and age.
When buying a pair of sunglasses, it is important to buy a pair that gives 100% ultra-violet (UV) protection or has a reading of UV400. UV400 means that the sunglasses blocks out all rays that have a wavelength up to 400 nanometers, which includes all UVA and UVB rays.
The Different UV Rays
Experts differentiate between four types of harmful rays:
UVA rays: These are low energy, almost visible rays and can pass through the eye and reach the eye’s lens and retina. UVA rays are also linked to cause cataracts and macular degeneration.
UVB rays: A slightly higher energy ray, mostly blocked by the earth’s ozone, but some UVB rays still reaches earth. UVB rays are responsible for the darkening of the skin when we are exposed to sunlight.
UVC rays: Very high energy rays and is blocked by the earth’s ozone layer, however, with the damage to the ozone layer, it could potentially allow some UVC rays to reach earth. These rays can cause serious damage to our skins and eyes.
High-energy visible rays (HEV): Often also referred to as ‘blue light’. These rays are visible light and can penetrate deep into the eye and cause damage.
Apart from blocking 100% of the UV rays and absorbing the HEV rays, it is also important for sunglasses to wrap around your eyes in order to avoid any stray light to enter around the sides of the glasses. This is especially important when you are in areas where there is much reflection, like snow covered areas and beaches or swimming pools. Wearing a wide brimmed hat can also increase UV protection of the eyes.
People are often mistaken when they think that UV rays are not present when it is overcast. Although UV exposure in overcast weather is minimized, it is still as harmful. The colour of your sunglass lenses does not matter when it comes to UV protection.
Contrary to popular belief, the most UV damage to your eyes occurs before the age of 20 years. This is due to the fact that children spend much more time outdoors than adults and their eyes are more sensitive and not as capable to filter light. It is therefore imperative that children start to wear sunglasses at an early age, especially when on sandy beaches and snow covered areas, as reflection of UV rays is just as harmful as direct exposure.
The Importance of Diet and Nutrition
Assist your children in forming healthy eye care habits by encouraging them to wear For healthy eyes, antioxidants are vital. Vitamins A, C and E are the three most important ingredients in your diet for eye health.
Vitamin A – This vitamin is important for healthy cells in the retina and is essential to eye care. A vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of night blindness and it plays an important role in preventing cataracts and Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD).
Best sources for Vitamin A: Liver, beef, chicken, egg yolk, milk products, yellow and orange fruit and vegetables such as carrots, mangoes and sweet potatoes
Vitamin C – This truly is the wonder vitamin. Not only does it help with keeping your immune system strong, it also does wonders for your eyes. As with vitamin A, it assists in delaying the onset of Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and cataracts. More importantly, it assists in the prevention of glaucoma and pressure relief for glaucoma sufferers.
Best sources for Vitamin C: Citrus fruit, sweet peppers, broccoli, strawberries
Vitamin E – Apart from being good to prevent heart diseases, vitamin E also aids in the prevention of cataract formation and growth.
Best sources for Vitamin E: Raw nuts, sunflower seeds and oil, wheat germ oil

Apart from these three very important vitamins, you eyes will also benefit from the following:
Selenium and Zinc that assist in antioxidant absorption. Nuts, yeast, seafood and wheat are good sources of Selenium and Zinc
Lutein and Zeaxanthin, found in leafy green vegetables or yellow and orange fruits and vegetables have been proven to reduce cataracts.
Fatty acids found in oily fish and bioflavonoid found in berries.
By following a balanced diet, your body should be able to absorb all of these vitamins and mineral. However, with busy and stressful lives, we sometimes neglect our diets and require supplements to fill the gaps in our diets. Make sure that you choose your supplements carefully and preferably with the advice from your health care professional.

Summer Skin Care: Get your vitamin D in moderation!
What's the largest organ of your body? Your skin, of course. The skin is more than a shell that covers our bones, tissues, and organs. It serves as a barrier against infection and injury, regulates our internal temperature, produces vitamin D, removes waste products from our body, shields us against the sun's radiation, and provides us with a sense of touch.
Our skin has 3 main layers, the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous fat tissue that protects our inner tissues from the harshness of the outside world (Fig. 1). The epidermis is the translucent (allows light to partially pass through it), thin, outside layer. The epidermis has 4 or 5 microscopic thin layers that do not contain blood vessels; it gets its oxygen and nutrients from the deeper layers of the skin. Underneath the epidermis lies the dermis, a thick layer composed of connective tissues containing nerves, lymphatic tissue, blood vessels, hair follicles, sweat glands, and sebaceous glands. Beneath the dermis is a layer of subcutaneous fat. The subcutaneous fat lies on our muscles and bones and attaches the skin structure using connective tissues.
Care for our skin should be one of our top priorities, but sadly it is often neglected. Many of us neglect our skin through unprotected sun exposure, putting us at risk for skin damage, immune system suppression, and even cancer.
Sun safety We all need sun exposure; it's our primary source of vitamin D, which helps us absorb calcium for stronger, healthier bones. However, it doesn't take much time in the sun for most people to get all the vitamin D they need. After that, the risk of over-exposure can begin. Most children get between 50% and 80% of their lifetime sun exposure before age 18, so it's important for parents to teach their children how to safely enjoy fun in the sun.
Sunlight consists of 3 types of ultraviolet (UV) rays: UVA, UVB, and UVC (Fig. 2). UVA rays are most common and cause skin aging and wrinkling. Tanning beds usually use UVA and are not safer than the sun. UVB rays cause sunburns, cataracts, immune system damage, and contribute to skin cancer. UVC rays are the most dangerous; but fortunately, they are absorbed by our ozone layer; and therefore, can't harm us.
UV rays react with the pigment melanin in most people's skin. This pigment is your first defense against the sun. It absorbs dangerous UV rays before they do serious harm. The lighter your natural skin color, the less melanin you have to absorb UV rays. A sunburn develops when the amount of UV exposure is greater than what can be protected against by the skin's melanin. Both light- and dark-skinned individuals need protection against burning.
You should talk to your doctor or pharmacist about any medications you are taking that may increase your skin's sensitivity to UV rays. Many medications, prescribed and over-the-counter, increase sun sensitivity. Extra precautions are necessary in these situations.
Once burned If you are sunburned, stay in the shade until the burn is healed. Take a cool bath to alleviate pain. Try pure aloe vera gel on the burn and take acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain control. Apply topical moisturizer cream to rehydrate the skin and help reduce swelling.