Breast Cancer - A Focus on Prevention - 2

Breast Cancer - A Focus on Prevention - 2

According to the world-renowned and brilliant immunologist Dr. Aristo Vojdani, "You and I can be exposed to exactly the same amount of chemicals and our response will differ, perhaps by a hundred fold. Therefore, carcinogenic agents in the environment are more harmful to certain members of society than others who are similarly exposed and significant gains in cancer prevention will come only from ensuring that these more vulnerable people are protected. It has been estimated that in the absence of environmental exposure to toxic chemicals, cancer incidence would be reduced by 90%.

Prevention of cancer is the best treatment, avoiding even 20% of cases in the U.S. Would translate into more than 270,000 people spared from the disease." I hope this illustrates how important it is to avoid products that contain chemicals including skin care, make-up, bathing supplies, dental products etc. Many people go about their daily lives using toxic chemicals on themselves and in their homes completely unaware of the devastating effects they have on the human body. Visit the Environmental Working Groups cosmetic database to see the potential toxicity of the products you are using.

Let's discuss what actually causes cancer. This has been known for quite some time yet it has been ignored due to a long and dirty money trail. Cancer is the most profitable disease in the history of the world so it is very difficult to make inroads with traditional medicine. Cancer is basically a deficiency of DNA repair enzymes due to an intracellular antioxidant deficit and/or insufficient immune system function. This basically means that your cells can no longer repair themselves resulting in mutation. A cancer cell was basically a normal cell that could not be controlled by your immune system. Cancer cells thrive in an anaerobic metabolism meaning they do not require oxygen whereas healthy cells thrive in an oxygen-rich metabolism. We all have cancer cells in us right now but our immune system metabolizes them because we are healthy and have a surplus of antioxidants.

The first test you should have done is a hormone profile that measures the estrogen metabolites 2, 4 and 16 hydroxyestrogens. This will give you your 2:16 ratio which is a risk factor for estrogen dependent breast cancers. If the ratio is off, there are simple steps you can take to optimize your estrogen metabolism. The first is to eat 3 servings of cruciferous vegetables every week. These include broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and cabbage to name a few. These contain the compounds indole-3-carbinol and diindolelylmethane or "DIM" which optimize estrogen metabolism. Obesity is a factor in estrogen metabolism as the more body fat a woman has, the more imbalanced her estrogen metabolism will be to the more toxic estrogen metabolites. Essential fatty acids from fish oil such as EPA and DHA will help healthy estrogen metabolism. And lastly, toxic chemicals such as pesticides that accumulate in the body from conventional food will result in unhealthy estrogen metabolism. Seasonal detoxification/cleansing programs will rid your body of these chemicals and this is one more reason to eat organic foods. The hormone profile will also give you progesterone, DHEA, testosterone, all 3 estrogens and cortisol levels all of which interact in their own unique way.

The second thing you can do to prevent breast cancer is to be evaluated for iodine deficiency. Iodine is a vital nutrient for the health of not only the thyroid, but the breast as well. In fact, when you ingest iodine the body prioritizes all that the thyroid needs and anything left over goes directly to the breast. Iodine works in two ways to prevent breast cancer: It directly destroys breast cancer cells. It optimizes estrogen metabolism shunting the more potent estradiol and estrone to the weaker, yet more protective estriol. You may have an iodine deficiency if you have any of the following symptoms or diseases:

* Fatigue
* Cold hands and feet
* Fibrocystic breasts (lumps or lumpy breasts)
* Hair loss
* Constipation
* Depression
* Heartburn
* Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
* Uterine Fibroids
* Endometriosis
* Dry skin, nails and hair
* Any and all thyroid disorders
* Prostate problems (let's include the guys here since 2% of all breast cancers occur in men)