By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

July 7, 2021

Women with a high risk of breast cancer are in a tough spot. They often hear they should take drugs that help prevent cancer. But many women refuse. The increased risk of blood clots and uterine cancer when taking these drugs is just too high.

If you or a woman you know is in this dilemma, I have some good news for you. You can lower your chances of developing breast cancer on your own.

This is going to sound trite, but it’s true… all it takes is great bowel movements. Women who have three or more movements a day have a 46% decreased risk of breast cancer compared to those who have only one.

You see, if you’re pooping good, the excess estrogen you generate – which gets metabolized through your liver and goes into your intestine – gets eliminated and flushed down the toilet. So you’re not reabsorbing the estrogen that you should be eliminating.

There’s even a test for it. It’s a stool test called beta-glucuronidase.

If you have too much of this enzyme, then you are reabsorbing all that estrogen and doubling your estrogen content, increasing your risk of breast cancer or other ovarian, uterine or cervical cancer.

That’s not a chemo-preventive drug like tamoxifen or raloxifene that have very scary side effects. It’s just pooping several times a day.

And the best way to keep things moving well is with the foods you eat.

Flush Away that Excess Estrogen

It’s funny the things people reach for when they want to get more fiber in their diet. They’ll go for bran muffins, whole wheat breads and cereals. But those really aren’t your best source of fiber. You are better off reaching for fruits and vegetables.

All natural, plant-based foods contain fiber.

Peas, green beans, sweet potatoes and artichokes. Avocados, apples, pears and berries. Legumes, nuts and seeds. These are all so much tastier and healthier than that soggy cereal and semi-stale bran muffin.

All of these foods are high in soluble fiber, which has the most effect when it comes to a reduction in breast cancer.

Aim for 35 grams of fiber every day. But don’t load up just yet!

If you suddenly introduce too much fiber into your diet it could give you diarrhea.

So gradually increase the amount of fiber rich beans, sweet potatoes, apricots, berries, greens and other plant-based foods into your diet over the next couple of weeks. This will slowly encourage healthy bowel movements without drastic over-correction.

Introduce more Chemo-Preventive and Liver-Cleansing Foods

You also want to get more foods in you that help your liver detox estrogen and move pseudo-estrogenic compounds out of your body. And you have to keep your liver working well to help move those toxins out.

Cruciferous vegetables are one of your greatest weapons against cancer. It’s a shame more people don’t realize that.

When women come to me with breast cancer or ovarian cancer, it’s too late for broccoli. But if broccoli and bok choy and some of the other cruciferous vegetables were part of their diet twice a week, it could have been a different story.

Sulforaphane, the active ingredient in these veggies will help detox you and prevent cancers, specifically breast cancer.  And the 3,3’-diindolymethane (DIM) in the crucifers helps reduce high estrogen levels. Plus it supports estrogen detox in the liver.

Some of the more common cruciferous veggies include arugula, bok choy, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, collard greens and kale.

If you chop some of those veggies up and turn them into a curry, you can magnify their power. That’s because the key compound in curry is turmeric. It’s loaded with a powerful antioxidant called curcumin.

Not only is turmeric great for the liver, it also has anti-cancer compounds.

First, it can prevent precancerous cells from turning into full-blown cancer. Second, turmeric appears to actually kill cancer cells. And third, it can stop more cancer cells from growing. Plus, it helps detox heavy metals that can contribute liver toxicity and breast cancer.

I also like coffee and tea for the liver. They are loaded with chlorogenic acid, a polyphenol that has a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect on the liver.

This is another example where eating the right foods can help protect your health. Eat well and you will live well.

SOURCES:

Heidi D. Nelson, M.E. Beth Smith, Jessica C. Griffin, et al. Use of Medications to Reduce Risk for Primary Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Ann Intern Med.2013;158:604-614.

Maruti SS, Lampe JW, Potter JD, Ready A, White E. A prospective study of bowel motility and related factors on breast cancer risk. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2008;17(7):1746-1750.

Farvid MS, Spence ND, Holmes MD, Barnett JB. Fiber consumption and breast cancer incidence: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies. Cancer. 2020 Jul 1;126(13):3061-3075.

Petta S, Marchesini G. Coffee and tea breaks for liver health. J Hepatol. 2017 Aug;67(2):221-223. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2017.04.014. Epub 2017 Jun 1. Erratum in: J Hepatol. 2017 Nov;67(5):1122.

Romaniuk А, Lyndin M, Sikora V, Lyndina Y, Romaniuk S, Sikora K. Heavy metals effect on breast cancer progression. J Occup Med Toxicol. 2017;12:32.

Farzaei MH, Zobeiri M, Parvizi F, et al. Curcumin in Liver Diseases: A Systematic Review of the Cellular Mechanisms of Oxidative Stress and Clinical Perspective. Nutrients. 2018;10(7):855