Vitamin confusion

[blutoski]

Sorry if I didn't make this clear. Yes, I know that. And I had read the quackwatch thing on antioxidants just quickly but it focused on diet. But I am surprised about the absorption, so I guess vitamins A, D, E and K can be absorbed through skin... hmm.

Oh, yes, absolutely. Again: the key is "fat soluble." The same principle applies with some familiarity to topical anaesthetics which can be rubbed on the skin, and produce numbness. You'll find that mouth/bowel and mucous membranes are permeable. Ambisol, for example, works much faster in the mouth than on skin. (I think this is lidocaine, but am willing to be corrected).

And then there's the whole category known as "balms," including Tiger Balm and the famous Ben-Gay. Both are primarily a menthol cream, and Tiger Balm also contains camphor. There are a thousand other like-products, probably.

 

[anor277]

[/geek-mode]

There are three routes of entry: Ingestion, Injection, Absorption.

Basic haz-mat awareness.

[\geek-mode].

Too, there are chemicals whose properties zip through skin without undue damage, hence their addition in transdermal patches.

If I've some time tomorrow I'll Google up some examples.

(Mmmm, almondy goodness).

Likewise, one may dissolve the chemical in a solvent which easily permeates the skin. The best example of this is dimethylsulfoxide, DMSO; it is known as doggy breath because it is metabolized as dimethyl sulfide (pretty smelly stuff). I have dissolved aspirin up in DMSO for aching backs.

On the other hand, if you are working with potassium cyanide in DMSO solution, you should take great care that the solution does not touch your skin.

 

[kellyb]

Sorry if this is off topic a little, but I'm interested in why hormones are so freakishly easily absorbed through the skin.

It seems like there's probably some obvious "reason", but I can't think of what it is.

 

[Globert]

Likewise, one may dissolve the chemical in a solvent which easily permeates the skin. The best example of this is dimethylsulfoxide, DMSO; it is known as doggy breath because it is metabolized as dimethyl sulfide (pretty smelly stuff). I have dissolved aspirin up in DMSO for aching backs.

On the other hand, if you are working with potassium cyanide in DMSO solution, you should take great care that the solution does not touch your skin.

That's the ticket.

 

[fuelair]

[/geek-mode]

There are three routes of entry: Ingestion, Injection, Absorption.

Basic haz-mat awareness.

[\geek-mode].

Too, there are chemicals whose properties zip through skin without undue damage, hence their addition in transdermal patches.

If I've some time tomorrow I'll Google up some examples.

(Mmmm, almondy goodness).

DMSO for one - which was easy to get and can carry stuff through the skinn. Turns out that's not all it can do so it's banned. (good reasons).

 

[Jekyll]

Turns out that's not all it can do so it's banned. (good reasons).

What are they? Whenever I try googling for DMSO I get swamped by all the advocacy pages (where DMSO cures cancer and makes you hung like a horse).

 

[fuelair]

What are they? Whenever I try googling for DMSO I get swamped by all the advocacy pages (where DMSO cures cancer and makes you hung like a horse).

A) Dogpile it (www.dogpile.com) Google is only one of many it searches.

B) Enter DMSO ban rather than just DMSO . Reason: DMSO give you first the sites that pay to get top listings or use various other tricks for same. DMSO ban gets many fewer of those - and the ones it does get at least mention the ban.

C)Go here - a pretty good statement of the situation (as I understand it):
http://www.thehormoneshop.com/msm.htm

 

[Eos of the Eons]

In recent studies, from the quackwatch link:

The fourth trial, which tested a combination of beta-carotene and vitamin A, was terminated after four years because it appeared that the supplement-takers who smoked had a 28% higher incidence of lung cancer and a 17% higher death rate [7].

Folks are hypothesizing the above happened because one way the body will fight cancerous cells is by oxidizing them. Take away that defensive system, and you have a higher chance of cancer taking root.

Problem is, it is unethical to cause cancer, so it's tough to test the hypothesis. If you are told that the study you are going to take part of is to show that you will get cancer by taking antioxidants, would you be so quick to sign up?

I'd like the sellers of antioxidant supplements to all sign up and take their products at varying levels to see at what threshold the cancer rates spike at. Then they can tell their customers what amount of antioxidants is actually safe to take.

 

[ponderingturtle]

Problem is, it is unethical to cause cancer, so it's tough to test the hypothesis. If you are told that the study you are going to take part of is to show that you will get cancer by taking antioxidants, would you be so quick to sign up?

This is fundamentally a problem with any vitamin, it is really easy to determine what doses of vitamin fix deficiency problems and which ones cause acute symptoms, but determining the optimum amount is very hard

 

[joobz]

Sorry if this is off topic a little, but I'm interested in why hormones are so freakishly easily absorbed through the skin.

It seems like there's probably some obvious "reason", but I can't think of what it is.

Because they are hydrophobic. Most hormones are variants of cholesterol. As such, they easily partition into cell membranes, a key feature of easily skin adsorbed chemicals.

 

[kellyb]

Because they are hydrophobic. Most hormones are variants of cholesterol. As such, they easily partition into cell membranes, a key feature of easily skin adsorbed chemicals.

Thank you!

 

[joobz]

DMSO for one - which was easy to get and can carry stuff through the skinn. Turns out that's not all it can do so it's banned. (good reasons).

I take it you read electric Kool-aid acid test?

 

[NeilC]

Consider -

How/why would the human skin have evolved such that it would benefit from the application of unexpected goop?

Not sure why this is relevant. We didn't evolve to brush out teeth but it helps prevent tooth and gum disease. We didn't evolve to absorb ibuprofen through out gut wall but it sure helps people with inflammatory diseases.

Re: vitamins on the skin. Some vitamins have chemical properties wider in range than their specific use in the human body - such as anti-oxident behaviour. Vitamin C might well act as an exfolient due to it's acidic properties. So it's possible they might have an effect. Whether it is an effect parallel to their internal use is another matter.