Topic summary contributed by volunteer(s): Sue

Estrogen is a steroid sex hormone. Eating a fiber-rich diet flushes excess estrogen out of the body. Some vegetables may inhibit aromatase, the enzyme used by breast cancer tumors to produce their own estrogen. Flax seeds may reduce the number of menstrual periodsa woman has, reducing lifetime estrogen exposure. Phytoestrogens, such as those found in soy products, do not appear to promote cancer. Rather, soy seems to be protective against breast cancer. Xenoestrogens (human-made environmental chemicals found contaminating fish flesh) have been linked to early puberty and low sperm counts. Eating beef from growth hormone-implanted cattle and dairy products may feed hormone-dependent cancers. Commercial cow’s milk may come from pregnant cows, who have exceptionally high hormones levels (buttermilk and skim milk are on top of the list), even when the cows are not subjected to bovine growth hormone injections. This may be why skim milk consumption is linked to acne. Many of us have microscopic cancerous tumors growing inside of us and so reducing our intake and production of growth-promoting hormones in adulthood may be useful in slowing cancer growth.

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