We all have likely known someone who has recently gone through a breast cancer scare or someone who, unfortunately, was diagnosed with it. For this reason, I thought it is important to shed some light on how the liver helps to break down estrogen as well as which metabolites are associated with breast cancer development or prevention.
There are three main forms of estrogen:
Estrone (E1)
Estradiol (E2)
Estriol (E3)
The liver helps to breakdown all three forms, helping to maintain a healthy balance of estrogen in the body. It breaks them down into what is called estrogen metabolites. There are two important estrogen metabolites to be familiar with because of their role in breast cancer. They are 2-hydroxyestrone and 16-alpha-hydroxyestrone.
2-hydroxyestrone is anti-estrogenic or a “good estrogen” because it may help to prevent breast cancer. On the other hand, 16-hydroxyestrone is the “bad estrogen” because it it appears to have estrogenic tendencies. Ideally one wants a higher ratio of 2-hydroxyestrone to 16-hydroxyestrone as a way to help prevent breast cancer while improving one’s overall level of well-being. 2-hydroxyestrone is actually an amazing antioxidant for the body!
Now you can see that the goal is to increase the level of 2-hydroxyestrone in comparison to 16-hydroxyestrone as a way to prevent not just breast cancer but other versions of cancer as well.
How can we begin increasing 2-hydroxyestrone?
We want to increase the intake of these foods listed below:
cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage.
flax seeds
Out of my daily 7 servings of vegetables a day, at least 3 sources come from the cruciferous family. I know individuals with thyroid issues are often told NOT to eat cruciferous vegetables because they interfere with the thyroid hormone production. However, I recommend eating them cooked in this situation because it reduces the “goitrogenic properties.” It may be advisable to limit servings of cruciferous vegetables to just 1-2 servings a day if you struggle with a thyroid condition.
Finally, I am going to always suggest undergoing a Functional Medicine Liver Detox as a way to improve your liver’s function, allowing it to serve your body as it’s intended. My DESTRESS Your Body Back to Life Program includes such a detox in addition to lifestyle changes that can really help you remove the toxicities holding you back from experiencing good health while correcting deficiencies and leading to a body back in balance! Set up a Free Discovery Call Today!