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7 Steps of Prevention
2. Balance Hormones
What you can do:
Avoid all sources of synthetic hormones! Synthetic Hormone Replacement Therapy is linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. This includes birth control pills and HRT (such as Premarin, Provera, implants, and injections of synthetic hormones). You are also exposed to synthetic hormones if you consume conventionally raised meat, poultry, dairy and eggs. These animals are fed large amounts of hormones in order to make them grow larger. Conventionally raised produce has the toxic residues of many sprays, which act as xenohomones, entering estrogen receptor sites, delivering a growth message and wreaking havoc inside our cells.
EAT ORGANICALLY RAISED MEAT, EGGS, DAIRY AND PRODUCE
Consider using a natural, additive-free, progesterone cream to balance estrogen dominance and slow proliferation of breast tissue. It can work wonders to help ease symptoms of PMS and Menopause, such as headaches and mood swings. It actually builds bone tissue, helping to prevent osteoporosis. It has a very calming effect, usually enhancing sleep patterns as well. Natural Progesterone is not the same as the synthetic Progestins found in birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy. These synthetic progestins are actually potentially very dangerous and there is no reason to take them with the easy availability of safe, natural progesterone. Progesterone (but not progestin) stimulates P-53, which is a cancer-suppressing gene found in our DNA. Many women who have had hysterectomies have been put on estrogen replacement therapy alone. They are told that they do not need progesterone (or, more often, dangerous synthetic progestins) because they no longer have a uterus and therefore are not at risk for uterine cancer, which can be caused by giving only estrogen. However, this completely ignores the fact that these women still have breasts and are still at risk for breast cancer!!! Unopposed estrogen puts a woman at risk for breast cancer. If you are currently taking estrogen without progesterone, you are at elevated risk for breast cancer. Make sure you read the "Estrogen 101" article to better understand progesterone.
Consume phytoestrogens with care. These include flax and soy products, which have weak estrogens. Herbal SERMS (selective estrogen receptor modulators) such as red clover, Black Cohosh and Vitex can also simulate or stimulate estrogen production. For women who are experiencing menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes and night sweats, these can help to provide temporary relief. However, for women at high risk for breast cancer, or those who have or had breast cancer, these are best avoided. The reason is that they have estrogenic effects, which can stimulate a tumor's growth. Remember that breast cancer risk is directly affected by a woman's lifetime exposure to estrogen. Women in high-risk categories should make every effort to reduce their estrogen exposure to an absolute minimum. If you take estrogenic plant or herb substances, be sure to use natural progesterone cream to help balance the estrogenic effects and protect your breasts from cancer.
Take an Adaptogen These are substances that modulate endocrine responses. If a gland is overactive, or under active, it will help restore optimal functioning. It promotes both energy and feelings of calmness. They are very helpful for stress management. Adaptogens are very tonic to the system. They help to strengthen, balance and heal us. Rhodiola, Soma Latha, Ginseng and Maral are all adaptogenic herbs. Dong Quai is a tonic herb with a long history of use for female health problems. It is not estrogenic in its effect on breast tissue, although many people think it does. It is useful for difficult or irregular menstruation.
Take Bee Pollen. In addition to being an excellent hormone balancer, it promotes energy and endurance. It also helps to strengthen bladder function. If the man in your life suffers from prostate problems, this can be of great benefit to him as well!
Take Melatonin. Often overlooked in the realm of hormone balancing, melatonin is an extremely important hormone for wellbeing and one that appears to play a pivotal role in the prevention of breast cancer. It is naturally produced by the pineal gland in the center of the brain between the hours of 10pm and midnight. It requires absolute darkness to achieve maximum production and release into the bloodstream. As we age, our brains produce less and less melatonin and many people suffer from sleep disturbances as a result. It is well known for its ability to help people conquer jet lag, but few are aware it is also a potent anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory as well. Melatonin slows the production of estrogen, prevents its overproduction, and blocks its stimulating effects on the breast cells. What's more, it also blocks overproduction of prolactin and Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), two other potent stimulators of breast cell division. Melatonin enhances the tumor fighting ability of Vitamin D and increases it's ability to stop tumor growth. Melatonin helps to prevent the initiation of breast cancer, slows down tumor growth and prevents metastasis. As if that wasn't enough, melatonin can enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy. A 1999 Italian study found that breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy lived longer if they were also given supplemental melatonin. Melatonin seems to protect platelets, which are often drastically reduced by chemotherapy. It also helps to protect patients from some of the toxic side effects of chemotherapy such as damage to the nervous system, heart damage and ulcers of the mouth.
Support Stressed-out Adrenal glands. This is a major issue. In today's stressed out environment, most women are suffering from adrenal fatigue and exhaustion. REST AND RELAXATION are the number 1 adrenal rejuvenators. The adrenals need 5 solid hours of uninterrupted sleep every night in order to recover. Take an adrenal support product if you are really stressed or having menopause symptoms like hot flashes. PR Labs Adrenal Complex is a non-animal source adrenal rejuvenation tonic. It helps to nourish and build exhausted adrenals back up to optimum functioning again. The adrenals produce the stress hormones, epinephrine and cortisol, as well as pregnenalone and DHEA, important hormones, which are the pre-cursors for other hormones, such as progesterone, estrogen and testosterone (which women also need in small amounts!) On-going, chronic stress, which is so common for women today, exhausts the adrenals and impairs their ability to produce sufficient quantities of these vital substances. This results in chronic fatigue, fuzzy thinking, inflammation responses (such as those associated with auto-immune disorders), and hormone imbalances. Stress reduction methods, such as exercise, meditation, humor, naps, lovemaking, hobbies, playing with pets, or anything that makes you feel good and forget your troubles, can be truly therapeutic and healing as well as fun! Be sure to make time for them!
Support your thyroid. Cold hands and feet, low body temperature, fatigue, dry skin, constipation, hair loss and weight gain are all symptoms of thyroid disorder. Many women with "normal" thyroid function tests are deficient in thyroid hormone. Their doctors tell them that they are "fine". Often the symptoms are written off to menopause and they are prescribed synthetic estrogen replacement, which just serves to drive the natural production of thyroid hormone even lower, since excess estrogen suppresses thyroid function! Now the thyroid is really in trouble and in addition the estrogen/progesterone balance is being whacked by the synthetic hormone replacement therapy. By this point, the woman is so miserable, the doctor usually prescribes anti-depressants! Of course she's miserable and depressed! The combination of low thyroid and high estrogen has caused her to put on weight, feel fatigued, bitchy and confused about what to do. She is out of control of her body and her life! With hormones, it is better to ignore laboratory values and simply observe symptoms. Each woman is unique. A "one size fits all" mentality doesn't work for hormone levels! A level that is adequate for one woman will be woefully inadequate for another! High levels of estrogen can contribute to low levels of thyroid hormone (read estrogen 101). So taking a progesterone cream to balance and reduce estrogen levels can actually help to raise thyroid levels. Also, the thyroid can become toxic due to high levels of xenohormones. Detoxifying and supporting the thyroid with natural iodine from uncontaminated seaweeds is an excellent way to boost thyroid function. Taking an adaptogen or herbal thyroid supplement is a good idea too. Also, AVOID NON-FERMENTED soy; it has a suppressive effect on thyroid hormones. No soymilk, soy protien or edamame. Choose tofu, miso and tempeh instead. High consumption of cruciferous veggies, like broccoli and cabbage may also suppress thyroid.
Eat a LOW To NO SUGAR DIET. Give your pancreas a break! Eat fruit if you crave something sweet. If you must eat sugar, cakes and sweets, do so after a meal in which you have consumed a good deal of protein and some fat. Dessert, in other words. This will slow down the speed at which the sugar is released into the bloodstream. A candy bar on an empty stomach is absolutely the worst thing you could do. The rapid rise and fall of sugar in your blood stream will take you on an emotional and physical roller coaster ride that will leave you irritable and exhausted. If you are having ANY OTHER hormone issues, (menopausal symptoms can be dramatically alleviated by eliminating sugar and increasing exercise), keeping your blood sugar stable is what you want and what you need. Eating some protein and fat together every few hours, in small quantity, will help to stabilize blood sugar levels. A handful of nuts. An apple with cheese. Peanut butter and celery. Sliced turkey wrapped in lettuce. I also recommend adding Stabilized Rice Bran (PR Labs makes an awesome product called Tocotriene Complex that really does the job!) to the diet if you are diabetic, hypoglycemic or have a hard time stabilizing your blood sugar. It is also loaded with anti-oxidants and tastes great! Metabolically, sugar consumption triggers the release of insulin into the blood. Insulin acts as the escort or the key, which allows sugar molecules entry into the cell. High levels of sugar and insulin in the blood stream can be disastrous to our health and can dramatically increase our risk for breast cancer. For one thing, cancer cells love sugar. It is their preferred fuel. Both normal cells and cancer cells have insulin receptors on them. Insulin, like estrogen, tells a cancer cell to "GROW", and triggers the cell to start dividing. Insulin also helps regulate how much of the estrogen in your bloodstream is available to attach to estrogen receptors on the breast cells. It does this by reducing the number of protein binders in the blood that would normally bind to free estrogen and keep it from landing on a receptor. (Read more about this in "Estrogen 101). So, the more insulin is in the blood, the more free estrogen is available to stimulate estrogen receptors on breast (OR CANCER) cells. Another problem with sugar is that it dramatically suppresses the immune system! After a high sugar meal, the ability of T-Lymphocytes (a white blood cell) is reduced by 50%! That lasts for more than 5 hours! Choose Stevia or Xylitol instead. These are safe, natural sugar alternatives. Take honey and real maple syrup in moderation, as these can trigger the same responses as straight sugar in the bloodstream. Avoid artificial sweeteners, such as Nutra-Sweet, Splenda and Saccarine. These are loaded with chemicals and there is compelling evidence that they may be carcinogenic.
Eat a low-fat diet to help prevent insulin resistance. High levels of lipids, or fat, in the bloodstream contribute to insulin resistance. That means that the cells of the body resist the action of insulin as it attempts to usher sugar out of the blood stream and into the cell. This leads to high levels of sugar in the blood, which contributes to the development of diabetes.
Add fiber, particularly non-soluble fiber such as ground flax or bran, to your diet. Fiber helps to regulate blood sugar and insulin and it also regulates estrogen levels by binding to estrogen and pulling it out of the body for excretion. It helps to lower cholesterol in the same way, thus reducing your risk for breast cancer, diabetes and heart disease all at the same time!
Click here to visit our Products & Supplies Page if you would like to try some of the products we have mentioned to balance your hormones!
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*These statements have not been evaluated by the food and Drug Administration. This Product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
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