04-02-2013, 06:47
Due to my family history of breast cancer, this is an issue that concerns me. Estrogen can be a good thing, especially since it's responsible for the majority of our secondary sex characteristics, including breast growth.
It is true that prolonged exposure to estrogen is a risk factor for breast cancer. That is why overweight women, women who began menstruating early, and those who used HRT with primarily estrogens have an increased risk of breast cancer. Fat cells will churn out more estrogen, increasing exposure. Early menarche brings a greater lifetime exposure to estrogen, as does estrogen-only HRT. This is especially harmful for women who develop estrogen-dependent breast tumors, those which grow in response to higher estrogen levels or greater estrogen exposure.
I think it's crucial to not confuse xenoestrogens with phytoestrogens. The former are man-made compounds that mimic the actions of the natural estrogens in the body, and they are much stronger than phytoestrogens. That is most likely what you saw on your program. Phytoestrogens are natural estrogen-like compounds from plant sources. They tend to fill the estrogen receptors in the body, lengthening cyckles and lowering lifetime exposure to estrogen, and with it the breast cancer risk. I think it's safe to say that we all use phytoestrogens in our programs, not xenoestrogens.
It is true that prolonged exposure to estrogen is a risk factor for breast cancer. That is why overweight women, women who began menstruating early, and those who used HRT with primarily estrogens have an increased risk of breast cancer. Fat cells will churn out more estrogen, increasing exposure. Early menarche brings a greater lifetime exposure to estrogen, as does estrogen-only HRT. This is especially harmful for women who develop estrogen-dependent breast tumors, those which grow in response to higher estrogen levels or greater estrogen exposure.
I think it's crucial to not confuse xenoestrogens with phytoestrogens. The former are man-made compounds that mimic the actions of the natural estrogens in the body, and they are much stronger than phytoestrogens. That is most likely what you saw on your program. Phytoestrogens are natural estrogen-like compounds from plant sources. They tend to fill the estrogen receptors in the body, lengthening cyckles and lowering lifetime exposure to estrogen, and with it the breast cancer risk. I think it's safe to say that we all use phytoestrogens in our programs, not xenoestrogens.