October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in American women. According to the WHO, breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer in the world.
It’s possible to nurture our breast health so we can avoid adverse health outcomes. If we want to stay healthy and practice preventative care, we need to be proactive with our health. I compiled some tips for boosting breast health, that can help in preventing breast cancer.
Optimize iodine levels
Iodine is a super nutrient for breast health. Not only does it have incredible detoxifying, antiviral, antibiotic, and antioxidant properties, but it promotes the growth of normal breast tissue, while suppressing abnormal growth. Bring up your levels by consuming sea vegetables, seafood, and if needed, iodine supplements.
Balance and strengthen your gut microbiome
The gut microbiome is the most powerful endocrine organ we have. It is largely responsible for how we metabolize, and process estrogen. Excess estrogen can put women at higher risk for breast cancer.
- Eat lots of fiber-rich foods
- Exercise and move your body regularly
- Manage stress effectively
- Consume both food-based and supplemental probiotics
- Bitter foods are especially healing. Eat more bitter foods, herbs, and spices, like those listed in my previous blog post about bitters.
Give your liver some TLC
Almost all of us have sluggish livers these days due to the overwhelming number of chemicals and substances we are continuously exposed to. This results in slower detoxification reactions, especially of hormones like estrogen. It can build up in the body, and get re-absorbed.
- Ingest more bitter foods like dandelion, broccoli, turmeric, and ginger, which are liver tonics
- Stay hydrated, and drink plenty of water to flush toxins out
- Use castor oil packs across the liver area
- Reduce or eliminate alcohol intake
- Consider taking liver healing extracts and herbs like schisandra, milk thistle, burdock, or artichoke leaf (NOTE: these may interact with other supplements and/or pharmaceutical medications. Please check with your primary care provider prior to starting them.)
Consume whole soy foods like tofu, tempeh, and edamame
Whole soy foods contain isoflavones, which are phytoestrogens that exert anticarcinogenic activity. They modulate estrogen synthesis, and protect cells from binding with harmful types of cancer-inducing estrogen. They also make more problematic types of estrogen inactive in the body.
It’s best to include moderate amounts of soy in your diet. Including 2-4 servings per week is ideal for obtaining their therapeutic benefits.
Consume herbs that support good breast health
These include:
- Red raspberry leaf
- Red clover
- Fennel
- Fenugreek
- Dandelion
- Tulsi (holy basil)
- Burdock
- Licorice
- Calendula (common marigold)
My personal favorite women’s health herb is red raspberry leaf. It is gentle, but very detoxifying. It’s also nutrient-rich and nourishing, while also hormone balancing.
Use essential oils that support good breast health
Like the following:
- Frankincense
- Rose
- Geranium
- Thyme
- Chamomile
- Pine
- Jasmine
Essential oils are amazing for breast health. Frankincense especially stands out for its breast tissue healing and protective qualities.
Stay away from endocrine disruptors
Some household items that have endocrine-disrupting chemicals are:
- Cookware like Teflon
- All plastics, especially to store food and store
- Toxic skin, hair, makeup, and menstrual products
- Certain cleaning products
- Pesticides and chemical additives in foods
Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that can act like, or interfere with our hormones. This hormonal mimicry and disturbance can lead to metabolic problems, reproductive issues, or even cancer.
Xenoestrogens, a class of endocrine disrupters, are especially nasty since they mimic estrogen in the body. This can wreak havoc on women’s delicate hormonal balance.
Ditch underwire, tight, and poor-fitting bras
The metal in underwire bras line vital lymph nodes under the breast and armpit. This cuts off proper lymph drainage, leading to waste accumulation. This exposure to harmful waste products could potentially hurt breast tissue.
Don’t wear a bra while sleeping, and have periods of time when you can go braless to enhance circulation and overall breast health.
Do physical activity, and stretching regularly
Exercise and physical movement is in itself medicinal. It increases circulation and immunity, balances our hormones and blood sugar, strengthens our bodies, and boosts our mental health.
In addition, breast tissue has many lymph vessels that then drain into major adjacent lymph nodes, such as in the armpits. Physical movement and activity helps move lymphatic fluids through your body thereby aiding in detoxification.
Practice dry brushing, and give yourself breast massages
Our lymphatic system does not have a pump, like the heart for our cardiovascular system. So, we need to manually pump it through doing things like physical activity, dry brushing, and massage.
Here is a link to my favorite YouTube.com dry brushing tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqKPaG0gAnk&t=1s
This blog post is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice. Please consult with your primary care provider for medical guidance.
