Red Clover for Breast Health?

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Red Clover for Breast Health? JoAnn Guest Feb 11, 2003 10:15 PST

Red Clover for Breast Health?

 

" What are the benefits, if any,

of red clover for breast health?

Lately I've heard a lot about it

as a cleanser of toxins in the breast,

especially when used as a tea. "

 

-- Anonymous

 

 

 

(Published 09/02/1997)

 

Red clover, or Trifolium pratense,

is a member of the legume family and

so is one of the special plants that

return nutrients to the soil in which it grows.

The red and purple flowers are abundant

and their scent is decidedly sweet.

 

This herb has a long history of use

in folk medicine to encourage lymph flow

and reduce swollen glands, thus helping

the immune system clean up toxins throughout the body.

 

It has a place in popular herbal protocols as a " blood purifier. " It's

also used to ease indigestion and, topically, to soften and heal problem

skin. I have not seen medical studies that support these uses.

 

Red clover is a phytoestrogen, meaning it contains compounds that can

function like estrogen in the body, except that they may protect against

and slow down the progression of breast cancer instead of promoting it.

They may lessen the risk of heart disease and bone loss in women who

have stopped their menstrual periods. Here again there is an unfortunate

lack of studies, so we do not have any documentation of red clover's

effect on breast health.

 

You may be interested in a study published in the Journal of the

National Cancer Institute in early August 1997 regarding breast cancer

protection and fish oil. Fish oil is best known for thinning the blood

and protecting against heart attacks. In this study, however, 25 women

in remission from cancer who took fish oil capsules for three months

showed important changes in breast tissue. Their breasts began to

contain higher amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, common in fish, and lower

amounts of the omega-6 varieties found in vegetable oils. Researchers

think that higher levels of omega-3's help protect against breast

cancer, although more studies are needed to determine whether a diet

rich in fish oil actually has a protective effect.

 

I don't recommend fish oil capsules, because they can be contaminated

with the same pollutants that make so many kinds of fish unsafe to eat.

Instead, it's a good idea to make sure your diet contains lots of salmon

and sardines -- two or three servings a week is a good rule of thumb. If

you don't like either, then take flax seeds, flax oil or hemp oil as a

supplement.

 

In general, to protect your breasts, eat a healthy diet, cut down on

fats, eat more soy foods (not oil) and consume plenty of fruits and

vegetables. Be sure to check your breasts every month for lumps. It's

important also to take my antioxidant formula, and of course, exercise.

For more information about a healthy diet, please take a look at " 8

Weeks to a Healthy America " on this site.

 

 

http://www.drweil.com

 

 

 

JoAnn Guest

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