We don’t want to scare you; but there are things you are doing right now that can increase your risk for breast cancer. It’s not that we need to create a culture of fear, but spreading knowledge about what’s in the things you are eating, that you eat from and that you may come into contact with on a daily basis, starts to demand for change. Let’s take a look at xenoestrogens, because we know this is something you will want to know about.
Xeno What?!
Xenoestrogen is a type of xenohormone, where xeno refers to “something foreign,” as in that which our body does not produce naturally. An invader. Our body naturally produces hormones, like estrogen, which travel around the body and change or regulate the function of organs and structures. Estrogen is a sex hormone primarily made inside a woman’s ovaries. It is believed that estrogen plays a role in almost every organ of the body; it lines a woman’s uterine wall, stimulates breast tissue and is important in bone building. Estrogen also helps regulate a woman’s menstrual cycle and is integral to the body changes of puberty.
Men do produce estrogen as well, but in lower quantities than women.
Xenoestrogen, then, is a foreign form of estrogen – that which the body does not make, but that enters the body through the food we eat, the products we use or touch, and the environment. Xenoestrogen mimics or imitates the function of estrogen; it has an “estrogenic effect”. Xenoestrogens can also be called “endocrine disruptors.” The concern is that they act as false messengers, and may disrupt the process of reproduction.
So where are xenoestrogens mainly found? They can be in a variety of products, which are consequence of our modern lifestyles including plastic products, cosmetics and lotions, and pesticides from conventional farming. They can even be found in our tap water due to run-off from waste.
Xenoestrogens Cause Breast Cancer?
Xenoestrogens are becoming quite a concern, because of the way in which they alter the body’s natural make-up. They also introduce elevated levels of estrogen to male bodies, which can have very significant effects.
Researchers are beginning to establish a link between xenoestrogens and breast cancer, because of the way xenoestrogens effect breast tissue. This study takes a look at BPA and BBP, commonly found in plastic products, and concludes that “there is overwhelming epidemiological, clinical and experimental evidence that estrogens are initiators of breast cancer, and that xenoestrogens may also influence the susceptibility or be involved in the initiation or progression of the disease.” Scary stuff, huh.
Xenoestrogens and Your Breast Health
So what can you do to protect yourself and promote your own breast health. Xenoestrogens are not completely avoidable, but reduce your risk by …
-
Eating a mainly organic diet, including organic fruits and vegetables, organic dairy and organic meat;
-
Do not use plastic food storage containers and avoid plastic water bottles. Many plastic products now come BPA free, but it is still a best practice to avoid plastic in your life. Choose glass, like mason jars, to store food;
-
Avoid chemical-laden skincare and personal care products, including make-up, lotions, deodorant and shampoo;
-
Assess your current health, and make plans to mitigate risk. Thermography is an excellent, whole body way to better understand your profile.
-
Join us for our #boobyluv event and learn how to create a breast health plan
Sources:
http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/women/menopause/how-menopause-works2.htm
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2907875/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenoestrogen
