2012 January - Natures Remedy

breast cancer

Statistics show that unless we start making important changes in our lifestyle, one in EIGHT women will get breast cancer.

According to some researchers, one of the main concepts we need to learn is that breast cancer is primarily an estrogen-dependant cancer. That means, it is triggered by exposure to excessive amounts of estrogen, not just estrogen our body produces, but environmental chemicals that mimic estrogens. So, the first step is to keep these negative estrogens also called “xenoestrogens” in check. It is also very important to have a healthy diet by eating organic fruits and vegetables, and avoiding meat and chicken treated with hormones and antibiotics. Estrogens are commonly fed to dairy cattle and chicken to increase milk and egg production, this is in addition to pesticides residues that wind up in these foods.

Another source of xenoestrogens based on Steve Horne’s research, is plastics. Some examples are soft plastic toys, soft plastic containers, and water bottles. There are also xenoestrogens in some laundry detergents, household cleaning products, shampoos, perfumes and cosmetics.

Your body has natural means of defense to destroy excess estrogens. The liver is one of the main organs in charge of breaking down these toxins. You might think, then let the liver do its work! However it is not that simple, because the liver has more than 500 different functions, it gets over worked and when it gets full of toxins it is hard to get them out of the body. For the liver to be able to detoxify it needs to get good nutrition to function properly.

Foods high in sulfur are very important, like garlic, onions and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, mustard greens and turnips. There is also a sulfur compound as a supplement from cruciferous vegetables called Indole-3 Carbinol that is particularly helpful in breaking down excess estrogens. It can be used as a supplement by women wishing to reduce their risk of breast cancer, for fighting breast cancer and other ailments caused by excess estrogen like hot flashes before and during menopause.

Herbal liver cleanses such as All Cell Detox and Enviro-Detox can also help the body breaking down not only xenoestrogens, but other chemicals as well.

It is important to nurture your body with pH balance nutrients and antioxidants, like Ultimate Green Zone and Thai-go or Super Orac. You also need good fats in your body from nuts, avocados, deep ocean fish and coconut oil, or supplement with Flax Seed Oil or Super Omega 3. New research shows the importance of supplementing with Vitamin D. Researchers at the University Of Rochester Medical Center followed 155 breast cancer patients months before and after surgery. Low vitamin D levels were seen in the presence of biomarkers of aggressive tumors. Women with triple-negative tumors were three times as likely to have low vitamin D levels when compared with other breast cancers. The best ways to increase your vitamin D levels is to absorb the sun’s rays and to consume it through food and high quality supplements.

Also enhance the health of your breast by making sure your glandular system is working properly and your hormones are balanced. For starters, experts recommend getting an adequate intake of iodine. The thyroid is the bigger user of this awesome nutrient. The second user is your breasts. Natural sources of iodine may help women with breast cysts as well. Iodine can be found in supplements like Kelp, Dulse and concentrated Black Walnut. I personally like the herbal combination Master Gland; it has these nutrients and more to support the entire glandular system. Pro-G-Yam, a progesterone cream helps to balance hormones and block the action of xenoestrogens. Also, the use of underarm antiperspirant deodorants blocks the release of toxins from sweat glands in the armpits and contributes to lymphatic stagnation. Try using your favorite essential oils or a natural organic deodorant from NYR Organics.

Last but not least, keep your lymph moving! The breast is part of the lymphatic system, it is very important to keep it clean and moving. Exercise, especially jumping in a rebounder is very helpful. Also realize that long periods of worry and anger can be internal toxins, draining your health. Take some time to experience joy, laughter, love and peacefulness through relaxing with friends, family and companion animals, spending time in nature, walking, dancing, yoga, tai chi or other forms of movement (like Zumba Fitness), watching funny movies, meditating, drawing, painting or using your creativity in other ways

Noted Products:

Kelp: an Iodine-Rich Sea Vegetable

kelp for natural health

A nutrient-dense, brown sea vegetable. Kelp has long been used as food and medicine. As a food, kelp is usually eaten is small quantities; it is also used as condiment. Kelp is harvested from oceans around the world. Many different species and varieties are used, but all have essentially the same properties.

Kelp’s primary taste is salty, due to the fact that sea water dries on the leaves and adds a small amount of sodium chloride to the herb. It is also salty due to high potassium content. The secondary characteristic is that the plant is mucilant and slightly bitter. Seaweed is warming (due to its action on the thyroid) and cooling to tissues (due to its soothing mucilaginous nature).

Kelp is one of the richest sources of the element iodine, which is needed by thyroid hormones to help regulate the body’s growth and development. It has been only in recent years that this seaweed has been consumed by peoples other than the Japanese. Studies have proven that there is a significant correlation between the Japanese intake of kelp and the country’s dramatically lower rates of breast cancer, obesity, heart disease, respiratory disease, rheumatism and arthritis, high blood pressure, thyroid deficiency, infectious disease, constipation and similar gastrointestinal ailments.

By the 18^th century doctors began to notice that people who lived along the Atlantic Coast rarely developed enlarged thyroid glands, known as goiters. They realized that this was because people along the coast consumed seaweed regularly. Iodine can also protect cells from damage by radioactive substances and heavy metals. It is beneficial because its ability to combat radiation exposure and heavy metal toxicity. A chemical in Kelp called sodium alginate prevents the absorption of radioactive strontium 90. Strontium 90 is a byproduct of nuclear explosions and nuclear power and weapons facilities and has been linked to a number of ailments including cancer and leukemia, bone cancer and Hodgkin’s disease. One study has shown that alginate supplements can reduce strontium 90 absorption by as much as 83 percent. Sodium alginate helps to prevent the absorption of newly-ingested heavy metals.

Native Americans also recognized the benefits of Kelp, saying it prevented a condition they called “big necks” (goiters). Those who suffered from a lack of iodine were given kelp. Some of the Indians, especially those living on or near the seacoasts, found kelp beneficial in helping burns and scalds. In the 1860’s, physicians in Britain and France noticed that people who consumed iodine seemed to lose weight more easily than most people. They discovered that iodine stimulates the thyroid, which in turn boosts the body’s metabolism rate. As a result, the body is able to burn calories more quickly.

Women’s breast is the second biggest user of iodine and many breast ailments can be helped by using an adequate intake of iodine. All tissues of the body need iodine, but the parts of the body that suffer the most from iodine deficiency (beside the breast and thyroid) are the skin, eyes, prostate and uterus.

Kelp is found in various Natures’ Sunshine formulas. Kelp is an ingredient in Adaptamax a remarkable formula that I personally like a lot. Adaptamax is part of the Glandular System Pack which also includes Master Gland and and Adrenal Support. This Glandular system pack provides nutrients to nourish the body’s glands, support positive mood, promote energy and strengthen the body’s ability to regulate stress. It supports the natural defense mechanisms against all types of stress, along with antioxidant-and-nutrient rich herbs and whole foods to enhance the immune system, increase energy levels, and promote mental and physical well- being. Kelp is also found in Thyroid Activator, Thyroid Support, Energ-V, Heavy Metal Detox, Herbal Trace Minerals and Target TS-II.