Natural Ways to Promote Breast Health & Prevent Breast Cancer: Part 2


By Erika Dworkin, Board Certifi ed in Holistic Nutrition®


"[S]ome of the best weapons you can give your Warrior Goddess to help her successfully fend off breast cancer are very tiny...Only small amounts of these tiny molecules are needed because they


pack a mighty wallop against breast cancer. In biology, it’s normal for microscopic structures to contain immense potential.


~ Waking the Warrior Goddess, Christine Horner, MD, FACS (3rd Ed.2013)


cancer prevention incorporates various healthy lifestyle choices, such as diet and weight management, daily exercise, toxin reduc- tion, and harmful habit elimination. Nutritional supplements can also contribute by bolstering the immune system, lowering infl am- mation, and activating tumor-suppressor genes that trigger the normal death of defective cells.


E Evidence-Based Protective Nutrients


Scientifi c studies substantiate the potential of the dietary supple- ments discussed below to lower the risk of breast cancers that grow in response to the hormones estrogen and progesterone [respectively called estrogen-receptor-positive (ER+), about 70% of all breast can- cers, and progesterone-receptor-positive (PR+), about 87% of all ER+ breast cancers], and those that are not hormone-dependent.


Calcium D-Glucarate: The liver produces glucuronic acid,


which binds to various toxins, including harmful estrogen, and deactivates them. The body then excretes the toxic complex in the bile. Beta-glucuronidase is an enzyme that bacteria in the


arly detection of breast cancer is certainly critical, but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. As noted in Part 1 of this two-part primer, an ideal approach to breast


colon produce, which breaks the glucuronic acid-estrogen bond and reduces estrogen elimination from the body. Excessive beta- glucuronidase activity is thus associated with an increased risk for estrogen-dependent breast cancer. While foods containing D- glucaric acid (organic apples, lettuce, cruciferous vegetables) help lower beta-glucuronidase activity, preliminary research has shown that calcium d-glucarate is just as effective as natural d-glucaric acid, and presents no known side effects or drug interactions.


DIM (diindolylmethane): Glucobrassicin in cruciferous


vegetables is the precursor to Indole-3-carbinol (I3C), which in turn is the precursor to DIM. While researchers maintain that more human research addressing its mechanisms and dosing is war- ranted, studies indicate that DIM (especially highly bio-available BR-DIM®) protects the body against xenoestrogens, harmful compounds discussed in Part 1, and estrogen-dependent breast cancer. DIM has been proven to exhibit direct anti-cancer effects by promoting DNA repair, accelerating cancer cell death, stimulat- ing the activity of natural killer (NK) cells, and depriving cancer cells of their blood supply.


Ground Flaxseeds/Flaxseed Oil With Lignans: Abundant ani-


mal studies have demonstrated that multiple fl axseed components are breast cancer protective: (1) alpha-linolenic acid: low levels of this omega-3 fatty acid have been found in breast cancer patients, and to be associated with the spread of breast cancer into lymph nodes; (2) lignans: compounds that provide many plants their stiff structure that are most abundant in fl axseeds than in any other edible plant; antioxidants that are weak phytoestrogens which decrease estrogen production, block environmental estrogens from binding to estrogen receptors (like the cancer drug Tamoxifen), and promote production of protective estrogen; (3) soluble and insoluble fi ber: a high-fi ber diet reduces risk for breast cancer by up to 54%, and 2 tablespoons of ground fl axseeds contain approximately 6 grams of fi ber.


Medicinal Mushrooms: Extensive research has established that many cancer-fi ghting chemicals give multiple medicinal mushrooms, such as reishi, maitake, and shiitake, the power to protect against breast cancer through various mechanisms. The so-called D-fraction extract from the maitake mushroom, a proven tumor cell killer, is one source of a complex sugar (polysaccharide) called “beta-glucans” that


32 Natural Nutmeg - May/June 2019


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