Menopause Matters: Kate Wells
Let’s break the estrogen myth around breast cancer.
In 2002 the media got hold of an early analysis of the Women’s Health Initiative study which concluded that “estrogen causes cancer”. Seemingly overnight, estrogen became a cancer causing villain!
There was panic in the streets. Women stopped using hormones, and various authorities, including the North American Menopause Society, declared that it was ideal to use hormones for a maximum of ten years and were then cut off. Since then, hundreds of thousands of women have suffered menopausal symptoms and loss of capacity because of the lack of hormones.
Healthy Estrogen Levels:
Fast forward to 2024 and multiple follow-up analyses of the original study data have found quite the opposite – having healthy estrogen levels is actually protective of the breasts!
Now, there are other risks associated with some forms of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and so understanding hormone replacement choices is important for long term health after menopause.
Synthetic forms of HRT contain estrogen-like compounds such as Premarin and progestins like Provera, as well as low-dose birth control pills.
“Eighty percent of the estrogen found in HRT is a form of estrogen called estrone.”
Synthetics refer to man-made hormones that are made from sources like pregnant mare’s urine which, although made from a natural source, are not the same as your endogenous estrogens (i.e. those made within your body).
HRT use can have some benefits, but it also carries increased risk for stroke, cardiovascular disease, and liver damage. Eighty percent of the estrogen found in HRT is a form of estrogen called estrone. Estrone gets broken down into metabolites – and some of those metabolites can be harmful and can cause DNA damage.
Hormones For Many Important Processes:
Bioidentical forms of hormones on the other hand, do have the exact same chemical structure as the hormones made by our bodies. When bioidentical HRT (BHRT) is used, our body knows exactly what to do with these hormones for many important processes.
Bioidentical hormones are made in a lab. There is a compound in wild yam and soy called diosgenin which has a similar chemical structure to the sex hormones. This compound can be easily adjusted to make the hormones: estradiol, estriol, progesterone, testosterone and DHEA. The other form of estrogen called estrone, is not used in BHRT.
Hormones are significant for so many functions in the body. It is really important to understand that just because we are finished with the reproductive phase of our lives, we haven’t stopped needing hormones.
Hormones are important for bones, weight management, mood, stress management, vaginal health, urinary health, cognition, memory, collagen, joints, skin, temperature management, sleep, cardiovascular health and breast health! When bioidentical hormones are used, they are safe to be used for many, many years after the menopausal transition.
The Right Form Of Estrogen:
So, if estrogen – the right form of estrogen – is not the villain in the breast cancer story, what is?
All bodies have cancer growing stem cells, and it is the responsibility of the immune system to jump on top of those cells and destroy them before they grow into a mass. The body is always working to do this – to overcome the impacts of a range of factors that can influence breast cancer cell growth.
5 Contributory Factors For The Development Of Breast Cancer:
1. Lifestyle and Diet:
High inflammatory diet, smoking, excess weight, alcohol consumption, lack of exercise, not having children, low fiber diet, high glycemic diet, diet high in starchy carbohydrates, high breast density, high level of anxiety and stress, long-term disrupted sleep, inflammation.
2. Nutritional Deficiencies:
Low iodine, low vitamin D, low selenium, low antioxidant diet, low magnesium, low omega 3 fats.
“Think about a large pot of water on the stove. If you don’t turn the heat on, the water won’t heat up.”
3. Emotional:
Unexpressed grief, over giving, emotional shock, learned helplessness, unexpressed anger, race/power/social inequities.
4. Genetic:
BRAC1/BRAC2 gene, BRAC1/2 plus family history.
5. Toxicant Risk:
Exposure to xenoestrogens, synthetic HRT (progestins, estrone), exposure to BGH in cow’s milk, environmental toxicant exposure, birth control, microplastics, forever chemicals.
It’s rarely one thing that increases breast cancer risk – it is an accumulating combination of factors which is most often at the root of breast cancer cell development and growth.
Risk Factors Of Cancer Development:
Think about a large pot of water on the stove. If you don’t turn the heat on, the water won’t heat up. If you turn the stove temperature to one, the water will start to warm but really slowly. If it’s a cold day, the amount of heat in the pot may even dissipate faster than that low setting can warm it. If the heat is turned up to eight or nine then the water will be bubbling and boiling.
If you have few of the risk factors of cancer development, there isn’t much heat it is likely that any cancer cells which do develop will likely be taken out by your immune system long before they become a problem.
On the other hand, if you look at that list and realize that many of them apply to you, then the pot is bubbling and there is so much more work for your immune system to do to prevent cancer cell growth. With many risk factors, the immune system loses the battle and cancer can grow.
What Can Be Done To Reduce Risk?
We know that our water and food is now full of toxicants from pesticides, microplastics, chemicals from industrial production and so on, so it’s important to think about what goes inside you
- Switch to organic foods and filtering your water, even putting in a filter on your showerhead can make a difference to what goes into the body.
- Make sure that toxicants are excreted through sweat (sauna, exercise) and regular bowel movements.
- Pick foods that will nourish your body and not cause inflammation – particularly avoid high glycemic index carbohydrates.
- Reduce or remove alcohol and nicotine.
- Find solutions to manage stress so your immune system can work on “cleanup” rather than fighting imaginary fires.
- Dig in to find any hidden harmful emotions and work to heal them.
- Accept that you are responsible for your health, no one else is, and put yourself first in a healthy, emotionally empowering way. You are worth it!
- Learn more about bioidentical hormone replacement – understand how the right forms of estrogen and progesterone will protect breast tissue.
Bioidentical Hormones:
The really good news for women is that they need no longer be afraid of utilizing hormone replacement during the menopause transition and beyond. Bioidentical hormones used in the right amounts in the right way can help women to live vibrant, active, vital lives for many years after menopause.
And that is important because we women rock! We have learned so much, have such wisdom and capacity for awesomeness – it’s about time we made that available to the world!
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About the Author:
Kate Wells is a hormone expert and true biochem nerd who has been educating practitioners about hormones for many years. Starting out as a High School science teacher, and then pivoting to the business world, Kate new she wanted to combine her passions for science and business and found the perfect match in leadership roles at labs specializing in hormone testing and hormone formulation.
She currently runs her own bioidentical hormone product companies where she writes educational articles and continues to educate practitioners on the role of hormones in optimal longevity. Beyond nerding-out on the latest research, Kate is an avid hiker, regularly putting in 20-mile hikes in the beautiful wilds of Colorado, loves to build stuff, swing dance, and work with fabric to make colorful quilts. Kate is the author of A Forecast for Health and is the CEO and co-founder of Parlor Games LLC. Kate holds a BS, MBA, and has completed a Fellowship in Herbal Medicine.
