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Breast Cancer Prevention

Loretta Lanphier, ND, CN, HHP, CH

Breast cancer is a disease that takes the lives of far too many women in the United States and around the world. Many believe that it is just a normal risk of life in the twenty-first century, and hope against hope that they can beat the odds. But cancer of any type is not a matter of random fate. There are definite measures that each of us can take to reduce the chances of succumbing to breast cancer and most other serious conditions as well. Your power of choice is the greatest factor involved in the occurrence or avoidance of breast cancer.  

What Is Breast Cancer Prevention? 

This may at first seem like an unnecessary question, but upon closer examination, the answer depends on who you ask. The mainstream medical establishment considers breast cancer prevention to be mainly annual mammograms and sometimes even surgery such as a hysterectomy in certain women that are considered at high risk for female cancers. True breast cancer prevention focuses on pursuing wellness through wise dietary and lifestyle choices in combination with avoiding factors that are known to increase risk for breast and other cancers. Once again we run into a collision of philosophies between those who “treat” cancer as though it was inevitable, and those who promote health and wellness and put their time, money, and energies into keeping the body healthy so that cancer will never develop in the first place. To make things even more ominous, some medical “answers” for breast cancer “prevention” such as mammograms are even capable of actually causing breast cancer, not to mention the fact that the “cancer treatment” is a multibillion dollar industry that is highly profitable for the Big Medicine at large.  Let’s take an honest look at some of the real, proven causes of breast cancer that can be avoided, as well as some very practical steps you can take to decrease your risk of breast cancer in addition to many other disease conditions. 

What Can Influence My Risk for Developing Breast Cancer? 

Statistics tell us that about one out of every seven to eight women will develop breast cancer at some point in their lives. It is the most common form of cancer in females, and breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States, only outdone by lung cancer. The really sad thing about this is that it does not have to be this way, because most of the risk factors involved in breast cancer can be eliminated through changes in diet and lifestyle. If the cancer industry and the media would focus on education instead of screening and treatment, the rates of breast cancer, and indeed all forms of cancer, would plummet.  

There are a few factors that you have no control over, but even some of these can be influenced by the way you live and eat. For example, simply being female increases your chances of breast cancer, although it does occur at much lower rates in men as well. You can’t do anything about your gender, but let this stimulate you all the more towards wellness so that you can proactively avoid this unnecessary disease. Other factors include: 

As I have already stated, the vast majority of breast cancer risks and causes can be eliminated. Here are some of the most common things that you avoid by choice that will significantly decrease your risk for breast cancer. I will start with dietary suggestions because they are so critical: 

• Fat intake:  The link between a high-fat diet, so typical of the Standard American Diet (SAD), and breast cancer has been clearly established. Of particular danger are saturated and polyunsaturated fats found in large amounts in meat, poultry, and dairy foods. These types of fats are so carcinogenic because they are more easily broken down into free radicals that are very harmful to your cells. Research has shown that grilled or well done meats are particularly guilty of contributing to breast and other cancers. One study showed a whopping 462% increase in the risk for breast cancer in women who routinely consumed very well done hamburger, steak, and bacon over those who did not.
• Fiber:  A diet low in fiber, also common in the SAD, is also a risk factor for breast cancer. Fiber helps to lower the level of fats in the blood, as well as reducing the amount of estrogen in the body. (Estrogen is a factor we will discuss below). Thus, insufficient levels of fiber in the diet have a doubly negative effect on breast cancer and other degenerative diseases too.
• Alcohol:  There is also an abundance of good science that links an increase in breast cancer to the consumption of alcohol. The more you drink, the greater the risk. Studies have indicated that for every drink you have on a daily basis, the risk goes up by a factor of 10% (one drink daily, 10% increase; two drinks daily, 20%, etc.).
• Obesity:  Being overweight, especially to the point of obesity, will also increase the chance that you will develop breast cancer. It is known that excess amount of fatty tissue in your body increases the circulation of estrogen, and thus exposes you to higher estrogen levels throughout your lifetime. Gaining weight later in life, especially after menopause, increases this risk factor even more.
• Synthetic Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT):  The use of synthetic compounds to manage menopause has been the source of much debate in both mainstream and alternative health care circles for many years. Even allopathic doctors are now coming around and admitting the dangers of such substances. The health risks of HRT are great and numerous. The risk for breast cancer  in particular has been linked specifically to drugs such as Prempro, which is a combination of synthetic estrogen and progestin.
• Pesticides:  Environmental toxins have been clinically proven as risks for many types of cancer, but pesticides are a particular danger when it comes to breast cancer. The reason for this is the chemical structure of many pesticides is very similar to that of estrogen, and thus estrogen receptor sites in your body will often mistake pesticides for estrogen and bind with them. The result is a carcinogenic effect that may lead to breast cancer.
• Long term use of antibiotics:  Promiscuous use of antibiotics has created several medical issues, but one of the less well known ones is an increase in the incidence of breast cancer. The reasons are not definitively understood yet, but the numbers indicate a connection. A general weakening of the immune system or the presence of chronic conditions that are often “treated” with antibiotics may play a role.

What Steps Can I Take to Prevent Breast Cancer? 

Proactively  seeking wellness will keep your immune system and entire body robust and capable of fighting off disease of all types, including breast cancer. This primarily occurs by cultivating an active lifestyle and putting whole, nutritious foods into your body.  

Natural Health Suggestions:  Our creator has provided us with many foods and herbs that will not only nourish and strengthen our bodies, but are also designed to help us fight off disease.

Flax seed:  This whole grain is an amazing food. It’s health advantages are many. It helps prevent breast cancer by providing high amounts of a substances called lignans which bind to estrogen receptors in the body and help combat the negative effects of estrogen. Flax seed also promotes the excretion of a sex hormone called SHBG that helps to regulate levels of estrogen in the body and eliminate excessive amounts that can be carcinogenic and a risk for breast cancer. The best way to get the most from flax seed is to grind it fresh, and consume liberal amounts every day.  

Cruciferous vegetables:  Lightly steamed broccoli has been proven to be a great food for fighting breast cancer. It is high in certain phytonutrients that break potentially toxic estrogen down into harmless forms. All of the cabbage family vegetables have varied amounts of cancer-fighting substances, as well as a lot of fiber which, as stated earlier in this article, is also a deterrent against breast cancer. Incidentally, just to show you the prevailing attitude about health care in this country, the FDA recently came down hard on broccoli growers and distributors who were promoting the benefits of broccoli. They are apparently not allowed to spread the truth about the benefits of this super food. It appears the powers that be would rather have people depend on drugs and dangerous procedures such as chemotherapy to fight cancer rather than to avoid it in a natural way through a wholesome diet.   

Sunshine:  The benefits of Vitamin D gleaned from appropriate exposure to the sun in the prevention of breast and other cancers has been clinically proven. There are dangers from too much sun, especially during the peak times from 10am-4pm, but totally avoiding the sun is not the answer either. We should all get outside everyday for about 20 minutes of direct sunshine. It will help our bodies in numerous ways.

Exercise:  Daily exercise helps to keep the lymphatic system moving which is very important in moving out toxins from the body.  Using a mini-tramp, dry skin brushing, deep breathing and/or a brisk daily walk all help to improve lymph flow. 

Other Proactive Natural Health Solutions:

• If there is a history of breast cancer in your family, get a baseline thermogram at age 30 and begin yearly thermograms.
• Get a baseline hormone saliva test at age 30.  Test for estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA and cortisol.
• Get a baseline thyroid test at age 30.  For the specific serum tests to ask for see my blog about Thyroid Health.
• Consider bioidentical progesterone cream for hormone imbalances.  For a proactive program for hormone imbalance see Dr. Lanphier's Feel Better Fast Online Natural Hormone Balancing Program.
• Monitor stress levels. The adrenal glands deal with the daily stress of life. To have total body hormonal balance requires normalization of the adrenal gland. In fact, replacement of deficient hormones alone without addressing the overall health of the adrenal glands can be a band-aid approach and thus ineffective on the long run. An optimal balanced daily intake of vitamins and minerals serves as a good foundation, including 500 mg to 3000 mg of vitamin C, 400 to 800  I.U. of natural Vitamin E, 10,000 to 25,000 I.U. of beta-carotene and other important minerals such as selenium, magnesium as well as important amino acids such as lysine, proline and glutamine.
• Take a good organic multi-vitamin mineral supplement.  I recommend intraMAX because it is simply the best on the market today.
• Lose weight.  People spend literally thousands of dollars in their liftime trying to lose weight in an unnatural way.  I highly recommend  the OAW Optimum Weight Loss Package. Not only will you lose excess weight but you will be getting your body healthy at the same time.
• Keep your liver clean and supported.  Your liver plays an important role in hormone balancing.  Although the liver does not make hormones, it does break down and metabolize hormones after they have served their purpose in your body.  When the liver is sluggish or not working efficiently hormones can build-up and cause hormone imbalance.  I highly suggest liver cleansing and support with LivaPure™.
• Environmental Clean-Up - Most women come into contact with hormone-mimicking chemicals daily.  These can be found in cleaning products, pre-packaged foods, grocery store meat and dairy, dish detergents, personal care products, lawn care products, unfiltered water, unfiltered air, plastics, etc. Get in the habit of reading labels and researching chemical names.  You will be surprised at the effect chemicals have on the body. For safe and non-toxic skincare, I recommend Lanique Botanicals Natural Skincare.
   

Living a clean life with health and wellness as a priority will go a long way in eliminating most cases of degenerative diseases, including  breast cancer. If, despite your best efforts, breast cancer should occur,  these recommended suggestions will prepare your immune system to battle the cancer in optimal ways that will greatly increase your chances for defeating it. Be pro-active. Don’t wait for cancer to happen and then try to “treat” it. Cut it off at the pass by taking charge of your own health, taking care of your body and aiming for physical, mental, and spiritual health rather than simply a lack of disease.