By Dr. Jean-Jacques Dugoua, ND

The warm weather brings the need for the great outdoors. You’ve gathered your tent, sleeping bag and the rest of your gear and you’re headed toward the pristine paradise of Mother Nature. Sure, you’ve brought the first aid kit, but what about the supplements that may help you stay healthy while camping?

Sunburn
Sunburn is the burning or discoloration produced on the skin by overexposure to UVB (Ultraviolet B) rays from the sun. Researchers have found that taking green tea reduces the numbers of sunburn cells, skin redness and DNA damage. Studies have also shown that antioxidants protect the skin from sunburn by offsetting the damage produced by UV rays. The combination of vitamin C and vitamin E have significant protective effect against UV rays.

Burns
Be careful around the campfire. Fire safety, both for your own health and for the prevention of forest fires, is an important part of camping that cannot be stressed enough. What can you do when you get a burn? Topical application of aloe vera gel has been shown to improve healing time following a burn. Arginine has also been shown to be effective in treating burns. A randomized, controlled clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the immune function of patients given arginine orally. The researchers observed that arginine improved the recovery of immune function and protein function in partial-thickness burn patients.

Enjoy the great outdoors.

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