Most people think that breast cancer is something that if you’re going to get, that there’s nothing you can do about it. That couldn’t be more wrong! It is true that if you have certain genetic mutations, you are likely to develop breast cancer. But you don’t HAVE to get breast cancer just because of your BRCA2 genes. There’s a lot of little thing you could do differently that would greatly reduce your risk for getting breast cancer. Here’s 5 of them.
- Antiperspirants have long been linked to breast cancer because if toxins aren’t sweated out via the underarms, they remain in the lymph nodes next to the breasts, increasing the risk for cancer. By not always wearing antiperspirants every day, the body is allowed to release these toxins. All common antiperspirants contain aluminum as the active ingredient, which is a toxin. There are other cancer-causing toxins in most antiperspirants too. As if that isn’t bad enough, women often shave their underarms and then almost immediately apply antiperspirant. Shaving causes small nicks in the skin that more easily allow the toxic aluminum into the bloodstream and lymph fluid, where it can drastically increase the risk of breast cancer. Try going without antiperspirant sometimes or apply at different times than when you shave your underarms. Also, try a non-aluminum containing antiperspirant like Dr. Makesi’s.
- Wearing a bra for long hours (day and night) has been shown to decrease circulation in the breast tissue, which slows the body’s natural removal of toxins from the lymph glands next to the breasts. The more a woman wears a bra, the higher her chances of getting breast cancer (and even worse for wearing bras with bone). Go without a bra when at home or even more often if is comfortable to leave home without a bra.
- Vitamin D is a great cancer preventative and treatment, but most vitamin D supplements are synthetic and useless against cancer. The cheapest and best cancer supplement is a few minutes of sunlight per day. 15 minutes of direct sunlight on the face and arms is enough.
- Melatonin is a hormone that the body produces in response to dark – it makes us sleepy. It has been found that high melatonin levels mean a lower risk of breast cancer (and other types of cancers too). Sleeping in the dark with the TV, night lights, alarm clock lights etc off is best for increasing melatonin levels. Taking supplemental melatonin before bed may be a good idea too.
- If you are genetically predisposed to getting breast cancer, or you haven’t been tested but it runs in your family, there are cancer coaches available to help you make better decisions to ensure you don’t get breast cancer.
