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Wednesday, October 27, 2010 – Daily News – 5A FEATURES Vitamin C keeps a 60 something looking young DEAR DR. GOTT: In a recent column, you sug- gested vitamin C for collagen syn- thesis. Would a C supplement be helpful to prevent skin wrinkles, which I under- stand are associat- ed with collagen breakdown? I take 500 mg a day of vitamin C and have relatively few wrinkles at age 66. Dr. Peter Gott DEAR READER: Three years ago, CBS News reported the find- ings of a study to deter- mine the impact of nutri- ents from foods rather than supplements for skin aging. It was found that people who ate vitamin C- rich foods had fewer wrin- kles than did people who ate substantially fewer foods containing C, prov- ing that we are what we eat. The study was based on results from more than 4,000 women between the ages of 40 and 74 who had extensive dermatologic exams designed to evalu- ate the wrinkling and aging of their skin. They found that eating a diet low in C appeared to be a risk factor for wrinkling and skin dryness. This was followed by several physicians who remain skeptical. For them, other factors come into play, such as good genes and protecting the skin from the damaging rays of the sun. Using a good face cream to keep skin moist is critical. Fur- thermore, these physicians feel people should not smoke. Vitamin C products can be expensive. The most common form of supple- mentation is in pill form, often chewable pills. It is by far less expensive, safer and tastier simply to eat a healthful, balanced diet rich in fruits and veg- etables, many of which are packed with vitamin C and other vitamins, miner- als and nutrients. Vitamin C is purported to benefit the skin in two ways. First, it is vital for the syn- thesis of collagen, a structural pro- tein of the skin. Secondly, C is an antioxidant that can help reduce skin damage caused by free radicals. The recom- mended dietary allowance of vitamin C for people 19 years of age and older is 90 mg per day for men and 75 mg per day for women. Smokers may require more, with 125 mg for men and 110 mg for women. This is because smokers are under increased oxidative stress from the toxins in cigarette smoke and are generally found to have lower levels of C in their blood. My honest guess is that if you are relatively wrin- kle-free at the age of 66, you are one lucky lady. You obviously have good genes, eat well, exercise, and protect your skin against the damaging rays of the sun. And if you feel the C is a part of your youthful skin, you should keep it up. My hat is off to you (but not in the sun). To provide related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Vitamins and Minerals.” Other readers who would like a copy should send a self- addressed stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 check or money order made payable to Newsletter and mailed to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092- 0167 or print an order form off my website at www.AskDrGottMD.com. Dr. Peter H. Gott is a retired physician and the author of several books, including “Live Longer, Live Better,” “Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Diet” and “Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Cookbook,” which are available at most bookstores or online. His website is www.AskDrGottMD.com College celebrates Veterans Day Shasta College announces a celebration ceremony in commemoration of Veterans Day at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 11, at the Veterans Grove located adjacent to the Campus Quad, outside the Campus Center – building 2000. The emcee for the ceremony will be Julie Reynolds, Shasta College Veterans Certifying Official. The sched- uled speakers are Superintendent/President Gary Lewis, Jim Crooks, Jonathan Edward Shuler and Jim Barton. There will also be musical performances by the Shasta College Chamber Choir, soloist Robert Waterbury, trum- pet solos by Briar Segal, and a reading by Diana Hamar. Shasta College will not be conducting classes and the campus will be closed on Veterans Day, Friday, Nov. 12. For more information, contact the Shasta College Dean of Students Office at 242-7626. Hubby’s holiday hordes have her harried Dear Annie: I’ve been married to ‘‘Bob’’ for three years. I love him dearly and get along with my in-laws. The problem is, he insists we spend every holiday with his family, which is stressful for me. I don’t handle large crowds well, and at these holiday functions, there are at least 30 people crammed into a house with three bed- rooms and two bathrooms. We always stay at his folks’ place for several days, and I am constantly uncomfortable. I asked Bob if he would consider celebrating at least one holiday by ourselves, but he won’t hear of it. He says his parents would be hurt. Thanksgiving will be here shortly, and I am already dreading it. Can you help? — Holiday Blues Dear Holiday: Putting up with Annie’s Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar When I did her laundry, I couldn’t help noticing there were no panties. I was stunned when my daughter told me that she and many other girls at school had stopped wearing panties altogether. I asked if her clothes weren’t getting ruined by staining from nat- ural secretions, and she said they wear tampons. Annie, I recall a lot of the in-laws at family gatherings is part of marriage. Although you shouldn’t have to spend every holi- day with Bob’s family, if it is only a few days in November and Decem- ber, please try to do your best. Hav- ing young children often provides an excuse not to travel so much. Right now, start with a compromise. If you can afford it, insist on staying at a hotel instead of at his parents’ home, at least part of the time. This will give you some privacy and may provide you with the equanimity to tolerate the rest. Dear Annie: My 19-year-old daughter came home for the sum- mer after her first year of college. Due to the reduced menace of wildfire the Tehama-Glenn Unit of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protec- tion (CAL FIRE) and the Tehama County Fire Department (TCFD) announced Tuesday that 2010 winter staffing, which is the end of the declared fire season, goes into effect at 8 a.m., Mon- day, Nov. 1. In addition, the burn ban will be lifted at 8 a.m. Monday, Nov. 1. Burn per- mits are not required until May 1, in Tehama County and the State Responsibili- ty Areas of Glenn County, however burn permits are recommended and can be obtained at the CalFire/TCFD Red Bluff Headquarters and the fire stations in Bowman, Paynes Creek, Los Moli- nos, and Corning. Burn Barrels are no longer legal and citations will be issued by Air Pollution Control. Burn day status can be determined by calling Tehama County Air Pollu- tion at (530) 527-3717 or Glenn County Air Pollu- tion at (800) 446-2876. The burning hours for Tehama County are 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Residents are reminded to use caution and have consideration for their neighbors while burning news reports about toxic shock syndrome. Women were getting it from wearing tam- pons without changing them fre- quently enough. Could my daughter be endangering herself? — Worried Mom of Britney Spears Wannabe Dear Worried: We contacted J. Douglas Van Arsdale, M.D., Asso- ciate Clinical Professor, Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Here is his response: Dear Worried Mom: The abra- sive nature of pants, particularly if they are tight, would not make this a comfortable endeavor. However, chronically wearing a tampon may increase the risk of minor vaginal wall abrasions, and thereby increase the risk of HIV infection. Also, the absorbent nature of tampons would decrease lubrication. A more dramatic concern is toxic shock syndrome. This is a rare event most often associated with super-absorbent tampons that have been left in place for extended peri- ods of time. But one can never absolutely rule out this possibility. by observing the following guidelines: • Never burn on windy days. Use caution when burning as vegetation is still very dry. • Scrape a clearance of at least 10 feet to bare soil around burn piles. • Always have a shovel and water supply nearby. • Fire should never be left unattended. • Check Air Pollution Control for burn day sta- tus. • Burn only clean dry vegetative waste such as leaves, pine needles, and yard clippings. • Piles are to be no larg- er than four feet in diame- ter and four feet high. If your pile is larger, break it down to a smaller size and add to it as the pile burns down. While cooler tempera- tures have helped to dimin- ish the threat of a wildfire, So I would recommend the follow- ing: Have an exam by a gynecologist to be sure that she is healthy and has no sexually transmitted diseases. Make sure she knows how to use a condom and uses one every time she has sex. She may also need a lubricant. Be certain that she has been vaccinated for HPV. If she must go commando, she should use a low-absorbent tampon, and even then there may be a very low risk of toxic shock. And most importantly, stay away from the paparazzi. Dear Annie: Thank you for telling ‘‘Peg’’ that not all sex offenders are a threat to others. In our small town, there is one person on the sex offender registry. During a party at his house, he stepped outside to urinate in the backyard. It was dark, but there was a child in the yard next door who apparently saw him and told his parents. The young man was con- victed of being a sex offender, even though he was unaware of the child’s presence. So not all regis- tered sex offenders have sexually molested anyone, nor will they. — Small Town Annie’s Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please e-mail your questions to anniesmailboxcomcast.net, or write to: Annie’s Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Ste. 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. Burn ban lifted due to winter staffing residents are still reminded to use caution while con- ducting vegetation debris burns. Individuals can be held civilly and criminally liable for allowing a fire to escape control and/or burn onto another property. For additional information concerning safe and legal burning, contact your near- est CalFire or Tehama County Fire Station or your local Air Pollution Control Office.