Weekend News

Sunscreen and medicinal aloe vera

Don't use sunscreen in your first 20 minutes in the sun.

Why?

Every living system on the planet moves toward the sun. Plants, animals, bacteria. Life doesn't fear sunlight — it depends on it.

And then there's us — hiding inside buildings, covering up, slathering on layers of SPF 50 even when we're indoors, because some cosmetician or influencer funded by sunscreen brands told us so without asking questions.

We were told the sun is dangerous. Avoid it. Block it.

But here's what no one's telling you:

The research on avoiding the sun is much more concerning than the research on sun damage.

The study no one talks about

A Swedish study spanning 20 years followed almost 30,000 women.

It found that women who avoided sun had a life expectancy similar to smokers.

And the group with the highest sun exposure had significantly lower rates of cardiovascular disease and lived longer overall.

Read that again.

Avoiding the sun carries a mortality risk similar to smoking.

And not only that — vitamin D deficiency has been linked to every disease or health issue we know — from digestive issues, weak immunity (you or your kids sick a lot?), all the way to cancer.

Did you know most of the population in Israel — a sunny country — is vitamin D deficient?

Vitamin D is one of the most essential components in the human body. It's not really a vitamin in the classic sense — it's a steroid hormone the body can produce when exposed to sun. It plays a central role in:

• Mineral absorption: vitamin D is the key allowing the gut to absorb calcium and phosphorus. Without enough vitamin D, the body absorbs only 10–15% of dietary calcium.
• Immune regulation: vitamin D affects innate and acquired immune response. Studies show it helps reduce inflammation and supports T cells and natural killer (NK) cells in fighting infection.
• Mental health and brain function: vitamin D receptors are found in brain regions responsible for mood regulation. There's an established link between low levels and seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and depression.
• Gene expression: vitamin D affects the expression of over 200 different genes, making it a central regulator of cellular renewal.

When UVB rays hit the skin, they convert cholesterol to vitamin D3.

That's why we want cholesterol in our bodies. That's why statins are damaging on so many levels. That's why what you eat matters so much.

And that's why you don't want to use sunscreen in your first 20 minutes (if at all) — because sunscreen blocks UVB and the body can't make vitamin D.

Even though we live in sunny areas, vitamin D deficiency is very common due to modern lifestyle (staying indoors most of the day).

Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency: chronic fatigue, bone and muscle pain, hair loss, slow wound healing, and frequent infections.

The sunscreen problem

Most conventional sunscreens contain chemicals like oxybenzone, avobenzone, and octinoxate.

These are known endocrine (hormone) disruptors. They're absorbed through the skin, appear in the blood within hours, and have been found in urine samples and breast milk.

So you're blocking one input (UV) while adding another (synthetic chemicals that interfere with your hormones).

If you need sunscreen, switch to mineral-based: zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. They sit on the skin instead of being absorbed.

How to work with the sun, not against it

Drop the seed oils. Removing seed oils from your diet reduces inflammation and maintains high antioxidant activity — which actually lowers your chance of burning.

Your diet changes how your skin responds to sun.

Build your tolerance gradually. Your skin adapts to UV exposure over time through melanin production. Start with short exposures and increase slowly.

Get morning sun first. 10–15 minutes within an hour of waking, no sunglasses.

Know your skin. Fair skin needs less direct sun, dark skin can absorb more. Neither needs zero exposure.

Never abuse the sun. Respect your limits, limit time in the sun, cover up before you burn, use shade and clothing once you've had enough for the day.

The goal is consistent, conscious exposure — not "frying" yourself.

Sunlight is an input your body was designed to receive. Stop treating it as a threat and start treating it as what it is — one of the most basic requirements for human health.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of what you should know about the sun. The world scares people about the most important source of energy for health and free human consciousness.

---

Aloe Vera

Familiar with the aloe vera plant? The one people use after a burn?

Beyond using the gel for its cooling effect, there's a more interesting story — about a molecule called acemannan.

Long before aloe became a marketing label in skincare, researchers were examining this unique molecule for a more interesting purpose: the ability to communicate with the immune system at the cellular level.

Published studies found that purified acemannan promotes the maturation of dendritic cells — front-line messengers of the immune system that help activate T cells more effectively.

And then came the familiar pattern…

Research momentum slowed, funding quietly vanished, and pharmaceutical development moved toward compounds that could be more broadly commercialized. The discussion around acemannan gradually slid out of the spotlight.

Studies on acemannan in the 90s (like those by Carrington Laboratories) showed it acts as a powerful natural adjuvant.

In vaccine manufacturing, an adjuvant is a substance added to a vaccine to "wake up" the immune system to respond more strongly to the antigen (the weakened or killed virus). Without one, sometimes the body doesn't react and the immune response is too weak.

In the animal-vaccine world, acemannan has actually been approved for use as a substance that helps the immune system fight certain viruses — proving that the biological mechanism works. This molecule knows how to talk to the immune system.

Why isn't it in human vaccines?

Aloe is a plant. You can't patent a plant.

Pharma companies prefer to develop synthetic adjuvants (like aluminum, which is toxic to the human body) that they can patent and sell exclusively.

But when you look at acemannan not through the syringe but as a nutritional component, the idea is self-modulation: instead of waiting for a strong external stimulus, we give the immune system the tools to communicate better between its cells on an ongoing basis.

Acemannan demonstrates how nature produces molecules that streamline our system without aggressive synthetic intervention.

It puts power back in our hands — to support the immune system from the inside through quality raw materials.

But the real problem: not all aloe products are actually aloe

One of the most disturbing findings in the aloe industry came when independent tests reported that gels from major brands sold in big retail chains showed no identifying signs of acemannan, malic acid, or glucose — the markers used to identify real aloe.

In other words, many consumers were buying maybe a bit more than water, stabilizers, and fillers in a green bottle.

This is critical because acemannan is widely considered one of the compounds responsible for the valuable biological effects of aloe. Without it, many of the benefits people expect from aloe simply won't be there.

Aloe benefits beyond treating burns

1. Skin restoration and hydration. Aloe gel is rich in water-binding compounds that soothe dry, irritated, or sun-exposed skin. Supports the skin barrier and may help improve softness and elasticity with regular use. 2. Immune system support. The most fascinating benefit is the potential for immune communication via dendritic cells. 3. Digestive and gut support. Many use inner-leaf aloe juice to support digestive comfort. Its mucilaginous compounds may help soothe the digestive tract, especially during irritation. 4. Wound and tissue repair. Aloe has long been used to support minor cuts, abrasions, and skin pressure. Natural polysaccharides and moisturizing compounds help create an ideal environment for skin repair. 5. Antioxidant plant compounds. Aloe contains beneficial phytonutrients, enzymes, and antioxidant molecules that may help support healthy aging and protect tissues from oxidative stress.

Inside this desert plant lies an extraordinary natural compound — when sourced properly.

The only effective way I know of using aloe is by using it directly from the plant.

If you want the real benefits, quality is everything.

Look for: medicinal aloe vera in nature / gardens near you, or order from organic produce sellers. The fresher and less processed, the more likely it'll retain the beneficial polysaccharides.

Important

When you go directly to a real aloe plant in a garden (or in a pot), you get the real deal, with no preservatives or industry dilutions.

But there's a critical issue of safety and knowledge — not everything in the leaf is edible. Here's the right way to consume aloe directly from the plant:

1. The critical step: removing aloin.

Between the green skin and the clear gel, there's a sticky yellow layer. That's aloin — a very harsh laxative that can cause severe abdominal cramping and intestinal irritation.

After cutting a leaf at its base, stand it in a cup or container of water for a few minutes. You'll see a yellow-green liquid flow out. Then rinse the leaf.

2. Peeling and isolating the inner gel.

We want only the clear, clean inner gel.

• Cut off the thorny edges on both sides of the leaf
• With a sharp knife or peeler, remove the top green layer
• With a spoon, gently scrape the clear gel from the bottom skin

Important notes:

• Plant identification: make sure it's Aloe Barbadensis Miller. There are hundreds of aloe species; some are ornamental only and not for consumption.
• You can photograph and ask ChatGPT if it's edible.
• Sensitivity test: the first time, apply a little gel to your skin or taste a small amount to check for an allergic reaction to that specific plant.

We have medicine in nature. We just have to learn nature as much as possible so we can use it.

If you want to understand more ways to use nature for self-healing and strong health — the Gut Rules course shows how I healed myself from ulcerative colitis after years on medication, and how you can use the same principles to learn and improve your health.

Shabbat shalom dear ones.

→ Gut Rules → Home → Podcast → Academy