4 Scientifically Backed Ways To Support Your Breast Health

4 Scientifically Backed Ways To Support Your Breast Health

4 Scientifically Backed Ways To Support Your Breast Health by Queen of the Thrones

4 Scientifically Backed Ways To Support Your Breast Health

Written by: Victoria Williams R.H.N. Victoria Williams Director of Operations at Queen of the Thrones Victoria Williams R.H.N.
Victoria is Head of Operations at Queen of the Thrones®. Victoria obtained a Pre-Health Science Certificate with Honours from Georgian College, which ignited her passion for natural wellness and nutrition.
Full bio

Medically reviewed by: Melanie Swackhammer B.A.

Est. reading time: 7 minutes.

 

Hint: It Also Involves Your Circadian Rhythm

“I learned to put myself first.”

“It was up to me to decide what to do with my life.”

You’ll hear phrases like this from women who’ve made significant changes following breast cancer. Can you relate? Or maybe right now, you or the people you serve are wondering, “how can I keep my breasts healthy?”

You see, it’s often when women are at their weakest emotionally and physically — after surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy — when they start making significant lifestyle changes.

And while this is common, it’s not ideal for changing your perspective on what really matters when a problem strikes. So, you can start making changes right now to support your breast health.

Would you love to know how you can use Castor Oil to support your breast health? Now’s your chance to get 2 easy DIY Castor Oil recipes so you can support your breasts and lymphatic flow.

The old adage “prevention is better than cure” is highly relevant for breast troubles. Perhaps you’ve also heard the phrase, “a pill for an ill”. Can you relate?

Most breast cancers are linked to lifestyle factors by Queen of the Thrones

Before giving away the reason behind this statement, let’s first look at a surprising number.

About 30 to 40% of breast cancers are linked to lifestyle factors.1

Yes. That’s true. While many believe breast disorders/conditions are genetic, hereditary connections are responsible for less than 10% of the cases.2

However, there are lifestyle changes you can make right now to support your breast health.

It’s crucial to understand that it might not be easy to talk about your breast changes. You might be aware of certain changes happening but feel uncomfortable discussing them, right?

You may even avoid examinations like mammograms or thermograms because you’re worried about discovering something abnormal.

But, visiting your healthcare professional is the best reassurance to understanding your unique body and the best steps to take.

With this in mind, let’s look at a few things that can influence your breast health.

The link between inflammation and breast health

You may have noticed soreness or pain in the breasts, especially around your menstrual cycle. You aren’t alone. These symptoms affect two-thirds of women, especially during the childbearing age.3 Are you wondering why this happens? Well, the answer lies in the breast structure.

You see, breasts comprise four main tissue structures: fat tissue, milk ducts, glands, and connective tissue.

The fat tissue is influenced by fluctuations in fluid volume. So, this can cause your breasts to swell, resulting in soreness or tenderness.

“What causes increased fluid?” A common reason for increased fluid volume is inflammation. In flammation is kind of like a fire, and what do you use to put out a fire? Water.

Inflammation is part of your body’s process of fighting against things that harm it (like infections) in an attempt to heal itself.

So, when something damages your cells, your body releases chemicals that trigger an inflammatory response from your immune system. It’s a natural process, but in today’s modern world, inflammation is often out of control.

Did you know that lymphatic blockage can also cause inflammation?4

Lymph vessels are hollow tubes in your lymphatic system that allow lymph fluid to drain out of your breast.

But, if your lymph vessels are blocked, this can cause your breast to become red, swollen, and inflamed. Makes sense, agreed?

Swollen lymph nodes may also be present under the arm, near the collarbone, or both.

Disturbed sleep can also contribute to breast inflammation.

Let’s dive into more about this and the connection between your…

Circadian rhythm and breast health

Imagine having a hectic week, with only four hours of sleep every night for 7 days in a row.

Sounds pretty terrible, right? You’d probably be irritable, frustrated, or even sad, agreed?

But, sleep isn’t only about the quantity, it’s also about quality. Even if you can sleep eight hours a day, but you wake up every two hours, you’ll wake up in the morning feeling exhausted. Is this you?

Learn with Queen of the Thrones how Circadian rhythm and breast health are related

This is because your body’s internal 24-hour clock runs in the background and regulates your sleep-wake cycle, hormones, and even cell division.

But, if your sleep-wake cycle is off, so is your circadian rhythm.

You see, different systems of your body follow circadian rhythms that are synchronized with a master clock in your brain.

This master clock is directly influenced by environmental cues, especially light, which is why circadian rhythms are tied to the cycle of day and night. Makes sense, right?

When properly aligned, a circadian rhythm can promote consistent and restorative sleep.

But, when your circadian rhythm is thrown off, it can create significant sleeping problems, including insomnia. Does this sound like you?

Research also reveals that circadian rhythms are integral to diverse breast health aspects.5

Now, beyond sleep, have you ever wondered if there’s a connection between your gut health and breasts?

Gut microbia and breast health

Gut microbia are microflora in your digestive tract. While it may sound dangerous, these bacteria are helpful and regulate various body functions.

From protecting against disease-causing bacteria to regulating immune function, these bacteria support your health in various ways.6

The gut bacteria influences estrogen metabolism and adiposity, which are both associated with breast health.

Immune interactions with gut microbiota and microbial effects on host DNA also play a role in developing breast conditions. Makes sense, agreed?

How can I keep my breasts healthy?

Now that you know the importance of breast health and the influencing factors, let’s look at four things you can do to support your breast health. Are you ready?

Eating healthy is necessary for a healthy breast by Queen of the Thrones

1. Eat healthy because food matters

You are what you eat. Have you heard this before? Some ways you can support your breast health nutritionally are:

  • Limiting your sugar intake
  • Eating whole foods including healthy fats, hearty proteins, and heaps of vegetables
  • Avoiding processed foods
  • Drinking plenty of water
  • Eating foods rich in flavonoids, such as broccoli, onions, celery, parsley, and green tea

2. Counting sheep to sleep? Not anymore

Getting adequate sleep is one of the crucial steps to naturally support your breast health. Start by…

  • Having a consistent daily sleep routine: It’s ideal to sleep and wake up at the same time every day.
  • Being active: Regular exercise supports melatonin production, your sleep hormone. It can also sync your other body systems with your circadian rhythm.7
  • Avoiding caffeine in the evening: Caffeine is a stimulant that can keep you awake.
  • Limiting screen time: The blue light from your tablet/cellphone alters your melatonin production, disrupting your circadian rhythm.8
  • Wearing a Castor Oil Eye Compress to bed: Using this compress makes you feel relaxed as your Eye Compress gently blocks out distracting lights and makes you feel sleepy because it supports melatonin production.9,10
Queen of the Thrones eye compress supports better sleep

It’s truly relaxing, and it also delivers anti-inflammatory nutrients like vitamin E, polyphenols, and omegas and stimulating lymphatic flow.11,21,13

Queen of the Thrones Castor Oil Fascia Massage Roller Kit enhance your lymphatic flow

3. Use a Castor Oil Fascia Massage Roller to enhance your lymphatic flow

Did you know that a well-functioning lymphatic system is crucial for your breast health?

The good news: there are multiple ways to support your lymphatic system, including a Castor Oil Fascia Massage Roller

You see, a Fascia Massage Roller acts as a gentle massage around your breasts so you can naturally increase blood supply to your muscles, support the movement of lymphatic fluid, and assist in removing toxins from your body.

 

The network of lymph is directly connected to the fascia, which sits right underneath the skin.

So, moving the Fascia Massage Roller relieves muscle tension, activates your lymphatic system, and reduces pain and soreness. Plus, adding Castor Oil can further boost the benefits of the roller.

4. A simple massage can make a difference

Did you know that healthy breasts largely come from having a healthy liver?

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, negative liver emotions such as frustration, anger, and resentment can result in the accumulation of toxins in the body, adversely affecting your breasts.14

So how can you easily support your liver?

Massaging the liver aids in the removal of stagnated toxins, protecting and boosting breast health.15

Plus, wearing a Castor Oil Pack for Liver may also support breast health.. But how? Read on!

Firstly, it’s mechanical, with the compression of the pack placed over the liver (under your right rib cage), in combination with the movement of your breathing muscles.

This acts like a pump to your lymphatic system, encouraging lymphatic drainage. Amazing, agreed?

Secondly, it’s neurological, when placed on specific dermatomes, this activates the somatic visceral reflexes triggering the activity of internal detox and cleansing organs like the liver, kidney, gut, gallbladder, and more.16

Thirdly, it’s a combination of both mechanical and neurological because the Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Pack stimulates the body’s skin receptors which stimulate the natural oxytocin feedback loop activating the vagus nerve, shifting the body into a rest and digest state where liver detox is optimized.17

This direct effect of the Castor Oil Pack compress stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system. Amazing, right?

Queen of the Thrones Castor Oil Liver Packs improves parasympathetic tone

Plus, the penetration of the Castor Oil into the tissues may help reduce inflammation via the Peyer’s patches.18

Without the pack, Castor Oil will not penetrate as deeply and act much more like a skin emollient, so the full range of benefits of the oil are enhanced with the pack itself.

Even though the Castor Oil Pack is traditionally worn over the liver for breast health, you can also wear a pack over the breasts. But don’t use the same pack for your liver as you do for your breasts.

It’s unknown if substances with toxicity may come out via the skin with Castor Oil Packs, especially over the liver since it’s the hub for cleanup of toxic substances in our bodies. To prevent the transfer of toxins to sensitive areas, only use the designated pack on its respective area.

Would you love to know how you can use Castor Oil to support your breast health? Click the button below to get 2 easy DIY Castor Oil recipes so you can support your breasts and lymphatic flow. Amazing, agreed?

So, gorgeous, your breast health is in your hands. Try and add these four healthy habits as part of your life.

They will not only support your breasts’ health but also help support more energy, less stress, and a more balanced mood!

Are you a practitioner, health coach or wellness influencer? If you’re interested in recommending our easy-to-use tools and practically applying them in your health and wellness professional practice, in clinic, or online with the people you serve, you can join now!

Natural & easy ways you can support your breast health

Natural & easy ways you can support your breast health

Gluten and dairy sensibilities by Queen of the Thrones

Natural & easy ways you can support your breast health

Written by: Dr. Marisol Teijeiro N.D. (inactive) Christine Ruggeri Dr. Marisol Teijeiro N.D. (inactive)
Dr. Marisol Teijeiro N.D. is an award-winning author and founder of Queen of the Thrones® line of products including the original less-mess Castor Oil Pack
Full bio

Medically reviewed by: Victoria Williams R.H.N. 

Est. reading time: 5 minutes.

So you’ve heard of heart health and gut health, but what about breast health?

Maybe you, your patients/the people you serve have fibrocystic breasts, aka lumpy breast tissue. But you wish there were natural ways to support your breast health and in turn, your cystic lumpy breasts. Can you relate?

You’re in the right place. Would you love to know how you can use Castor Oil to support your breast health? Check out Queen of the Thrones®️ free eGuide with 2 easy DIY Castor Oil recipes to support your breast and lymphatic flow. Amazing, agreed?

Do you ever ask yourself…

Why do I keep getting benign breast lumps and cysts?

Now, are you wondering if there’s an easy way you can counteract your estrogen dominance and low iodine?

You see, everyone is unique and of course, what works for someone else right away, may take more time for another, etc. But, the good news?

Here’s what you can do to support cystic and lumpy breast tissue

Most of these at-home methods support reducing the amount of estrogen in your body.

  1. Eat more broccoli family foods (cruciferous veggies4).
  2. Reduce your alcohol intake5.
  3. Reduce your theophylline intake, in coffee, tea and chocolate.
  4. Wear a Castor Oil Eye Compress to bed – they naturally increase melatonin6-7, which is a powerful anti-cancer hormone in the body8.
  5. Of course, do a Castor Oil Pack for Liver daily, because it helps with cleansing and detox9, microbiome balance10-11-12, inflammation13, and stress reduction14-15, which all impact your hormonal balance.

Curious to know more ways you can use Castor Oil to support your breast health?

Do you resent your fibrocystic breasts because of how they look/feel?

I used to look at my breasts in the mirror, pulling one up and comparing it to the other. Do you do this too?

I longed to have perky, stand-up-here breasts instead of pendulous, way down-there-puppies with sparkling, multicolored stretch marks.

Whether you think your breasts are too large or too small, they’re a source of shame for many. But, it’s time to take this inappropriate thought pattern and shove it where the sun doesn’t shine.

Although, this is easier said than done because judgement seems to be everywhere, right?

But what if it’s the judgement that’s actually hindering us from taking care of our breasts. Stay with me here.

My first encounter with the dangers of judgments made on breasts wasn’t my own, but my mother’s. When she was a dashing young lady in the 1960’s, she had gone to the doctor’s office to have her yearly check-up and breast exam.

Upon taking off her shirt to be examined, the doctor gasped at how large her breasts were. My mother turned red as a lobster and got dressed immediately.

So, because of this encounter, she never had another breast exam again until it was too late.

You see, judgments can damage our psyche and cause pain and shame. After all, no one asks the doctor to comment on how large they are, but rather how healthy they are, agreed?

Breast exams are important

Forty years later, my mother waited until blood came out of her nipple and had a mass so large before she got examined. The diagnosis was stage 4 breast cancer with little to no time to act.

Because of this experience, I got over my own breast embarrassment and got into owning one of the most beautiful, female, flourishing features of my health. Yes, they can be lumpy, but I now know them well.

For this reason alone, when I was working in clinic, every single woman in my naturopathic practice got a yearly breast exam, done by our skilled naturopath assessment hands.

Breast exams are extremely valuable. My mother was fortunate because even though she was an extreme case, she survived with a combination of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy as well as naturopathic medicine.

Cystic breasts or not, self-examination is invaluable

But maybe you don’t know what you’re looking for.

The comment I always got in clinic was that most women don’t know what normal feels like, can you relate? They might feel like they have cysts in their breasts and lumpy breast tissue.

But let me tell you, the first time I did a breast exam I thought exactly the same thing! How was I going to identify anything going wrong if I can’t notice anything different?

Do you know what changed it? Practice, the mother of all skills.

So it’s amazing what Queen of the Thrones® partner Dr. Véronique Desaulniers (two-time breast cancer survivor) has done to make this easy.

She created “My Breast Friend”, a breast self-examination tool. It’s basically a model of the breast so you can get to know your breasts.

And what if you find lots of lumps and bumps? Make your way to your doctor and get checked out. It never hurts to be extra cautious.

You might be wondering…

What’s the difference between lumpy breast tissue and smooth breast tissue?

Well, that’s why you need to get to know your boobies!

Now I love my breasts, I treat them better every single day and prioritize my breast health because they’re an important part of who I am. They share my story.

What’s next? Check out Queen of the Thrones® free eGuide for 2 Castor Oil recipes you can use for your breast health and lymphatic system. Sounds good, right

Here you go!

Are you a practitioner, health coach or wellness influencer? If you’re interested in recommending our easy-to-use tools and practically applying them in your health and wellness professional practice, in clinic, or online with the people you serve, you can join now!

Click here for references

1. Greenblatt RB, Samaras C, Vasquez JM, Nezhat C. Fibrocystic disease of the breast. Clin Obstet Gynecol. 1982 Jun;25(2):365-71. doi: 10.1097/00003081-198206000-00019. PMID: 7105513.

2. Rappaport J. Changes in Dietary Iodine Explains Increasing Incidence of Breast Cancer with Distant Involvement in Young Women. J Cancer. 2017 Jan 13;8(2):174-177. doi: 10.7150/jca.17835. PMID: 28243321; PMCID: PMC5327366.

3. Ghent WR, Eskin BA, Low DA, Hill LP. Iodine replacement in fibrocystic disease of the breast. Can J Surg. 1993 Oct;36(5):453-60. PMID: 8221402.

4. Kendra J. Royston, B.S.1 and Trygve O. Tollefsbol, D.O. Ph.D. The Epigenetic Impact of Cruciferous Vegetables on Cancer Prevention. Curr Pharmacol Rep. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2016 Feb 1. Published in final edited form as: Curr Pharmacol Rep. 2015 Feb 1; 1(1): 46–51. Published online 2015 Jan 25. doi: 10.1007/s40495-014-0003-9.

5. Terryl J. Hartman,1 Julia S. Sisti,2,3 Susan E. Hankinson,2,3,4 Xia Xu,5 A. Heather Eliassen,2,3 and Regina Ziegler6 Alcohol Consumption and Urinary Estrogens and Estrogen Metabolites in Premenopausal Women. Horm Cancer. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2017 Feb 1. Published in final edited form as: Horm Cancer. 2016 Feb; 7(1): 65–74. Published online 2016 Jan 4. doi: 10.1007/s12672-015-0249-7.

6. Rong-fang Hu, Xiao-ying Jiang, Yi-ming Zeng, Xiao-yang Chen, You-hua Zhang. Effects of earplugs and eye masks on nocturnal sleep, melatonin and cortisol in a simulated intensive care unit environment. Published online 2010 Apr 18. PMID: 20398302

7. Khoddam H, Maddah SA, Rezvani Khorshidi S, Zaman Kamkar M, Modanloo M. The effects of earplugs and eye masks on sleep quality of patients admitted to coronary care units: A randomised clinical trial. J Sleep Res. 2022 Apr;31(2):e13473. doi: 10.1111/jsr.13473. Epub 2021 Sep 12. PMID: 34514653.

8. Giuseppe Di Bella,1,* Fabrizio Mascia,1 Luciano Gualano,2 and Luigi Di Bella Melatonin Anticancer Effects: Review Int J Mol Sci. 2013 Feb; 14(2): 2410–2430. Published online 2013 Jan 24. doi: 10.3390/ijms14022410.

Holm T, Brøgger-Jensen MR, Johnson L, Kessel L.Glutathione preservation during storage of rat lenses in optisol-GS and castor oil. PLoS One. 2013 Nov 19;8(11):e79620. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079620. eCollection 2013.

9. Holm T, Brøgger-Jensen MR, Johnson L, Kessel L.Glutathione preservation during storage of rat lenses in optisol-GS and castor oil. PLoS One. 2013 Nov 19;8(11):e79620. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079620. eCollection 2013.

10. Andrade IM1, Andrade KM2, Pisani MX1, Silva-Lovato CH1, de Souza RF1, Paranhos Hde F1.Trial of an experimental castor oil solution for cleaning dentures. Braz Dent J. 2014 Jan-Feb;25(1):43-7.

11. Badaró MM, Salles MM, Leite VMF, Arruda CNF, Oliveira VC, Nascimento CD, Souza RF, Paranhos HFO, Silva-Lovato CH. Clinical trial for evaluation of Ricinus communis and sodium hypochlorite as denture cleanser.J Appl Oral Sci. 2017 May-Jun; 25(3):324-334.

12. Salles MM, Badaró MM, Arruda CN, Leite VM, Silva CH, Watanabe E, Oliveira Vde C, Paranhos Hde F. Antimicrobial activity of complete denture cleanser solutions based on sodium hypochlorite and Ricinus communis – a randomized clinical study.J Appl Oral Sci. 2015 Nov-Dec; 23(6):637-42.

13. Vieira C et al. .Effect of ricinoleic acid in acute and subchronic experimental models of inflammation. Mediators Inflamm. 2000;9(5):223-8.

14. Walker SC1, Trotter PD2, Swaney WT2, Marshall A3, Mcglone FP4. C-tactile afferents: Cutaneous mediators of oxytocin release during affiliative tactile interactions? Neuropeptides. 2017 Aug;64:27-38. doi: 10.1016/j.npep.2017.01.001. Epub 2017 Jan 19.

15. Rolls ET et all. Representations of pleasant and painful touch in the human orbitofrontal and cingulate cortices. Cereb Cortex. 2003 Mar;13(3):308-17.

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