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by Lorna Vanderhaeghe
Estrogen Friend or Foe?
 oo much estrogen and our risk of
breast cancer rises; too little estrogen
and osteoporosis may develop.
Hormone balance is the key to
reducing breast and other cancers,
preventing hot flashes, halting menopausal symptoms,
reducing body fat, maintaining libido and
eliminating PMS. It is not just menopause that
causes hormonal imbalances, as we learned from
reading Sherrill Sellman’s article.
Certain foods, stress, obesity, weak adrenal
glands, a congested liver, low thyroid, a lack of
exercise and environmental toxins call all wreak
havoc with our estrogens. Furthermore, due to
some of these factors, our good estrogens can be
converted to cancer-causing estrogens.
Now a new and more serious alarm bell has
been raised—estrogen mimickers in our environment,
called xenoestrogens (pronounced ‘zeno’
estrogens), found in plastics, pesticide-laden
foods, nail polish, cosmetics, foods containing
dioxins including meat, milk, eggs and fish, glues
and adhesive and more, are further disrupting our
estrogen balance. These in turn cause estrogen
dominant cancers, endometriosis, uterine
fibroids, recurring miscarriages, infertility, early
menstruation in girls, birth defects, lowered progesterone
with resulting hormone imbalance and
the list goes on.
Fortunately, keeping our estrogens healthy
and balanced is possible even when exposed to a
daily onslaught of environmental estrogens. We
must eat only organic foods since pesticide-laden
fruits and vegetables are a big source of xenoestrogens.
Choose lots of cruciferous veggies, Brussels
sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower and kale as they
contain certain plant nutrients (mentioned
below) that help keep estrogens healthy and our
hormones balanced. Most cows are fed grains that
have been sprayed with pesticides and these are
concentrated in their milk and meat. If you eat
animal products, ensure that you drink organic
milk and eat organic yogurt, cheese and beef.
Don’t use bleached pads and tampons because the
bleaching chemicals act as estrogen mimickers.
Go to the health food store and buy unbleached
feminine hygiene products. Do not microwave
foods in plastic (especially baby formula)¡ª
estrogen-mimickers lurk in plastics and when
heated release their toxins. Take the following
eight nutrients that help keep estrogen healthy,
balance hormones, detoxify and eliminate carcinogenic
estrogens:
Indole-3-carbinol
Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) is an anticancer plant
nutrient found in cruciferous vegetables.
Research has shown that I3C helps to break down
cancer-causing estrogens to non-toxic forms and
it eliminates harmful estrogen mimickers.
- Indole-3-carbinol improves the detoxification of the cytochrome P450 enzyme system, thereby detoxifying excess estrogen or xenoestrogens.
- Indole-3-carbinol also increases the conversion of carcinogenic estrogens (16 and 4-hydroxyestrone) to non-toxic break down products.
- I3C protects against estrogen-dominant cancers, i.e. breast and ovarian.
- I3C reduces tumor development of the endometrium and cervix.
- I3C inhibits the growth of prostate cancer cells.
- I3C and tamoxifen work together to inhibit the growth of estrogen-dominant cancers more effectively than tamoxifen alone.
- HPV (human papilloma virus), which can lead to cervical cancer, uses 16-hydroxyestrone to develop into cancer.
- To reduce abnormal Pap smears. In one study 30 women with CINII and CINIII cervical lesions took 200mg or 400mg of I3C daily. Some 50 percent in the treatment group had complete regression of their lesions and normal Pap smears. None of the placebo group had complete regression of their lesions.
- Tobacco smoke contains NNK, a carcinogen; I3C inhibits lung tumor formation by enhancing the clearance of NNK.
Dosage 150 to 300mg per day. Cancer patients can
take much higher dosages.
Calcium D-glucarate
Calcium D-glucarate is found in all fruits and vegetables, with the highest concentrations found in apples, grapefruit and broccoli.
- In addition to benefits in cancer prevention, D-glucarate has been shown to reduce total triglyceride levels by an average of 12 percent, hence reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Helps rid the body of toxic substances by way of conjugation in the liver (Phase II detoxification).
- Calcium D-glucarate removes excess estrogens and xenoestrogens.
- Calcium D-glucarate inhibits tumor formation caused by chemical cancer-causing agents.
- Calcium D-glucarate in animal studies resulted in a 50 to 70 percent reduction of breast tumor formation.
- Calcium D-glucarate is a powerful detoxifier of excess estrogens from the liver. In animal studies it was shown to reduce breast tumor development.
Dosage 150 to 300mg per day.
Green Tea Extract
Green tea extract, a powerful antioxidant, contains polyphenols, catechins and flavonoids
shown to be protective against estrogen-related cancers, especially breast, ovarian and prostate cancer. Ensure your green tea extract has at least 60 percent polyphenols.
- Green tea extract increases the activity of other antioxidants.
- Inhibits cancer by blocking the formation of cancer-causing compounds.
- Increases detoxification of carcinogens.
- Prevents breast and prostate cancer.
Curcumin (Turmeric)
Curcumin is the yellow pigment of turmeric – the chief ingredient in curry. It is a powerful antiinflammatory agent and it works to inhibit all steps of cancer formation: initiation, promotion and progression. Curcumin also helps to eliminate cancer-causing estrogens and environmental
- Curcumin lowers the activity of carcinogens while increasing detoxification.
- Excellent anticancer agent. It halts initiation, promotion and progression of cancer.
- A potent antioxidant.
- Enhances glutathione, the most powerful detoxifier of the liver.
- Promotes detoxification from the liver of cancer-causing substances including xenohormones, pesticides and herbicides.
- Directly inhibits tumor growth.
- Also shown to stop IL-8 and IL-1 (immune factors) known to cause inflammation and promote calcium loss from bones.
- Deactivates carcinogens from cigarette smoke.
Dosage 50 to 100mg per day.
Rosemary extract
Rosemary extract, a potent antioxidant, inhibits mammary cancer development and helps to
detoxify carcinogenic estrogens. In animal studies mammary tumors were reduced by 50¨C70 percent. It is a potent antioxidant. Ensure that your supplement contains 6 percent Carnosic acid as the active ingredient.
- Animal studies have shown it halts tumor formation of mammary glands.
- Human cell culture studies have also shown rosemary to be a powerful tumor inhibitor.
- Increases liver enzymes that deactivate carcinogens.
- Reduces enzymes that enhance carcinogen formation.
Dosage 25 to 50mg per day.
Milk Thistle
Milk thistle enhances detoxification of xenoestrogens
from the liver, inhibits breast cancer cells
from replicating and reduces the toxic effects of
chemotherapy. Milk thistle should be at least 80
percent silymarin.
- Milk thistle is called the protector of the liver.
- Detoxifies a wide range of hormones, drugs and toxins.
- Active ingredients in milk thistle include silybin, silydianin and silychristin collectively known as silymarin.
- Milk thistle improves estrogen balance by metabolizing estrogen to the good estrogens.
- Stimulates growth of new liver cells.
- A powerful antioxidant and free radical scavenger, several times more potent than vitamin E and vitamin C.
- Promotes bile flow.
- Increases intracellular glutathione production by 35 percent in healthy persons.
- By preventing the depletion of glutathione heavy metals (cadmium, lead, arsenic and mercury) and pesticides are detoxified.
- Researched for use in psoriasis, immunodepression, gall bladder disease, hepatitis, atherosclerosis, alcoholic liver disease.
- Reduces the toxic effects of chemotherapy.
- Is anti-angiogenic and directly inhibits breast cancer cell growth.
Dosage 50 to 100mg per day.
Lycopene
Lycopene was recently shown to reduce a woman's
risk of breast cancer by 36 percent when those
women took 6.5mg per day. Further research is
under way in this area of women's health. It is the most potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger of all the carotenes.
- Of all the carotenoids only lycopene has been shown to be breast cancer protective.
- Lycopene reduces IGF-1. IGF-1 has been shown to cause breast, endometrial and prostate cancer cells to proliferate.
Dosage 10mg per day.
Sulforaphane
Sulforaphane, from broccoli sprout extract, has
been shown to stimulate the body's production of
detoxification enzymes that eliminate xenoestrogens.
It is important for the prevention and treatment of breast cancer. Sulforaphane is also a powerful antioxidant and a powerful cancer-fighting chemical.
- Sulforaphane helps Phase II detoxification (as does calcium D-glucarate). Important for detoxifying excess estrogens and pesticides.
- Sulforaphane neutralizes dangerous carcinogens before they can damage DNA and promote cancer.
Dosage 200 to 400mcg per day.
 ho needs these hormone balancing
and environmental estrogen detoxifying
nutrients? All women but especially
those who have been exposed to pesticides,
herbicides and other environmental estrogen
toxins. Women with estrogen dominant conditions
including endometriosis, uterine fibroids,
breast and ovarian cancer. Those wishing to prevent
these conditions: ovarian cysts; polycystic
ovarian disease; premenstrual syndrome. Women
in perimenopause who want to stop flooding
periods and balance hormones; for women in
menopause who want to have better results from
black cohosh, dong quai, vitex, gamma oryzanol
and hesperidin in reducing their hot flashes and
night sweats, women wanting to eliminate
harmful environmental estrogens from the body
before becoming pregnant, overweight women
because they carry more harmful xenoestrogens in
fat and have high cholesterol, those with fibrocystic
breast disease, and more. These nutrients
are for all women from the ages of 12 onward to
keep our hormones healthy. They are important
for men for preventing and treating prostate
cancer.
Reduce your stress levels, eat plenty of organic
vegetables, take two tablespoons of high-lignan,
ground flaxseed every day and reduce your consumption
of dairy products as they contain
xenoestrogens. Stop using plastic wrap and plastic
storage containers. We are being bombarded by
dangerous estrogens—protect your daughters,
your mother, your sisters and yourself.
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