Breasts are often considered symbols of nurturing, sexuality and beauty. They are also widely written about with regards to diseases and conditions that occur within them. Most women know a loved one, friend or acquaintance who has a breast disease, and many women are concerned about the health of their own breasts. Managing your breast health through a holistic approach can be a health goal achieved by all women.

Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is a disease affecting one in 9 females. Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in Canadian women. While these statistics are frightening, consider them a great motivator to become proactive in your breast health. Whether you simply want to prevent the occurrence of breast cancer, you believe that you have an increased risk to develop breast cancer or you currently have breast cancer, there are many things that you can do naturally to improve your breast health.

There are several factors that may contribute to an increased risk for a woman to develop breast cancer. These include:

• Mother/sister with breast cancer
• Father/brother with prostate cancer
• Having children after the age of 30, or no children
• Increased age
• Little/not enough physical activity
• Constipation
• Cigarette smoking
• Certain prescription drug use
• Hormonal imbalance
• High fat intake
• Non-vegetarian diet

A simple way to assist you in improving your breast health includes increasing your intake of broccoli, cabbage and onion. The indole-3-carbinols found in these foods assist your body in producing a safer and beneficial type of estrogen, 2-hydroxyestrone and reducing the tumor promoting estrogen, 16-hydroxyestrone.

Another way that women can manage their own breast health is through regular self-breast examinations, consistently performed at the same time each month. To maximize your understanding of your self breast exam, charting and mapping any changes in your breasts on a breast map is ideal. Breast self-examinations are not limited to any age population. Even young women can benefit from performing self breast exams. Getting to know your breasts and their unique contours and anatomy will help you to keep knowledgeable about your breasts for the future. In addition, women should consult with a trusted primary healthcare practitioner on options for breast cancer screening and what method and frequency of screening is appropriate for you as well as getting regular clinical breast examinations.

As with all conditions, a more individualized and holistic approach to your healthcare, which addresses how diseases develop and works to promote the health of your breasts is an effective way to maintain your breast health. Together, with your naturopathic doctor, you can assess your individual situation and develop a comprehensive plan which may include:

• Nutritional status assessment and dietary and/or supplemental protocol. Diet and nutrition have a very important impact on your breast health. Many foods decrease your breast cancer risk (vegetarian diet, broccoli, cabbage, onions, flaxseeds) while others increase your cancer risk (red meat, saturated fats, non-organic ingredients)
• Detoxification program to eliminate or decrease toxins stored in your body as well as avoiding pesticides and other pollutants. Included in this program may be saunaing, botanical medicines or dietary protocols aimed at gently cleansing and detoxifying your system.
• Lifestyle counseling to assess any lifestyle habits that may increase your risk for breast cancer. This plan may include eliminating smoking, decreasing alcohol and maintaining a healthy weight.
• Stress management to determine how stressful your life is and assist with decreasing these stressors. Stress management will often include journaling, decreasing environmental stress, emotional expression, and breathing exercises. A simple way for you to decrease your stress is to attend a local yoga class, or rent a meditation or yoga video from your local library.
• If you are interested in seeking naturopathic care after a diagnosis of breast cancer, we can work as an adjunct practitioner to offer supportive therapies at whatever stage you are at in your breast cancer treatment.

While breast cancer is a scary reality, there are many things we can do now using non-invasive methods to promote our breast health for the future.

Fibrocystic breast disease

Fibrocystic breast disease (FBD) is usually a benign condition with symptoms ranging from cyclical swelling, breast pain, diffuse lumpiness or masses. Symptoms will range in severity for women experiencing this condition. Some simple preventive measures that you may use to alleviate this problem are:

• Avoidance of all caffeine products since caffeine has been associated with FBD.
• Increasing fiber to ensure adequate bowel function, which includes daily bowel movements. The bowels are an important avenue for the elimination of toxins, which buildup in our bodies. This toxic buildup may contribute to FBD.

In addition to these recommendations, it is important to ensure liver function and bowel function are optimal. Sometimes this requires supportive nutritional or botanical factors to ensure optimal functions. Women who have fibrocystic breasts should ensure they chart their breast lumps in order to identify any new lumps, which should be investigated.