ABC News Good Morning America Kate Snow interviewed Los Angeles dermatologist Dr. Jessica Wu about a new herbal supplement being introduced on the American market this summer that is reported to protect the skin from sun damage that can lead to skin cancer.Heliocare, a tropical fern extract used in Europe for decades to treat the skin conditions of psoriasis and eczema, comes in pill form and is taken daily.
Dr. Wu warns you cannot skip the sunscreen when spending time in the sun because the herbal supplement will not prevent sunburn.
"It gets into your blood stream and works from the inside out, as opposed to sunscreen which works from the outside in," explained Dr. Wu. "So this pill mops up the damage that gets past the sunscreen you might be wearing. It also repairs damage that is done to your skin that leads to skin cancer."
Heliocare is not recommended for pregnant women, nursing mothers, or children. Heliocare is expensive -- a bottle of 60 pills costs $60 dollars. I don't know why, but I was surprised when I watched this news story on ABC News. If something as simple as a fern extract can reverse sun damage to skin and reduce the risk of skin cancer -- and has been on the European market for decades -- why haven't we heard about it here in the US before now? I am not promoting this product -- I am just telling you what I saw on the news. ABC News.
You can watch the video of the news interview here.
1. RE: Heliocare: Sun Protection Capsule.
Response to Comments by Dalene Entenmann and Additional Information for Your Readers.
Dear "The Cancer Blog" Readers [and Ms. Entenmann]:
Darlene Entenmann is be congratulated on her interest in and comment on Heliocare, a breakthrough systemic(oral)sun protection product that only became available in the United States in December 2005.
I do not agree with her comment "Heliocare is expensive...." A bottle of Heliocare contains sixty capsules, a two month supply. The recommended Heliocare dose is one capsule per day, or approximately $1.00 per day for essential complementary sun protection [$2.00 per day if sun-exposed for 6-8 hours]. By comparison, a 6 oz. bottle of topical [lotion] sunscreen costs between $8.00 - $20.00; that lotion, if applied and re-applied properly per the manufacturer's directions [2 oz/every 2 hours, or after swimming], provides approximately 6-8 hours of sun protection.
This cost comparison is one of the "breakthrough" aspects of Heliocare.
In response to Ms. Entenmann's skepticism: "...why haven't we heard about it here in the US before now?". Heliocare [Polypodium leucotomos] was presented to researchers at The Harvard Medical School and The Massachusetts General Hospital in 1991. For over 12 years, some of the best dermatologists in the world performed the scientific research and clinical trials necessary to demonstrate Heliocare's efficacy as a systemic [oral] sun protection. This research effort culminated, in 2004 and 2005, in the publication of two clinical trial reports in the most prestigious dermatology journal in the world, The Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Heliocare became available in the U.S.A. in December 2005. Until heliocare's national product launch, and until Heliocare was formally presented to U.S. dermtologists at the March 2006 Convention of the American Acadamy of Dermatology, there was little media awareness and reporting (professional or consumer].
Since then, and because of Heliocare's proven clinical effectiveness and benefits to the patient, Heliocare has been widely covered by the media - - - hence, you are hearing about it now.
Many major print and broadcast media outlets have covered this capsulecwhich provides sun protection "from the inside out": not only the reports identified by Dalene Entenmann - - ABC World News Tonight and Good Morning America - - but also in major medical journals [Skin & Allergy News; Cosmetic Dermatology] many regional TV affiliatesl major print media such as The Wall Street Journal; U.S. News & World Report; Allure; Vogue; Prevention; the Los Angeles Times; etc. - - - one need simply "Google" the search term "Heliocare in the News" to view and read many of these.
Numerous, leading American dermatologists are now recommending Heliocare to their patients as effective sun protection and for the prevention of sun damage [e.g. wrinkles; sunburn]which topical sunscreens and lotins do not or only partially protect against [e.g. UVA skin damage].
As an example, one week ago, Dr. Joel Schlessinger, MD, President-elect, American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology and Aesthetic Surgery, stated: "Heliocare -- a pill taken once daily -- offers superb baseline protection and may make the difference between a burn and no burn for your child or yourself," said Dr. Schlessinger. "This product was developed at Harvard University and acts as a super-antioxidant to prevent and repair damage from sun exposure. While it's not meant to be used alone, it can help protect areas of the skin that may be missed while applying sunscreen."
Heliocare is a breakthrough sun protection product that is proven effective in protecting against sun damage. It is the result of over a decade of research by some of the world's best dermatology scientists and clinicians. Most importantly, heliocare will be helpful to the millions of Moms and Dads out there looking to protect their families and themselves from the sun's damaging power. For readers who want accurate information on this breakthrough scientific product, supported by extensive clinical study and serious peer review,please visit www.heliocare.com.
L. Scott Fitzpatrick
Posted at 10:29PM on Aug 25th 2006 by L. Scott Fitzpatrick