Sunscreen in a Pill

Reported November 2007

SAN DIEGO, Calf. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- For years you’ve heard about the dangers of sun exposure. Now, instead of just relying on sunscreen -- more help could soon come from a pill.

Timothy Marr is an extreme athlete -- an Ironman!

“It’s a long day and there’s so many things that can happen out there, that you have to be able to fight through mentally and physically, there’s so many challenges.” Marr told Ivanhoe.

Tim is quickly sprinting to the top of his game -- ready to prove he’s the best in the world. He plans to win the Hawaii Ironman in just four years.

“It’s a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and 26.2 mille run, it’s a long day. It’s the biggest race in the world,” Marr said.

It’s also a lot of time in the sun. With all the swimming and sweating … wearing sunscreen is nearly impossible. But a pill called Bio Astin along with sunscreen could help protect him from harmful rays.

“We are understanding how tissue damage occurs in the body at the molecular level that’s where the Bio Astin appears to work,” Robert Childs, M.D., anesthesiologist in Honolulu, Hawaii, told Ivanhoe.

UV rays can damage skin's DNA, increasing its risk of developing skin cancer. But dermatologists say that Bio Astin, also know as Astaxanthin, acts like a sponge absorbing UV rays. It also reduces pain and inflammation from sunburn. It's a powerful antioxidant, more than 500 times stronger than vitamin E and 10 times stronger than vitamin A.

"Astaxanthin exists primarily in the oceans," Dr. Childs explained.

It’s commonly found in red ocean plants and animals, including salmon. But you’d have to eat one to three pounds of salmon a day to get the same effect. Which for Marr wouldn’t leave much time for training.

"I want to be as good as I can, we’re given one chance … right now is the time for me,” Marr said.

The drug is not a cure all. Doctors say to be completely safe from the sun, it should be used with other sun protective measures such as sun glasses, hats, protective clothing, and sunscreen. There are no known side effects and it can be found at local vitamin stores or on the Internet.

Click here to Go Inside This Science or contact:

Nicole Nyarko, Public Affairs
Cyanotech
(612) 798-7213
nnyarko@mediarelations.com

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