By Robert Schinetsky

We’ve been told for years (going on decades now) that fish are one of the healthiest foods to eat, largely due to their benefits regarding brain and cardiovascular health.[1,2]

However, new research indicates it is possible to have too much of a supposedly “good” thing.

New research published in Cancer Causes & Control notes an association between higher fish intakes and an increased risk of melanoma.[3]

The study followed 491,000 Americans (ages 50-71) over the course of 15 years and noted that the 20% with the highest intake of fish had about a one-quarter higher risk of developing melanoma.[3] Additionally, during the evaluation period, over 5,000 participants were diagnosed with malignant melanoma,  and almost 3,300 developed melanoma in situ (stage 0 where ​​cancer cells have breached only the epidermis).

Individuals in the top group typically ate about 43 grams (1-½ ounces) of fish per day.[3]

One puzzling finding from the research was that individuals who reported eating more non-fried fish or canned tuna had an increased risk of malignant melanoma while those who ate a lot of fried fish actually had a decreased risk.[3]

You’d think that fried fish would be associated with poorer health outcomes (particularly in regards to cardiovascular health, but those metrics weren’t assessed in this particular study).

Researchers posited that the type of fish may have been a contributing factor to the increased risk of melanoma. In addition to tracking total fish intake, researchers also collected data on the amount of tuna consumed by the participants.

Tuna, while considered a “healthy” fish option, is also one of the fish varieties known to have a high mercury content.

Previous research has also shown an association between higher blood levels of mercury and nonmelanoma skin cancer.[4]

What Is Mercury & Why Is It Harmful?

Mercury is a toxic metal that can be found in the environment in three different forms:

• Elemental
• Organic and
• Inorganic

Inorganic mercury has a lower liposolubility, which results in a lower absorption and reduced passage through the blood–brain barrier (BBB).

Interestingly (or perhaps alarmingly), mercury ranks as the third most toxic element on the planet, according to the US Government Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.[5]

Mercury is also highly reactive, and high mercury levels in the skin can act as a reactive oxygen species (ROS), especially when exposed to UV-light.

Additionally, excessive intake/accumulation of mercury may cause oxidative stress and cell death as well as result in the damage of the[6]:

• Kidneys
• Liver
• Gastrointestinal tract
• Cardiovascular system
• Reproductive system

Animal studies also have found that mercury-related compounds can cross the placental barrier and causes changes in the fetus.[7]

Key Takeaways

Based on this latest research, you may consider rethinking the type of fish you regularly eat as well as how it is prepared.

Research finds an association between Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) exposure and risk of melanoma.[35]

PCBs are synthetic chemicals that were originally used in electrical equipment and as additives to paint, plastics, and various other products. These chemicals have leached into the water supply and are found in a considerable majority of farm-raised salmon locales.[36]

EPA and DHA (the two main omega-3 fatty acids) intake has been shown to have a substantial protective association against melanoma.[35]

As such, opt for fish low in mercury (e.g. wild Alaskan salmon) and limit your intake of high mercury fish (e.g. tuna, shark, swordfish, etc.)

Additionally, researchers on the study recommend baking or steaming your favorite fish rather than deep-frying. It may also be helpful to consult any of the readily available databases online for low mercury content fish.

For these reasons (and many others), we favor a Mediterranean diet, which is naturally rich in polyphenols as well as healthy fats from olive oil (monounsaturated fats) and fish (omega-3 fatty acids). What’s more, these polyphenols and other antioxidants (along with EPA & DHA) are protective against melanoma.[37]

To further protect your body from the numerous environmental stressors that lay waste to eat each day, it can be helpful to invest in a high-quality hair, skin & nails supplement. And no, we’re not talking about the litany of products on the market that contain subclinical doses of buzzword ingredients (biotin, collagen, etc) in a few pills. These sorts of products are nothing but a cash grab.

The reality is that there are several ingredients that can support and nourish your hair, skin & nails as well as defend your cells from environmental toxins…but they require dosages that far exceed those attainable with capsules.

That’s why Advanced Molecular Labs has developed Hair, Skin & Nails Cocktail, supplying 24 grams (24,000mg!) of active ingredients. Every serving of Hair, Skin & Nails Cocktail is loaded with a powerful synergistic blend of antioxidants, detoxification agents, and other key nutrients to protect your cells and fortify those processes responsible for defending and rebuilding the body’s most essential structures.

What’s in AML Hair, Skin & Nail Cocktail?

Collagen

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body, providing essential structural support for the hair, skin, nails, connective tissue, bones, joints, and ligaments. It is basically the “glue” that holds your body together.

For a time, the body does a great job of naturally synthesizing collagen; however, as the years tick by, collagen production declines, leading to slower wound healing, thinning hair, achy joints, and more.

Supplementing with collagen has been shown to be an effective way for stimulating collagen production in the body.

AML Hair, Skin & Nails Cocktail supplies over 17 grams of collagen from a combination of hydrolyzed bovine collagen and VERISOL bioactive collagen peptides.

In no particular order, collagen supplementation has been found to:

• Improve skin elasticity, moisturization and smoothness[8,9,27]
• Reduce wrinkles[8]
• Decrease activity-related joint pain[10]
• Aid the recovery of lost cartilage[11]
• Strengthen tendons and ligaments[12,13]
• Increase lean body mass in elderly men and premenopausal women[14,15]

Recent studies find that animal collagen can activate collagen synthesis and inhibit collagen degradation, recovering the imbalance of collagen caused by UVB-irradiation.[16]

Keep in mind that the primary cause of photoaging and skin cancer is excessive UVB exposure.

Added Vitamin C!

AML Hair Skin & Nails Cocktail also includes a robust 1,500mg of vitamin C (a powerful antioxidant) that is known to enhance collagen synthesis, particularly when used in conjunction with collagen peptides.[17]

Eggshell Membrane

Eggshell membrane contains a variety of bioactive components, including hyaluronic acid, that benefit the growth, development, and appearance of the hair, skin, or nails.

Research shows that daily supplementation with 450mg hydrolyzed eggshell membrane (the same dose in AML Hair, Skin & Nails) was associated with improvement in the appearance of facial skin and hair thickness.[18]

N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC)

N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) is an improved (i.e. more bioavailable) form of L-Cysteine.

It serves as a precursor compound for the “master antioxidant” in the body, glutathione, and NAC, itself, possesses so alluring benefits as well.

For starters, NAC has been shown, alone and in combination with selenium, to help detox mercury and increase mercury excretion.[19,38]

NAC also offers protection from radiation-induced skin damage including photo-aging, photocarcinogenesis and radiation dermatitis.[20] Additional studies also find that NAC may protect melanocytic nevi (moles) from the oxidative stress resulting from acute UV exposure.[39]

In case you weren’t aware, a significant portion of melanomas develop from moles.[40]

To top it off, cysteine is the most abundant amino acid in keratin (the protein that accounts for 95% of hair). NAC in combination with Vitamin C has also been found to help protect skin and hair from UV light.[21]

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an essential fat-soluble vitamin that also functions as a potent antioxidant.

Chronic excessive exposure to UVB light causes oxidative damage to the skin, which can lead to[22]:

• Wrinkling
• Skin thickening
• Erythema
• Edema
• Increased incidence of skin cancer or precursor lesions

Various studies suggest that vitamin E can play a key role in skin health, due to its antioxidant capabilities, thus contributing a reduction in the frequency and severity of pathological events in the skin.[22,23]

Vitamin D

Commonly referred to as the “sunshine vitamin”, vitamin D is another fat-soluble vitamin essential for healthy living.

Vitamin D plays a key role in hormone production as well as the body’s immune defense capabilities.

Unfortunately, vitamin D is one of the most common micronutrient deficiencies around the world.

Our bodies can naturally synthesize vitamin D when exposed to enough direct sunshine (hence its moniker as the “sunshine vitamin”) but most people don’t get enough sun exposure on account of concerns about UVB-induced skin damage and/or a lifestyle that has them spending increasingly greater amounts of time indoors.

Vitamin D supplementation (using D3, cholecalciferol) is an effective means for supporting the body’s vitamin D requirements.

Polyphenols

Polyphenols are a large group of organic compounds (including various flavonoids, tannic acid, and ellagitannin), which have gained increasing notoriety for their health-promoting properties. 

Found in high amounts in grapes and red wine, polyphenols can donate electrons or protons to reactive oxygen species (ROS) and act as scavengers.

Research also finds that resveratrol and other polyphenols found in grapes may aid defenses against UVB-mediated skin damage and offer some unique anti-aging benefits as well.[24,25,26]

Silicon

Silicon is the third most abundant trace element in the human body, and it is believed to be critical for optimal collagen synthesis as well as activating hydroxylating enzymes, thus improving skin strength and elasticity.[28]

Choline-stabilized orthosilicic acid is a bioavailable form of silicon that has been identified as potentially beneficial due to some animal research finding that it increased the hydroxyproline concentration in the dermis -- hydroxyproline is one of the key amino acids of collagen.

Human studies found that 10mg of silicon from Choline-stabilized orthosilicic acid (the same dose included in AML Hair, Skin & Nails Cocktail) had “a significant positive effect on skin surface and skin mechanical properties…”[29]

Zinc

Zinc is an essential mineral that participates in hundreds of biological processes, including:

• Immune defense (e.g. natural killer (NK) cell activity)
• Wound repair
• Reproductive function

The average diet may not be low in zinc; however, phytic acid (a compound found in plant foods) is the main known inhibitor of zinc, reducing/impairing its absorption which can, in turn, lead to low zinc levels.[30] FYI, 33% is accepted as the average zinc absorption in human.[30]

Zinc deficiency is known to result in:

• Impaired cognitive function
• Behavioral problems
• Impaired memory
• Learning disability
• Growth impairments

 Zinc supplements have been found to be effective for supporting daily zinc intake recommendations.

Additionally, zinc also possesses antioxidant activity and has been found useful in preventing UV-induced damage and reducing the incidence of malignancies.[31]

Zinc has also been used for various dermatological conditions including warts, acne vulgaris, rosacea, melasma), and neoplasias.

Selenium

At the beginning of this article, we discussed how mercury may contribute to the development of skin-related diseases. In fact, mercury has been a known problem since the 1970s.

In addition to NAC, selenium has also been evaluated for use in the instance of mercury poisoning, aiding in detoxification.[32]

For instance, selenium (as selenium selenite) has been added to bodies of water (lakes) and effectively reduced mercury levels in the water.[32]

Human studies have also found that selenium, by itself as well as in combination with NAC, may be beneficial in combating mercury toxicity.[19,33]

Animal studies note that selenium may prevent mercury from accumulating in nerve cells, thereby limiting dysfunctions of the nervous system and muscles which are early signs of poisoning.

Selenoproteins also work as antioxidants that protect the thyroid gland against free radicals and inflammation.

Meta-analytic data also indicates that selenium levels are associated with several skin diseases and the disease severity.[34] Moreover, high selenium levels are considered a protective factor in certain skin diseases.[24]

Takeaway

Mind and body health is under relentless attack on a daily basis from a mixture of emotional, physical, and environmental stressors.

Regardless of the form of stress they all tax the body’s inherent repair and recovery mechanisms.

In addition to lifestyle modifications (diet, exercise, sleep, and stress management), proper supplementation should be considered.

When it comes to selecting the best supplement for healthy hair, skin, and nails, there’s no better option than AML Hair, Skin & Nails Cocktail!

Each serving delivers 24 grams of premium-quality, research-backed ingredients to detox, defend, and nourish your cells. This amount of active ingredients simply cannot be crammed in a single capsule or two.

Countless skin supplements on the market claim to exert maximum potency and effectiveness, but it’s simply not possible based on the sheer number of ingredients and their corresponding dosages that need to be used.

Another matter of concern with these skin pill scams is the excessive doses of biotin.

Biotin (vitamin B7) is an essential water-soluble vitamin that plays a role in energy production as well as skin health. Due to this (and it being incredibly cheap), many supplement companies put egregiously high doses of the vitamin in their hair, skin & nail supplements.

However, excessive biotin can create errors with blood work, leading healthcare practitioners to misdiagnose and mistreat their patients.[41]

AML Hair Skin & Nails includes an appropriate dose of biotin (300 micrograms) to support the body’s requirements while not adversely impacting potential blood tests.

At the end of the day, AML Hair, Skin & Nails cocktail is the most scientifically-based formula on the market, including clinically effective dosages! You can’t get this in one pill!

Click here to learn more about AML Hair, Skin & Nails Cocktail, and why it’s the premier option on the market!

©Published by Advanced Research Media, Inc. 2022
©Reprinted with permission from Advanced Research Media, Inc.

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41. https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/biotin-supplements-may-interfere-with-test-to-diagnose-heart-attack