Breast Cancer: What's Actually Driving The Risk
Breast cancer is now the most common cancer on the planet, rising year over year in women under 50. The question worth asking isn’t just “do I need a mammogram?”
Breast cancer is now the most common cancer on the planet, rising year over year in women under 50. The question worth asking isn’t just “do I need a mammogram?” It’s what’s driving this, and what you can do about it.
Think of your risk factors as boulders and pebbles on a scale...
The boulders move the needle most:
• Diet high in animal protein, processed meat, + refined sugar
• Alcohol, classified as a Group 1 carcinogen
(along with tobacco and asbestos)
• Being sedentary
• Obesity
The pebbles, smaller but cumulative:
• Environmental toxin exposure
• Chronic emotional stress and unresolved grief
• Poor sleep
• Hormonal imbalances
• Not fasting
One boulder lifted can outweigh a lot of pebbles on the other side. And the earlier you start, the better.
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A note on hormones...
because this comes up in our clinic constantly
Estradiol therapy can promote breast cancer, but in our clinical experience with bioidentical hormones, the rates are low. And when a cancer does occur on BHRT (estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone), it is almost uniformly less aggressive and more treatable. Women diagnosed with breast cancer while on BHRT have about a 50% lower mortality rate than those not on it.
If you have been putting off the hormone conversation, this is your sign to have it.
To learn more, listen to: hol+ with Dr. Taz MD, Episode 82, "95% of Breast Cancer Has Nothing To Do With Your Genes" featuring Dr. Kristi Funk.
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Reduce Your Risk of Breast Cancer, Starting Now
1. Eat cruciferous vegetables
Broccoli, cauliflower, kale, arugula, Brussels sprouts. Consistent intake has been linked to a 50% reduction in premenopausal breast cancer risk
2. Reduce alcohol, significantly if not entirely
Alcohol is classified as a carcinogen with the same certainty as tobacco. This is one of the biggest boulders you can lift.
3. Move consistently
2.5 hours of moderate aerobic activity a week, plus strength training a minimum of two days a week
4. More plants, less meat
More whole foods, more plants, less animal protein. No processed meats (deli meat, packaged ham, turkey, charcuterie). If you eat meat, stick to lean cuts and fish.
5. If it's time for hormones, get on hormones
The data is clear. For most women the benefit outweighs the risk, and the cancers that do occur on BHRT are less aggressive and more treatable.
6. Do your self breast exams
Most breast abnormalities are found by women themselves through self-exams, not through screening. When it comes to early detection, this is the most important thing you can do. Know your body so you notice when something changes.
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The FDA + Peptides: What the Headlines Got Wrong
If you saw headlines this week about BPC-157, TB-500, KPV, and other peptides being "FDA-approved," I want to clarify that before it spreads further.
What actually happened: an FDA advisory panel voted over two days on whether seven peptides should be added to a list that allows compounding pharmacies to dispense them. That is not FDA approval, not even close. Compounded medications are never put through the full FDA drug-approval pipeline by design.
A few other things worth knowing:
• The committee's recommendation is not binding
• Any real changes still require a lengthy federal rulemaking process
• The panel voted against FDA staff's own recommendation, an unusual move, and one that included members with financial ties to companies that stand to benefit
So... what does this mean for you?
Honestly, not much changes at Kore. I've been comfortable using several of these peptides clinically, sourced through a reputable supplier with quality documentation on every batch. That hasn't changed.
What this vote does signal is that regulators are finally paying attention to peptides in a meaningful way, and that's worth watching as the process unfolds... but remember, what you read online and what's actually been approved are two very different things.
