OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH...

6 Natural Steps to Maintain

Breast Health

By Christine Dreher, CCN, CCH

As a natural, holistic Clinical Nutritionist and Herbalist practitioner, I feel that more attention needs to be focused on the modern-day causes of breast cancer and natural ways to prevent this disease from manifesting in the first place. There is a growing consensus of agreement that breast cancer, like many other cancers is truly a ‘modern-day’ epidemic, starting with the industrial revolution and escalating due to modern conveniences including fast foods, chemicals, xenoestrogens (by-product of industrial & chemical processing that has an unhealthy estrogen-like effect), pesticides, other toxins, H.R.T., and more.

It makes sense to me and hopefully to you that the answer for the explosion of cancers, including breast cancer is right in front of us, if we are willing to look at it. I agree with what Jon Barron says in his Alternative Cancer Therapies Natural Health Newsletter, Growth of Cancer article: “The incidence of cancer has increased dramatically over the last century. We absolutely know that the dietary and lifestyle choices we make and our exposure to toxins affect our chances of getting cancer.” Likewise, we know that certain dietary choices, chlorinated water, radon gas in our homes, and exposure to numerous toxins and xenoestrogens in our environment significantly increase our risk of cancer.¹

What do I recommend to my clients for breast cancer prevention? I believe this answer is multi-faceted, involving conscious healthy choices to support health and the prevention of breast cancer. I have included my top six preventative protocol steps for breast health.

#1 Choose Healthy Whole Foods (Organic, Pesticide Free, Non-GMO foods)

By choosing whole foods free of pesticides and artificial ingredients, you’re giving your body the proper fuel it recognizes for optimal nutrition. Many of the pesticides used in farming have been shown in studies to cause cell mutations and cancer. Also, use organic, whole-food nutritional supplements for optimal assimilation and nutritional support.

Eat your broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, kale, and cabbage. These cruciferous veggies are rich in indole-3 carbinol, offering a number of protections against breast cancer by supporting health breast tissue, including its detoxification and immune support effects. They are also abundant in sulforaphane, which is a powerful breast-cancer inhibitor. It’s best to get at least four servings a week in your diet. One to two servings of broccoli or broccoli sprouts a day contains 27 to 54 mg of glucosinolates, which has been shown in studies to support healthy breast tissue.

#2 Cleanse & Detoxification to Release Accumulated Toxins

In today’s world, we are impacted by toxins and chemicals in our food, water, air supply and the chemicals in our body and hair care products. I believe cleansing and detoxification is now essential on a regular basis to prevent the accumulation of toxins. Regular cleansing and detoxification can prevent toxins from accumulating, thereby reducing or preventing the occurrence of cellular mutations and potential disease.

#3 Pure Sources of Drinking and Bathing Water

I recommend a very good home water filtration system that has been tested to show it removes chemicals and contaminants from your drinking water. The causes of water contamination are many, ranging from agricultural run-off to improper use of household chemicals and everything in between. Few of us realize the extent or impact of these low-level synthetic chemicals in the water we use. While the standard use in our society of more than 80,000 different synthetic chemicals has led to added convenience and productivity in our lives, these come at a tremendous price... drastic increases in degenerative disease, including cancer. According to Ralph Nader Research Institute, “U.S. drinking water contains more than 2,100 toxic chemicals that can cause cancer.”

#4  Antioxidant Support to Prevent Oxidative Stress and Damage to our DNA

Proper antioxidant support reduces free radicals, thereby reducing oxidative stress which is known to cause DNA damage. Studies suggest low antioxidant levels combined with high fat intake, can increase ROS production (reactive oxygen species).² Antioxidant protection is a necessary element in reducing the ill effects of chronic inflammation. Controlling inflammation will reduce oxidative stress in the body.

Pomegranate juice has the highest concentration of punicalagins and ellagitannins, which are bioactive polyphenols that have more antioxidant properties than any other commonly consumed juice.³ According to Dr. Aaron Katz, “Research has firmly established the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of pomegranate. Additionally, pomegranate juice has been found to have apoptotic effects in lab studies, which means that it encourages the death of cancerous cells.”

Lycopene is another powerful antioxidant that reduces LDL oxidation. Lycopene has also shown in studies to prevent breast, ovarian, and cervical cancers. Tomatoes and watermelon are good sources of lycopene.

#5 Natural Hormone Balance to Support Normal Cell Growth

Commercial meat and dairy generally has added hormones that do not break down with cooking. This can create estrogen dominance and a myriad of health issues. Alternatively, grass-fed, organic, wild, and free-range varieties of meat and dairy, do not have added hormones.

Xenoestrogens are derived from man-made chemicals and mimic estrogen, which can throw off not only the balance of estrogen, but all hormones and cause other diseases. Further research, in the book Our Stolen Future by authors Colburn, Dumanoski & Meyers have identified 51 families of hormone mimics including xenoestrogens, that can cause an alarming number of new health issues including breast, ovarian, uterine, prostate, and testicular cancer.

Plant and herbal compounds have an ability to block excess estrogen uptake by binding to estrogen receptor sites, helping to maintain a healthy hormone balance and healthy breast tissue. Plant lignans, which are phytoestrogens, can help balance proper estrogen levels by binding to the estrogen receptor cells, thereby blocking the xenoestrogens from attaching to the receptor cells. Therefore, the phyto-estrogen-like plant lignans protect against the negative effects of harmful synthetic estrogens in our environment and are protective against breast cancer. Plant lignans are phytochemicals found in grains, seeds, and legumes. In addition to adding plant lignans into your diet, I suggest supplementing with plant lignans derived from flax seeds in a natural supplement like Brevail. More information and articles on Brevail and plant lignans are on our website.

Natural progesterone (not to be confused with the synthetic progestin) can also help with estrogen dominance and reduce breast cancer risks. Dr. Lee is the author of the books What Your Doctor Will Not Tell You About Menopause and What Your Doctor Will Not Tell You About Pre-Menopause. Both books explain the importance of natural progesterone for hormonal balance in our estrogen-dominated diets for health and for breast cancer prevention. I recommend and suggest that my clients use a natural progesterone cream called ProgestCare by Life-flo that we carry. It is made with natural progesterone rather than wild yam for better absorption and results that contain no added parabens or chemicals. More information and recommendations for hormone balance are on my website.

#6 - Immune Support — A Healthy Immune System Rids the Body of Damaged Cells

Keeping your immune system healthy is also important for breast health so your immune system can dispose of damaged cells before they have a change to multiply. Immune health can be protected and strengthened with immune modulators that balance immune function. My favorite immune modulators are medicinal mushroom. Also, probiotics and cultured foods help to keep the gastro intestinal tract healthy. The majority of immune cells are created in the G.I. tract. A healthy G.I. tract also helps to keep the immune system strong. More information on suggested medicinal mushrooms and probiotics are described our website.

I do believe that vibrant health and well-being including breast health, is not only possible, but is our natural intended birth right. I also believe an end to the suffering from our modern-day diseases including breast cancer is possible. I feel this requires a ‘whole-istic,’ natural health approach.

We all need to consciously choose to live in the healthiest way possible and to make choices that support a healthy planet for all, including for our future generations. I like what Thomas Edison has to say about our health “The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.”

1.Baseline of Health Foundation, Alternative Cancer Therapies, Natural Health Newsletter, Growth of Cancer, Jon Barron, 2-21-11, http://www.jonbarron.org/alternative-cancer/historic-growth-rates-of-cancer

2. AACN Clinical Issues, Advanced Practice in Acute & Critical Care, Nov 2002, Vol.13, Issue 4, pp 540-549

3. According to the Heber Cancer Letters of 2008