Supporting Breast Health Through a Healthy Gut Microbiome

Breast health may not be something you think about except for the monthly breast exams and visits to OBGYN for check-ups. Did you know that personal choices with diet and lifestyle profoundly impact breast health in women and men? Furthermore, nutritional status and your gut microbiome affect breast health. As breast health issues are rising across the globe, it is time to empower yourself with knowledge and resources for selfcare. 

Factors that Influence Breast Health

Breast health is influenced by several things – your age, age of menses onset, age menopause started, history of breastfeeding, pregnancy, body weight, genetics, epigenetics, hereditary factors, estrogen and progesterone metabolism.

Furthermore, a sedentary lifestyle, alcohol use, blood sugar metabolism, excess caloric intake, low fiber intake, and nutritional choices that lead to obesity and insulin resistance adversely affect breast health. This information is important for men too!

A substantial concern that affects breast health in women and men is excess body weight, which increases estrogen production. As fat cells enlarge, they promote more inflammatory molecules which activate signaling pathways. This turns on gene signals that promote cell proliferation in the breast tissues, increasing health risks. The ability to detoxify estrogen is critical for breast health and is affected by numerous factors like gut-breast microbiome connections.

Discover the Gut-Breast Microbiome Connections

It was previously believed that breast tissue was sterile, however research now demonstrates that breast tissue has its own microbiome. Breast tissue is a nutrient-rich fatty composition made up of an extensive vascular and lymphatic duct and drainage system as well as its own diverse microbiome. It is different than the gut microbiome.

Scientists propose that the breast microbiome supports metabolic activity, breaks down toxins, and activates immune cells. The breast microbiome adjusts at different stages of life such as menses onset, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and menopause.

The breast microbiome is greatly influenced by the gut microbiome. This new arena of research shows us that disturbances or dysbiosis of the breast and gut microbiome leads to increased risk of cellular and genetic changes within the breast.

To understand the breast-gut microbiome, it is important to understand the vast influences the gut microbiome has throughout the body. Your gut microbiome has about 100 trillion cells which outnumber the cells of your body. The number of genes in the gut microbiome is about 150 times higher than the human genome, making the gut microbiome and its genome an intestinal ecosystem and a multidimensional microbial organ. This ecosystem talks with other tissues and organs like the breasts, heart, lungs, brain, etc. affecting health and risks.

Functions of the Microbiome

The purpose of the gut microbiome is multifactorial.

• protects against germs from foods and the environment

• integral for protein, fat, carbohydrate digestion and metabolism

• minerals, vitamins, and phytonutrient absorption

• production of essential amino acids and some vitamins

• fermentation of dietary fibers into short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate

• metabolizes bile acids

• deeply affects immune tolerance and resiliency

Furthermore, the gut microbiome is essential for detoxification of hormones like estrogen and progesterone, and inactivation and secretion of toxins, xenobiotics, and carcinogens that are to be excreted in the feces. This extensive multidimensional microbial organ profoundly affects breast health more than previously understood. 

Gut Microbiome, SCFA, Bile Acids and Estrogen Detoxification

The health and terrain of your gut microbiome affects the breast microbiome. For example, butyrate and other SCFAs in the gut stimulate processes with immune cells that support clean-up and promote healthy breast tissue cells. Bile acid metabolites in the gut affect regulatory and signaling mechanisms, inflammatory reactions and gene signals in the breasts.

A critical effect of the gut microbiome affecting breast health is the metabolic regulation and detoxification of estrogen and other steroid hormones. Of great importance is the signaling of the enzyme beta-glucuronidase, which allows estrogen metabolites to be excreted in the feces. With gut dysbiosis, the enzyme doesn’t work as well. This causes biologically active forms of estrogens to enter back into circulation and travel to the breasts or affect other organs and functions like ovaries, uterus, fertility, heart and even cognitive health.

Gut Dysbiosis Leads to Breast Health Changes

Gut dysbiosis changes other metabolites that enter circulation, affecting the breast microbiome. This leads to stimulation of inflammatory, immune processes and cell growth in the breasts.

Gut dysbiosis also adversely affects blood sugar, insulin, and fat metabolism, leading to pro-inflammatory, insulin resistant states and increased body weight. This too creates cellular stress and changes in gene signals and breast structure.

Factors that Change the Gut Microbiome

Many factors of today’s world affect the gut microbiome. Western diets, ultra-processed foods, and diets low in plant-based foods cause beneficial bacteria levels to shrink, allowing non-beneficial germs to flourish.

Furthermore, inactivity, excess weight, alcohol, antibiotics, acid blocking medications, high stress and cortisol levels, heavy metals and toxic exposures, glyphosate/Round-up exposure, food poisoning and many other factors adversely change the gut microbiome affecting breast health.

A proactive approach to reduce these gut microbiome stressors aids in protection of the breast microbiome balance and the extensive network of genome crosstalk signals. A healthy gut microbiome impacts immune and lymph functions, adipose cells and blood sugar management, inflammatory processes, and supports critical hormone detoxification pathways in the gut and breasts.

Foods that Support the Gut and Breast Microbiome

How do you change your breast health? It starts with diet. The Mediterranean Diet and similar whole foods diets positively increase the gut microbiome beneficial bacteria and directly impacts the breast microbiome and genomic signals. A diet abundant in a wide variety of vegetables along with fruit, beans, legumes, complex carbohydrates, and quality protein rich in omega-3 oils is fundamental. Breast health is improved with the reduction of processed meats, white and refined sugars, processed carbohydrates, rancid vegetable and seed oils, and excessive alcohol.

Pre-, Pro-, Postbiotics

A whole foods diet with an emphasis on prebiotic, probiotic, and postbiotic supporting foods  nourish the breast and gut microbiome and reduce health risks. Plant-based foods help Lactobacillus, Bifidobacteria, other beneficial flora and beta glucuronidase enzymes thrive in the gut which supports a healthy breast microbiome. Furthermore, consuming plant-based foods provides the gut and breast microbiomes with several phytonutrients. This aids antioxidant protection, detoxification, immune-cytokine reactions, and cellular clean-up in the breast.

• Prebiotic supporting foods include asparagus, bananas, barley, chicory, dandelion greens, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, jicama, leeks, oats, onions, and wheat.

• Probiotic rich foods include yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, fermented vegetables, and some cheeses.

• Postbiotic supporting foods include high fiber foods and resistant starches such as beans, peas, lentils, plantains, green bananas, and whole grains including overnight oats and barley.

You may also consider additional support with Wellness Resources Fiber Helper, Super Dophilus, Tributyrin Plus, or Vital UT.

Cruciferous Vegetables

Another essential dietary component for breast health is sulfur-rich cruciferous vegetables. Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, broccoli sprouts, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, Bok choy, collard greens, horseradish, radish, rutabaga, turnips, and others. These vegetables are rich in indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and di-indol-methane (DIM) and other compounds critical for estrogen detoxification and the breast-gut microbiomes.

For extra support, these bioactive nutrients are found in Wellness Resources I3C + DIM and Female Plus.

Additional Nutritional Support

Several other nutrients are supportive of breast health, like the adaptogenic herbs Rhodiola, Holy basil, and cordyceps. Cellular studies show Rhodiola supports cellular repair mechanisms, aids in protection against mutagen-DNA reactions. and supports autophagy clean-up processes in breast tissues.

Holy basil is shown to provide antioxidant, antimicrobial, and mitochondria benefits in protecting breast cells and maintaining internal cellular harmony. Holy basil is considered an incomparable, elixir of life in traditional Ayurvedic medicine and has many other outstanding health benefits.

Cordyceps, a functional mushroom, also supports breast health. Its active compounds inhibit a number of cellular-immune reactions and cell-migration mechanisms involved with breast health. These adaptogenic herbs are found in Wellness Resources Adrenal Helper.

Several other nutrients support breast health within the tissues. These include omega-3 EPA and DHA, vitamin D, resveratrol, grape seed extract, carotenes, curcumin/turmeric, folate, EGCG/green tea extract, quercetin, sulforaphane and others.

This discovery of the gut-breast microbiome connection edifies the true need for healthy dietary choices. Across the globe, women and men increasingly encounter various breast health challenges. It is imperative to educate and empower yourself with knowledge and choices.

Mainstream healthcare does not readily provide this detailed information. Share this information with your family and loved ones. The intestinal ecosystem is a multidimensional microbial organ, which is essential for breast health but also affects all of you. It is vital to your health!