Estrogen in moisturizers may worsen breast cancer

UPDATE: December 19
This report totally overlooks the effect of these chemicals on women's health. It looks as if all women effected by breast cancer need to write their representatives in Congress, and the EPA.

Hormones Should Be Analyzed Together
Scientists to EPA: Risks of Chemicals That Alter Male Hormones Should Be Analyzed Together Concluding that nearly everybody is exposed to a mix of chemicals that could be damaging male reproductive health, a national panel of scientists on Thursday advised the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to shift its focus and group them together when judging how much of a danger they pose.

I have referred more than once to the preeminent work of Judi Vance and her 1990s book, "Beauty to Die For". This work began the trail of others that has slowly come forward to report on the very same concerns - there are toxic chemicals in health and beauty products (HABA).

Now the information is coming from the medical establishment.

Even so-called 'natural brands' sold in health stores contain some of these questionable ingredients. And again I encourage you to read labels. Even if the FDA approved a single ingredient they do not test or approve mixtures of ingredients, and this is one place where problems start.

The UV blocking, sun screen type products are also a risk, as most contain endocrine disrupting chemicals.

It is never too late, but perhaps consider all the damage that might have been prevented had people listened to what Judi had to say over 10 years ago.

Another concern is that most of the mass market products act more like a barrier. This continues your purchasing cycle rather than provide you with a product that truly acts to heal dry skin.

The products I have used for a long time now are the result of over twenty years of research and development to achieve real results. If you are looking for organic products I highly recommend Kettle Care.

Breast cancer patients who apply moisturizers may be dosing themselves with estrogen...
By Jill Stein, Reuters - December 15, 2008

SAN ANTONIO (Reuters Health) - Breast cancer patients who apply moisturizers may be dosing themselves with estrogen without even knowing it, investigators reported at a breast cancer symposium in San Antonio.

Dr. Adrienne Olson, with Breastlink in Hawthorne, California, and colleagues analyzed 16 widely available moisturizers for estrogen-like compounds.

None of the creams analyzed noted any estrogen content in their list of ingredients. Even so, six samples contained estriol or estrone.

Olson, who is a seven-year breast cancer survivor, explained that estrogens applied to the skin are more efficiently absorbed into the body than estrogens taken orally.

She urged women with breast cancer that is driven by estrogen (that is, estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer) to avoid externally applied estrogen to minimize the risk of a recurrence.

Women without breast cancer are also at risk, she added. If they use estrogen-containing topical moisturizers, they may be dosing themselves daily with estrogen for extended periods, thereby boosting their risk of breast cancer.

Suzanne M. Snedeker, PhD at Cornell University has a very informative page on estrogens in cosmetics.

Another resource is the Cosmetics Data Base

From My Print Media Series for 12.08, Health Matters©: Natural Notes on Health
Select Recipes Courtesy: StarWest Botanicals
Natural Notes on Health:Winter Skin Care

About 15 years ago I met a woman from Canada that spent over a decade researching the cosmetic industry. She published her book in the early 1990s and subsequently moved because of the number of threats she got because she was exposing this $10 billion industry.

Just in the last few years there are several groups that have raised the issue that Judi Vance first addressed in the 1980s that led to her book, “Beauty to Die For”.

Another friend and colleague of mine has made natural cosmetics now for 25 years. I always sold or recommended her products to my clients and many other people. Her business is now certified organic and she grows many of the herbs and plants that she uses in her products.

Another thing to consider is that even prescription creams, lotions and shampoos for contain a number of ingredients that are untested in combination or may be skin irritants or carcinogenic.

Once it gets colder, drier and windier during the winter months skin takes quite a beating. Probably the most common complaint during these months is dry skin, but it can be prevented with natural products and supplements.

The best way to protect against dry skin is to make sure you have an adequate intake of vitamin A along with vitamins D and E. These are three of the four fat soluble vitamins and this means that you need to ingest healthy fats like butter, olive oil or coconut oil to help the vitamins absorb so they can do their job.

An option you have as well is to make some products on your own.

The good part about making your own natural skin care products is that you control what goes into them and they are free of artificial chemicals. What you make is luxurious and can even be fragrance free.

You reduce waste too because you don’t have to deal with excess packaging.

An easy lip balm can be made as follows:
Please note that most vitamin E capsules are made from synthetic ingredients like GMO soy oil. It is best to use natural vitamin E and this oil is readily available, even in high potency.

If you flavor your lip balm make sure you choose natural flavors as well. Fragrance oils are most often synthetic and made from petroleum and use chemical flavoring.
Use raw or uncooked and unprocessed honey, and olive oil sold in glass bottles. Shea Butter can be used with the bees wax.

2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 tsp. honey
3/4 tsp. beeswax - grated
1/2 tsp. pure cocoa butter
Flavored oil of your choice
1 vitamin E capsule

In a small saucepan, heat oil, honey, wax and cocoa butter over low heat until just melted. Remove from heat and cool for 2-3 minutes. Stir in flavoring and contents of vitamin E capsule. Pour into container.
Anti-aging Dry Skin Moisturizer

4 ounces Shea butter
2 ounces organic olive oil
2 teaspoons organic vitamin E oil, 5000 IU
1 teaspoon active royal jelly
6 drops organic lavender essential oil

Blend ingredients on high until smooth and creamy. Store refrigerated in an airtight container. It is necessary to make this in small amounts and keep refrigerated because of the active royal jelly. This is an awesome ingredient for its healing properties and well worth the effort.

Super Simple Moisturizer
For your hair: Mix one ripe avocado with 2 TBSP raw honey and blend well. Apply to hair for 20-30 minutes, and then wash as usual (you might want to think about using natural hair care products to avoid the chemicals in most shampoos and conditioners).
For your skin: Blend 1/4 cup Aloe vera gel and 2 TBSP vegetable glycerin, of each. You can also add 3 drops of pure essential oil or add 1/2 teaspoon of active royal jelly for anti aging effects.

For your nails: Blend 2 ounces of pure Palma Cristi castor oil with 10 drops of organic lavender essential oil. Massage into nails and cuticles. This also helps reduce or eliminate nail fungus.

I have made my own skin care oil blend for many years using vitamin E oil, rose hips oil and jojoba oil. Rose hips are very high in vitamin C while jojoba oil is good to protect from the effects of aging as is vitamin E. This blend is high in anti-oxidants and lubricates the skin while not being greasy. I find that the fragrance of the oils is very pleasant and I don’t add anything extra.

Jeanne Rose has a wonderful book that I relied on in my hippie days and while raising my children. I suggest it might be available from your library or favorite used book store.

You can order all supplies from the botanical link found on our blog, at www.naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com.

And while a commercial product, I recommend Aura Glow for bath oil or after showering. This is an Edgar Cayce remedy and is available under the Heritage Store brand.

Copyright © 2008 TOC. All rights reserved.

Are Hidden Hormones Destroying Your Health?Health News By VRP Staff
The FDA calls them safe—but you’d be right to think twice.

Synthetic hormones saturate your daily environment—many of them lurking in the meat and milk products you’ve been consuming now for years. And they can come at a very steep price. In fact, if you’re having trouble losing weight, struggling with metabolic syndrome, or battling prostate or breast cancer despite having no family history of the disease, then you may already be paying the price.

The truth is, a lot of today’s modern health crises can be traced back to estrogen. It’s a potent hormone—and its effects can go both ways.

That’s because your body metabolizes estrogen into several different byproducts, including 2-hydroxy, 4-hydroxy, and 16 hydroxy estrogens. Two out of the three—4-hydroxy and 16-hydroxy estrogens—can pose some very serious threats to your health. Research has linked heightened levels of these inflammation-promoting estrogens to breast, cervix and prostate cancers—and to stubborn obesity that can eventually lead to metabolic syndrome and diabetes.1-2

On the contrary, high levels of 2-hydroxy estrogens—or “good estrogens” as they’re sometimes called—have quite the opposite effect, serving to lower telltale PSA levels and protect vulnerable tissue in the prostate, cervix, and breast from cancerous developments.3

Whether the estrogen in your body hurts or helps you is entirely dependent upon how your body uses it—and fortunately, a natural phytonutrient called diindolylmethane (DIM) can ensure that it’s used properly. It’s a potent antioxidant found in cruciferous vegetables, and research shows that it can suppress the macrophage activity that sparks the inflammatory cascade of hormones and cytokines.4-5 It also helps your body to metabolize and remove toxic inflammatory pollutants—thereby reducing these chemicals’ role in disease-promoting inflammation.

Most importantly, DIM has a direct effect on estrogen metabolism, yielding a much higher level of protective 2-hydroxy estrogens.6-7 Not only does this stave off deadly cancerous developments, but it also contributes to weight loss in humans and animals—preventing obesity and metabolic syndrome.8-9 As an added benefit, it also helps to preserve levels of tryptophan, the “feel good” hormone responsible for serotonin production—which is in turn responsible for better moods and appetite control.10-11

DIM is an insoluble indole, meaning that it’s difficult for your body to absorb—but a pure, microencapsulated form of the product insures maximum bioavailablity.12 And that means vital protection against the emerging—and potentially deadly—threat of environmental estrogens.

(High quality DIM products may be ordered from Natural Health News professional partners, with profits going to support this blog and our other avtivities. Please contact us for ordering information or other product information.)
References:

1. Coffey DS. Similarities of prostate and breast cancer: Evolution, diet, and estrogens. Urology. 2001 Apr;57(4 Suppl 1):31-8.

2. Schneider J, Bradlow HL, Strain G, Levin J, Anderson K, Fishman J. Effects of obesity on estradiol metabolism: decreased formation of nonuterotropic metabolites. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1983 May;56(5):973-8.

3. Le HT, Schaldach CM, Firestone GL, Bjeldanes LF. Plant-derived 3,3’-Diindolylmethane is a strong androgen antagonist in human prostate cancer cells. J Biol Chem. 2003 Jun 6;278(23):21136-45.

4. Cho HJ, Seon MR, Lee YM, Kim J, Kim JK, Kim SG, Park JH. 3,3’-Diindolylmethane suppresses the inflammatory response to lipopolysaccharide in murine macrophages. J Nutr. 2008 Jan;138(1):17-23.

5. Harman-Boehm I, Blüher M, Redel H, Sion-Vardy N, Ovadia S, Avinoach E, Shai I, Klöting N, Stumvoll M, Bashan N, Rudich A. Macrophage infiltration into omental versus subcutaneous fat across different populations: effect of regional adiposity and the comorbidities of obesity. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007 Jun;92(6):2240-7.

6. Zeligs MA. Diet and estrogen status: the cruciferous connection. J Medicinal Foods. 1998;1:67 82.

7. Dalessandri, KM, Firestone GL, Fitch MD, Bradlow HL, Bjeldanes LF. Pilot study: effect of 3,3’-diindolylmethane supplements on urinary hormone metabolites in postmenopausal women with a history of early-stage breast cancer. Nutr Cancer. 2004;50(2):161-7.

8. Ackerman GE, et al., Potentiation of epinephrine-induced lipolysis by catechol estrogens and their methoxy derivatives, Endocrinology. 1981;109:2084-8.

9. Zeligs MA. Phytochemicals for promoting weight loss. US Patent #6,534,085, 2003, March.

10. Brandacher G, Hoeller E, Fuchs D, Weiss HG. Chronic immune activation underlies morbid obesity: is IDO a key player? Curr Drug Metab. 2007 Apr;8(3):289-95.

11. Cangiano C, Ceci F, Cascino A, Del Ben M, Laviano A, Muscaritoli M, Antonucci F, Rossi-Fanelli F. Eating behavior and adherence to dietary prescriptions in obese adult subjects treated with 5-hydroxytryptophan. Am J Clin Nutr. 1992 Nov;56(5):863-7.

12. Zeligs MA and Jacobs IC. Compositions and methods of adjusting steroid hormone metabolism through phytochemicals. US Patent #6,086,915. 2000, July.