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Why aren’t we talking about dairy and breast cancer?

Most breast cancers are estrogen receptor positive, so elevated levels of estrogen increase the risk of breast cancer.
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Last week I discussed some of the ways we can unknowingly increase our estrogen levels. You can read about that here https://naturallynic.com.au/the-link-between-breast-cancer-and-dietary-hormones/
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One of the foods I mentioned was dairy. Milk is a hormonal liquid from pregnant cows and is thought to account for 60 – 80% of dietary estrogen consumed.
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But that is not the only reason why I ditched the dairy.
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Cow’s milk is designed to help a calf grow very big in a short amount of time. This is achieved with the help of a hormone called insulin-like growth factor, or IGF-1. But dairy also increases IGF-1 in humans, even the dairy industry’s own studies show this. The problem is that IGF-1 is a powerful cancer promoter and has been linked to breast, lung, colon and prostate cancers.
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That was enough for me to say no more dairy!
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Interestingly I find many clients who experiment with going dairy-free for a few weeks find that many of their abdominal symptoms disappear. This is due to either lactose or the casein in the milk. Both of which have been found to cause digestive issues.
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But casein, the main protein in milk, is also associated with cancer.  The China Study by Colin T Campbell, show cased his 40 plus years researching the effect of casein, animal protein and plant protein on cancer growth. The research showed that casein and animal protein increased the growth of tumors whereas plant proteins did not.
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You don’t necessarily need to give up animal protein altogether. The Blue Zone study, which looked at the 5 healthiest, happiest and longest living populations still living today, eat some meat. But they eat it sparingly, focusing more on fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains.
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You can read about the Blue Zones here https://www.bluezones.com/
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I recommend reducing animal protein to an absolute maximum of once a day, preferably only a few times a week. And yes…ditch the dairy and start enjoying all those delicious milk alternatives and buy some nutritional yeast and start experimenting.
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Are you a cancer survivor?
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Join Women Thriving After Cancer and connect with women just like you who are supporting one another and making healthy choices that reduce their risk of getting ‘it’ again!
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See you in there,
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Nic x