Breast cancer is a frightening reality that one in seven women will face within their lifetime. Every 13 minutes another woman dies from breast cancer, a disease that has more than tripled in incidence over the past 50 years. While there are risk factors that are beyond our control, such as genetic predisposition, researchers are continually revealing newly discovered causes and finding that environmental and synthetic substances are at the root of much of the breast cancer epidemic.
There is no sure fire way to prevent breast cancer,but even a genetic predisposition does not indicate a death sentence. Studies show that less than 10% of the breast cancer cases today are caused by genetics,while the other 90% have unknown origins. Even with a predisposition, it is necessary to be exposed to hormone altering substances in order to set the disease in motion.
At the root of breast cancer lays the dangerous culprit, estrogen. An overabundance of estrogen can cause cancerous cells to proliferate and lead to breast cancer. While the body generates a certain amount of estrogen over our lifetimes, certain synthetic substances, such as pesticides and plastics, have the ability to mimic estrogen when they enter the body. It’s these substances that can take an otherwise healthy body and turn it into a breeding ground for disease.
Below is a list of 6 steps that you can take to minimize or even eliminate your exposure to some of these dangerous everyday substances. All of these substances are known or suspected carcinogens. This list is not complete and the dangers are not limited to breast cancer alone. Following these recommendations will not only help to lower your breast cancer risk but will also improve the health and longevity of your entire family.
1. Pull the Plug on EMFs
Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs) are generated by all electrical sources, whether they are plugged into a wall or powered by batteries. The buzz on EMFs began in the 1970’s when a link was established between radiation from local power lines and childhood leukemia. Since then, the research has expanded and a link has been established between EMF waves and breast cancer. In laboratory studies, cancer cells exposed to EMFs have been shown to grow at a startling rate. A study conducted by the Midwest Research Institute in Kansas City, MO, also found that women exposed to high levels of EMFs showed significantly higher levels of estrogen than normal. These two findings combined make for a lethal combination when it comes to breast cancer.
The FDA recommends “prudent avoidance” when it comes to EMFs. What does this mean? Limit your exposure by keeping all appliances unplugged except when in use. Since EMFs drop off significantly the further you are from the source, put distance between yourself and your appliances while they are in use. Move your alarm clock from your bedside to the opposite side of the room. Don’t stand in front of the microwave while your food is cooking or sit too closely to the television set. Have a licensed electrician check the wiring in your home to verify that it is working properly. Faulty wiring can lead to dangerously high EMF exposure.
2. Discover A New Layer In Ozone
The water that comes flowing out of your tap is treated with chlorine to kill dangerous microorganisms that cause water born diseases. Research has shown, however, that when chlorine mixes with organic substances, such as leaves, algae and even skin, dangerous byproducts called organochlorines are created. Organochlorines enter the body when we shower or ingest water treated with chlorine and are stored in the fatty tissues of our bodies. A recent study conducted in Hartford, Connecticut found that “women with breast cancer have 50% to 60% higher levels of organochlorines in their breast tissue than women without breast cancer.”
In 2002, England began using ozone to treat their nation’s drinking water. The process works by adding the same kind of ozone that is found in the atmosphere to the drinking water. Followed by an electrical charge, all disease-causing microbes are then destroyed. Small units can be purchased for your home and are more effective than chlorine at treating your drinking and bathing water supply. There are no dangerous side effects and the ozone units eliminate chlorine and its byproducts from your water.
Ozonated water’s alkaline state, as opposed to chlorinated water’s acidic state, is an added benefit. To achieve a natural, healthy state the human body must be slightly alkaline. A slightly alkaline pH level in the body will increase physical vitality and stamina, boost resistance to illness, better regulate sugar metabolism and blood pressure and slow down premature aging.
3. Be An All Natural Beauty
The cancer causing agent paraben is used in more beauty products than any other synthetic ingredient and is second only to water. Used as a common preservative to extend a products shelf life, parabens have the ability to mimic estrogen in the body thereby increasing the risk of breast cancer. A recent study found the presence of parabens in human breast cancer tissue. The finding has lead to a number of other cancer research that are now under way.
When choosing your beauty products, go to your local health food store and buy only all natural products. There are many alternatives available that can be used safely and without worry.
4. End the Heavy Metal Revolution
Heavy metals such as cadmium, copper, cobalt, nickel,lead, mercury and tin all exhibit estrogen like activity within the body. Recent studies have shown that exposure to such metals can precipitate early menstruation, thereby extending your lifetime exposure to estrogen- a known risk for breast cancer. It is standard in my medical practice to test patients for heavy metals and I have found that 90% of the evaluations come back with elevated levels of these metals.
It is impossible to eliminate your exposure to heavy metals, as they are found in the air that we breathe, the water that we drink and even the foods that we eat. You can limit your exposure some, however, by lowering your intake of fish, which contains dangerously high levels of mercury. If you have silver amalgams (fillings), which contain extremely high amounts of mercury, visit a biological dentist to have them safely removed.
Since there is little that you can do to avoid exposure, talk to your doctor about heavy metals detoxification. There are several safe ways to eliminate the heavy metals from your body and many can be done with supplements that can be taken at home.
5. Pick Your Produce Wisely
The produce that you purchase at your local grocery store is laden with insecticides, herbicides and fungicides containing dangerous hormone altering chemicals that make their way into the body’s fatty tissues. The EPA considers 60% of herbicides, 90% of fungicides and 30% of insecticides to be carcinogenic and research has shown that exposure to such chemicals can lead to breast cancer.
By buying organic produce you are ensuring that the fruits and vegetables that you eat are free of toxic chemicals. Additionally, you are purchasing a nutritionally superior food that contains all of the necessary nutrients that are lacking in the produce found in grocery stores today.
6. Go Wild With Free Range
Hormones are used to fatten up the animals that eventually make their way to our dinner tables. While the FDA has approved hormones for use in our meat supply, recent studies indicate that such hormones cause breast cancer cells to proliferate in the body.
Instead of serving up hormone saturated meals to your family, purchase grassfed meats and poultry. No antibiotics, growth hormones, fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides are used when raising grassfed animals. Not only will you be eating chemical free food, your main course will contain less fat and fewer calories, stimulate your immune system and reduce your risk of diabetes.
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