Prevention
and Treatment of Fibrocystic Breast Disease
by Ralph L. Reed, Ph.D.
Fibrocystic breast disease, for many women, is very treatable
and preventable. For years, doctors have recommended that
women avoid caffeine, high fat diets and so on, and even
to take drugs with strong side effects. In some cases this
helps, in others it doesn't. However, recent research has
offered new hope because it has shown a strong connection
between the wearing of bras and benign fibrocystic lumps,
cysts and pain. For example, Dr. Gregory Heigh of Florida
has found that over 90% of women with fibrocystic changes
find improvement when they stop wearing their brassieres.
This exciting new "treatment" has NO side effects,
costs nothing, and is something that women try for themselves
by making a personal and ALL-NATURAL clothing choice. After
this introductory section, this article is comprised of
six case histories written by women who found relief of
fibrocystic by going bra-free.
There is scientific support for the plausibility of this
connection with breast disease. Two published studies have
shown that women who wear bras have much higher breast cancer
rates than women who don't wear a bra. A husband and wife
research team published a study of almost 5000 women in
the book
Dressed to Kill: The Link Between Breast Cancer and
Bras
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0895296640/naturalhealthandA/
ISBN # 0-89529-664-0, Avery Publishing Group, 1995
They found that the more hours per day that women wear
bras, the higher their rates of breast cancer. Their theory
is that bras can bind and constrict the lymphatic circulation.
This prevents the natural flushing out of accumulated cancer-causing
wastes and toxins from the breast. Fluid pooling could then
result in fibrocystic changes (benign lumps, cysts, and
pain). This gives a breeding ground for various problems,
including cancer.
Another possible mechanism is that bras prevent the natural
movement of the breasts and thereby also hamper circulation.
People experience something similar when their feet swell
and their legs "go to sleep" on long airplane
flights (lack of movement, and pressure on the legs). By
the way, contrary to a common myth, going bra-less (many
women prefer the more positive term "bra-free")
will not make you sag more. In fact, some women actually
find that they sag less, presumably because their chest
ligaments and muscles improve their tone and strength when
they must do the work of supporting the breasts (one doctor
said it is a matter of "Use it or lose it.") Medical
research gives plausibility to this theory, since research
shows that ligaments depend on weight-bearing and movement
for maintaining proper structure and function.
Last year, the Natural Health and Longevity Web Site posted
my book review of Dressed to Kill (http://www.all-natural.com/bras.html).
Since then, many women from around the world have written
to tell of their dramatic results from going bra-free. (By
the way, I am not an expert in the field, just an interested
lay-person with an interest in prevention. Women should
ask their doctor questions about breast disease.) Some of
these women who wrote expressed an interest in telling other
women about the results that they found, so women would
have more all-natural choices in prevention and treatment
of fibrocystic disease. This may not be the answer for all
women, but many women have found dramatic results. Admittedly,
the research is preliminary. But, until further research
shows the exact extent of this possible connection with
breast disease, women can try this choice and be their own
judge about whether it helps them. So, the following is
a collection of personal case histories from the experts,
the women with experience.
Go here to read case histories http://www.all-natural.com/fibrocys.html
To contact the author ,Ralph L. Reed, Ph.D
e-mail him at reedr@ucs.orst.edu
To learn more about Fibroids read Susun
Weed's article
"Help for Women with Fibroids"
http://www.menopause-metamorphosis.com/An_Article-fibroids.htm
To learn more about breast health,
the Wise Woman Way visit
www.breasthealthbook.com