Sun Protection Supplement
IVAX Corp., Miami, FL, has launched Heliocare, an oral nutritional antioxidant supplement demonstrated to help maintain the skin’s ability to protect against sun-related effects and aging. The supplement contains an extract of the herb Polypodium leucotomos, which is rich in phenols that possess photoimmunoprotective and antioxidant properties. Polypodium leucotomos extract is sourced from a tropical fern plant grown in Central and South America. Native Americans have used the plant extract for centuries for the treatment of inflammatory disorders and skin diseases. It is not a sunscreen, rather it helps the body deal with effects of ultraviolet light (UV), which reaches the skin. It is recommended in addition to a sunscreen.