In 2010, a 26 year old interior designer came to see me for stage 4 breast cancer. Cancer used to be a disease for the elderly. Over the past few years, she was just one of many bright young women who have come to me with breast cancer.

A woman dies from breast cancer every minute worldwide. The Philippines has the lowest breast cancer survival rates among the 15 Asian countries. With 1 out of 9 Filipinas today potentially developing breast cancer, we must be aggressive in preventing the #1 killer of our mothers, sisters and daughters. Breast cancer incidence continues to increase in younger women, and is the most common cause of cancer death in women aged 15-49.

Knowing how our breasts develop and function can help us better understand how they are affected by established and emerging breast cancer risk factors. There are two main stages of breast development. Breast tissue is very sensitive in all phases of development until it is completed at the first full-term pregnancy.

(1) Breasts are developed like other organs in the first trimester of the fetus inside its mother’s womb. However, they are not like other organs that are ready to function after birth.

(2) Most breast tissue develops during adolescence over the course of about 10 years. The final size of a woman’s breast happens in her early twenties. Even when breasts appear fully formed on the outside, the cells on the inside do not mature completely until women go through a full-term pregnancy. A full-term pregnancy makes our breast cells completely mature so they will be ready to work for the first time. Final maturation of our breast occurs during breastfeeding. Some scientists think that breasts are more vulnerable to cancer than other organs because they take much longer to develop. Immature breast cells are more active and responsive to hormones than mature cells. Estrogen can “turn on” breast cell growth. Thus, long-term exposure to extra estrogen or chemicals (Pthalates) that act like estrogen can increase breast cancer risk.

Anyone can develop breast cancer, including men. The standard known factors that may increase our risk of developing breast cancer are: being a woman, getting older, having an inherited mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 breast cancer genes, family history of breast cancer, starting menopause after age 55, never having children, being overweight after menopause or gaining weight as an adult. Despite these known risk factors, 70% of women who develop breast cancer have no known risk factors.

Current studies and research have identified the following NEW risk factors:

PUBERTY and BREAST DEVELOPMENT are starting earlier and earlier in the Philippines and throughout the world. The earlier a girl gets her first period, the higher her risk for breast cancer later in life. Today, some girls start puberty as early as 7 years old—a disturbing trend for many reasons. The production of estrogen and other hormones brings on the onset of puberty.

UNHEALTHY DIET: Junk, processed fast foods mimic estrogen and disrupt the endocrine system, raising women’s risk of breast cancer. They also boost your estrogen levels. Sodas and soft drinks contain high amounts of sugar, which food for cancer cells. French fries, chips, biscuits and other snack foods contain trans-fats, additives, and Acrylamide, a cancer causing substance. Cakes and donuts contain nothing but refined sugar, corn syrups, refined flour, food coloring, additives, flavorings and hydrogenated oils, which turn into trans-fats. They are the perfect cancer-causing foods. Processed meat such as bacon, hotdogs, and sausages are loaded with sodium nitrites and nitrates that cause cancer. Canned foods and soups contain very high levels of monosodium glutamate (MSG), trans-fats and additives. Non-organic meat, chicken and farmed fish are laden with hormones, antibiotics, pesticides. Genetic Engineered Growth hormone (rBGH) injections given to dairy cows to increase milk production are linked to the development of breast cancer.

DELAYING PREGNANCY or not having full-term pregnancies. Pregnancy rates have been steadily declining. A woman’s first full-term pregnancy protects against breast cancer by making the breast cells mature. Mature breast cells are more likely to grow normally and less likely to become abnormal and give rise to cancer.
Now, more than ever, we need to focus our efforts on finding ways to reduce the risk of breast cancer. With so many lives at stake, we urgently need to provide our girls and women with enough information about established lifestyle risk factors, as well as emerging environmental hazards that can increase the odds of developing breast cancer. Armed with the green secret, let us break the chain of women dying every minute from breast cancer!

Meanwhile, here is the Green Secret’s “Breast Cancer Prevention” juice. High in beta carotene, a phytochemical, especially important for breast cancer prevention. (Make sure to scrub and wash all vegetables and fruits well before juicing). It is a MUST to use organic vegetables only.

2 small/medium beets (peeled)
3 calamansi (seeds removed)
1 red bell pepper
1 grapefruit (peeled. Orange is a substitute)
1” ginger peeled

Juice all ingredients in your masticating juicer. Stir and serve at room temperature or chilled, as desired.

The entire month of October will focus on breast cancer issues. God bless you on your journey to health and wellbeing. Thank you IAJ Wellness Corporation for making this information public. For more information or questions email me at [email protected].

 

 

Christine E.V. Gonzalez is a doctor of naturopathic medicine and holds PhDs
in holistic nutrition and natural medicine. LLM (MS Environmental Laws & Labor)
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