Diet, Lifestyle Changes, and Supplements for Breast Health

When it comes to public awareness and early detection campaigns, the breasts certainly spend their fair share of time in the spotlight. And for good reason! Breast cancer affects as many as 1 in 8 women throughout our lives. Plus, a variety of non-cancerous breast lumps are quite prevalent during “childbearing” ages (dense breasts, fibrocystic changes, and cysts, for example), and their discovery drives thousands of women to visit their doctors' offices each year.

Are you concerned about “lumpy” or tender/painful breasts? Don’t put off an appropriate evaluation of “the girls” with your provider. DO enjoy living your best (breast) life through incorporating these helpful tips:

Let’s start with some diet and lifestyle strategies to support healthy breast tissue:

• Eat more broccoli! Broccoli contains various compounds that have demonstrated anti-cancerous properties. Consuming this food regularly has been titled “green chemoprevention” by researchers.
• Vitamin E and flaxseed oil supplementation have been shown to reduce breast pain and nodularity.
• Try reducing or eliminating caffeine. While the mechanism is not fully understood, many women report softening of “lumpy, bumpy,” and dense breast tissue following the removal of caffeine from the diet.
• Clean up your face and body care products. Some evidence suggests that unhealthy breast tissue concentrates aluminum, leading to increased inflammation in these areas. Aluminum can be absorbed through the skin and is present in some brands of antiperspirants and cosmetics.

Botanicals have both traditional uses and evidence-based properties that bolster breast health:

• Green tea and grape seed extract, both rich in antioxidants and other health-promoting molecules, may reduce the risk of unhealthy changes in breast tissue by neutralizing compounds that would otherwise aggravate these hormonally sensitive tissues.
• Turmeric, a popular anti-inflammatory herb, also supports healthy cells by modulating the inflammatory response.
• Vitex agnus-castus, commonly called Chasteberry, is traditionally used to lessen breast pain and tenderness prior to menstrual cycles.
• The isoflavones in traditionally dubbed “phytoestrogenic” herbs, like red clover and black cohosh, exhibit an ability to reduce breast pain in cycling women, as well.

Breast health is important throughout our entire lifespan. While supplements and herbs continue to forge their reputation, they amplify their potential by building upon a solid foundation of a healthy diet, clean cosmetics and self-awareness.

This blog was written by Dr. Stephanie Nishek, please click here to learn more about the author.