Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
- Increased Breast Vascularity
- Thermography Can Tell You the Truth About Estrogenic Foods
- Environmental Estrogens Compound the Problem
- Hormone Replacement Therapy
- “Weak” Estrogenic Foods?
- Get Off Soy and Flax!
- Herbs with a Downside
- Natural Does Not Mean Safe
- Calcium D-Glucarate for Removing Estrogen?
- DIM Supplements
- Green Drinks and Powders
- Angry? Confused?
The truth about why estrogenic foods and herbs need to be avoided by women young and old to prevent the development of excessively vascularized, precancerous breast tissue easily identified by thermography.
Is thermography your “new breast friend”? Wendy Sellens, a licensed acupuncturist and the founder of Pink Image Thermography in Solana Beach, CA, thinks it should be!
For every woman who wants to know the truth about the state of her breast health or whether those supposedly cancer-preventing supplements and estrogenic foods recommended by her doctor or holistic practitioner are actually working, her answer is simple: “Your breasts can’t lie.”
In her book Breast Cancer Boot Camp, coauthored with William B. Hobbins MD, Sellens provides striking, irrefutable visual evidence of adverse, precancerous effects on the breasts from birth control pills, hormone replacement therapies, and at least a dozen supposedly healthy estrogenic foods and herbs.
Most of these products come highly recommended by alternative doctors and other health care practitioners, yet promote angiogenesis in the breast, a known risk factor for breast cancer.
Increased Breast Vascularity
Angiogenesis refers to the formation of new blood vessels. It is crucial to form new blood vessels in the placenta during pregnancy and to replace blood vessels during recovery from an injury.
Angiogenesis has a dark side, however, when it helps fuel cancer growth. Because thermograms —unlike mammograms or breast ultrasound — show vascularization, they are highly useful for breast health screening and monitoring.
Dr. Hobbins is a former surgeon who pioneered breast cancer detection through both mammography and thermography.
Now 90, he continues to urge widespread use of thermography for initial screening and prevention because “the angiogenesis of a breast cancer is not only the earliest sign but the greatest sign for detection and prognosis in treatment.”
Back in the 1980s, when soy protein was first widely marketed as a “health food,” Dr. Hobbins noted a link between soy consumption, increased vascularity, and breast cancer development.
Sellens is a licensed acupuncturist and a protegé of Dr. Hobbins who studied with him for five years and spent seven years reviewing his thousands of cases.
She founded Pink Image Thermography in Solana Beach, CA, is president and co-founder of the Women’s Academy of Breast Thermography, president of the non-profit Pink Bow Breast Thermography research and education, and is actively pushing for rigorous nationwide certification standards for thermography.
Thermography Can Tell You the Truth About Estrogenic Foods
Thermography is an imaging technique that can detect abnormalities based on patterns of bodily heat. Because cell proliferation and cancer rarely develop without a vascular process that increases the surface temperature, thermography can identify women at risk for breast cancer or who have breast cancer in a very early stage.
In color thermograms, the cooler areas appear dark blue, purple, and black, while the warmer areas are yellow, orange, red, and white.
Grayscale thermographs show the vascularization itself. For the highest diagnostic accuracy, Hobbins and Sellens recommend both types of thermograms be done and in high resolution.
Many alternative health professionals today recommend thermography as a safe alternative to mammography, which is not only painful and expensive but can increase breast cancer risk through radiation exposure and breast tissue compression.
Thermograms are particularly helpful for the screening of women with young, dense breast tissue, and those with fibrocystic breast disease, breast implants, or scars. Another option is to get a breast sonogram.
Unlike mammograms, thermograms are useful for detecting changes in the armpit area. Thermography is also safe for women who are pregnant or lactating.
Dr. Hobbins and Sellens furthermore recommend thermography because it can help women see the effects on their breasts of the many foods, herbs, supplements, and other products commonly recommended to support breast health.
They’ve consistently seen ill effects from the following:
- Hormone replacement therapies (including bioidentical hormone replacement therapies)
- Soy, flax, red clover, alfalfa and other foods high in phytoestrogens
- Black cohosh, red clover, xiang fu and other herbs high in phytoestrogens
- Supplements such as DIM and calcium D-glucorate.
- Green drinks and powders
Environmental Estrogens Compound the Problem
Particularly worrisome is their finding of unhealthy, vascularized breasts even in young women.
Exposure to environmental estrogens from pesticides, plastics, factory-farmed meats, and tap water is part of the problem.
So is birth control pill usage.
“Breasts do not fully mature until age 25,” explains Sellens. “Breast development is adversely affected by unopposed estrogen . . . The younger the age, the higher the risk.”
Birth control pills are widely dispensed today not only for contraceptive use but to regulate and mitigate the pain of menstrual periods.
Hormone Replacement Therapy
For older women, advocates of hormone replacement therapies not only promise easy menopause with no hot flashes but the fountain of youth.
While the dangers of pharmaceutical hormone replacement therapy have been widely publicized, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is widely promoted as safe and natural.
Sadly, thermographic evidence does not bear this out. Bio-identical pills, pellets, patches, creams, all lead to increased vascularization.
“Weak” Estrogenic Foods?
Sellens and Dr. Hobbins particularly want to debunk the myth of “weak” estrogens as found in soy, black cohosh, and other plant-based products. Although less potent than pharmaceutical estrogens, “weak” estrogens are not anti-estrogens and can still feed cancer.
Back in the early 1980s, Dr. Hobbins linked increased amounts of soy in the food supply to increased rates of breast cancer.
While correlation doesn’t equal causation, thermograms confirmed his suspicions as he compared the breasts of women consuming soy to those who did not. In time, other scientific evidence emerged as well, much of which is discussed in my book The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America’s Favorite Health Food.
By 2005 the Israeli Health Ministry had seen enough evidence to warn women to “exercise caution” regarding soy consumption. This was particularly important for those with a diagnosis or family history of breast cancer.
The French Food Agency, German Institute of Risk Assessment, and Cornell University’s Center for Breast Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors soon followed.
Yet, soy is still widely promoted as the ticket to breast cancer prevention, and manufacturers even give it out every October in pink containers — known as “pinkies” — at many Komen Races for the Cure.
Get Off Soy and Flax!
Soybeans — both organic and GMO — are high in the phytoestrogens known as isoflavones. Clover and alfalfa sprouts are rich in the type known as coumestans, while flaxseeds and flax oil are rich in lignans.
Although these phytoestrogenic foods are widely touted as cancer-preventing, thermograms show adverse effects on the breasts.
“Dr. Hobbins and I have gotten thousands of women off soy and flax,” says Sellen. “These estrogenic foods are not our friends, but foes.”
Herbs with a Downside
Similarly, black cohosh, red clover, evening primrose, and xiang fu (cyperus rhizome) are estrogenic herbs.
“Thermograms show how strong these phytoestrogens really are,” says Sellens. “We see many women who start taking these supposedly healthy products go from ‘at risk’ thermograms to abnormal ones in three months or less.
If these weakly estrogenic substances were ‘healthy’ for the breasts, we could expect women who regularly consume them to have non-vascular breasts, which would be evidence of a lack of stimulation and a protective effect.”
Having analyzed thousands of thermograms, Sellens reports, “This is just not the case.”
Does all this seem hard to believe? Is it too hard to sort out the science? Could my doctor, hormone specialist, or health care practitioner be so wrong? Sellens’ advice is simple: “Get a certified breast thermogram from an accredited clinic and take a look for yourself.”
Natural Does Not Mean Safe
Given that many naturopathic doctors and alternative health care practitioners regularly recommend these products, is a sobering reminder to us all that “natural” is not necessarily “safe.” Get a certified breast thermogram from an accredited clinic and see the truth staring back at you on the screen.
If women just stopped walking for a “cure” and stopped buying estrogen products, namely soy, flax, and bioidentical estrogens, breast cancer numbers would plummet.
Stop believing flax, soy, and bioidentical estrogen are healthy because they come from a plant.
Stop believing they are “weak estrogens” because they are natural.
This propaganda that estrogen keeps women young is in fact killing us.
Calcium D-Glucarate for Removing Estrogen?
But what about Calcium D-Glucarate? Can’t this bind and eliminate excess estrogen?
Calcium D-glucarate is a chemical. It is similar to a naturally occurring chemical called glucaric acid. Glucaric acid is found in our bodies as well as in fruits and vegetables such as oranges, apples, brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cabbage.
Calcium D-glucarate is made by combining glucaric acid with calcium to make supplements that people use for medicine.
This supplement is used for preventing breast, prostate, and colon cancer. It also helps remove cancer-causing agents, toxins, and steroid hormones from the body.
Calcium D-glucarate might lower estrogen levels, and this is thought to be helpful in treating some people with hormone-dependent cancers.
However, the truth is that there isn’t enough evidence to support the use of calcium D-glucarate for preventing cancer in humans.
DIM Supplements
Beware as well of DIM (Diindolylmethane) and other supplements said to bind excess estrogen or regulate estrogen metabolism.
While doctors cite some science to support that, thermographic evidence suggests that in many cases they act like estrogens and worsen vascularity.
Green Drinks and Powders
Given that DIM and similar supplements derive from compounds found in cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and broccoli, it should not be surprising that some brands of green drink concentrate powders have proven problematic as well.
While the whole foods themselves are generally fine, when in concentrated form as blended green drinks and powders, they are best avoided.
Angry? Confused?
Do it now. Schedule a thermography appointment and go and see for yourself. Look at the screen.
While your breasts are being imaged, the proof will be right before your eyes whether the therapies and supplements that you have been sold are actually working.
If soy or edamame snacks are so good for breasts, flax is so healthy, and bioidentical hormones are such a good way for women to stay young and sexy, then why do they cause these unusual vascular and precancerous changes in breast tissue?
If this nutritional and health propaganda was true, then women who ingest these supposedly healthy estrogens should have nonvascular breasts.
But nearly every woman who consumes these “good” estrogens shows an increased vascular pattern. This is precancer!
If the theories were true, then thermography would support such claims with healthy breast tissue images.
However, the hard evidence points to the exact opposite.
Settle the issue once and for all in your own mind and get a certified breast thermogram from an accredited clinic and take a look for yourself. Your breasts don’t lie!
References
(1) Breast Cancer Boot Camp
(2) The Whole Soy Story
More Information
When Breast Cancer Isn’t Bad News
Komen (Not) for the Cure: The Complete and Utter Pinkwashing of America
Thermography: A Perfect Alternative to Cancer-Causing Mammograms?
Why Even Organic Soy Formula is so Dangerous for Babies
How the Birth Control Pill Can Harm Your Future Child’s Health
Hannah
So no flax at all? How much is considered okay?
Scott Fraser
A note to the article that the presence of phytoestrogens in Black Cohosh has not been established, and that recent studies show its physiological effects may actually be serotonergic.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actaea_racemosa#Bioactive_compounds
Jill Johnson, NTP
Any thoughts on Licorice?? (herb) Didn’t see it on the list.
Erin
Black cohosh actually doesn’t increase beast (or uterine) cell proliferation, according to multiple studies, and is used for hot flash reduction on breast cancer patients (I know this because it was recommended to my friend by her integrative oncologist to offset the menopausal symptoms induced by Tamoxifen).
Here are several pieces of data:
“Some interesting information has developed regarding how black cohosh may work. In the past, the herb was described as a phytoestrogen, a plant-based chemical with estrogen-like effects. However, subsequent evidence indicates that black cohosh is not a general phytoestrogen, but may act like estrogen in only a few parts of the body: the brain (reducing hot flashes) and bone (potentially helping to prevent or treat osteoporosis), and, perhaps to some extent, in the vagina. 2,3,11-13,16,18,21-25,28-29,38,51 It does not appear to act like estrogen in the breast or the uterus.”
http://www.med.nyu.edu/content?ChunkIID=21584
“Other questions about the effect of black cohosh on hormone sensitive tissues might be considered here as well. A 12 month study showed that after 12 months of treatment with black cohosh extract, no increase in the risk of malignant change of the breast or endometrium was observed.[2] In another study, black cohosh extract did not increase the risk of tumor recurrent in patients with early endometrial cancer after 24 months of treatment for menopausal symptoms and after surgery.[3] In another study, 6 months of treatment with black cohosh daily did not cause change in the mammographic density and breast cell proliferation.[4] And yet another found that isopropanolic black cohosh extract did not increase the risk of breast cancer recurrence. [5]”
http://drtorihudson.com/botanicals/black-cohosh/black-cohosh-has-a-beneficial-effect-on-shrinking-uterine-fibroids/
“RESULTS:
None of the women showed any increase in mammographic breast density. Furthermore, there was no increase in breast cell proliferation.
CONCLUSIONS:
The findings suggest that the isopropanolic extract of black cohosh does not cause adverse effects on breast tissue. Furthermore, our data do not indicate to any endometrial or general safety concerns during 6 months of treatment.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17019374
Heather
If you took on board everything that each so-called expert says, you’d end up eating and drinking absolutely nothing.
One minute you have to avoid saturated fats, the next they’re good for you. Flax seed is said to be great for reducing blood pressure but now this expert says it causes breast cancer.
Walking is a healthy pastime but you might fall down a hole and break your neck, so don’t do it. Maybe I should write a book about that and make myself lots of money!
I’ve had enough of all this scaremongering. I will eat wholesome food in moderation, and enjoy it.
Patty
Thanks for the article. I am pre-menopausal, and was diagnosed with estrogen dominance a couple years ago. I began progesterone a year ago. I had my estrogen level tested last week, and it was only 27.4. I’m getting my progesterone level tested in a couple weeks. I eat an all organic, grass-fed diet, and have avoided all soy, flax and other estrogenic foods. What would you recommend for estrogen replacement? I’m beyond frustrated. 🙁
Heather
Is there a website where you can find accredited clinic’s, that do certified thermograms? Breast cancer runs in my family and I’ve been experiencing some changes in my breasts. Thank you for any help in locating a clinic.
Shannon
This is all so confusing. I just read an article from the reliable Block Center, noting the recent report from the World Cancer Research Fund stating that “Women who eat more foods containing soy after their diagnosis have better survival overall than those who eat less soy.” I was diagnosed with estrogen receptive BC as a young woman. Incidentally, I had also been drinking soy protein supplement shakes for 5 years. I really just don’t know what I’m supposed to do, so I will just relax and eat what I want….and pray.
Christine
I am curious. Does increased vascularity in breasts always lead to cancer? I wonder because it seems to me that if a woman is breastfeeding, she will have increased vascularity in her breast tissue. I always heard that breastfeeding, especially over a span of years, helps decrease the likelihood of breast cancer. And if foods like broccoli, cauliflower and red clover (which herbalists use to treat cancer) actually cause breast cancer, then something doesn’t add up here. I know of the dangers of soy( which also unfortunately a lot of farm animals are fed) and too much flax seed. But perhaps the question of balance comes into play. In the same way that a polyp can exist without turning into cancer, can increased vascularization of breast tissue indicate a healthy response that could also turn dangerous if there is another factor at play (say, if the person consumes lots estrogenic foods AND takes birth control pills, etc.)?
pika
maybe they are talking about the risks associated with vascularity of the breasts in relation to the food that you eat. If you want the answer to your question, look for studies where breast cancer is correlated with increase in women breastfeeding. I personally feel that it would be highly unlikely due to the evidence you suggested. Or perhaps the risk is increased, but the practice of breastfeeding decreases this risk, as to say that the benefits outweigh the consequences.
I do not believe that the person intended to say that the cruciferous veggies caused cancer, but rather increase vascularity. Cancer and vascularity are 2 different things.
I am also wondering about the same question, if vascularity leads to breast cancer. It seems to me that vascularity will increase the risk. Let me know what you find, email me b a leada1 at ya hoo dot com