“But far worse for your health than tight or ill-fitting bras is the most popular type of all — the underwire bra.”  Dr. Joseph Mercola

How familiar are you with the negative effects of wearing a bra?

My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the utterance from my heart will give understanding. (Ps. 49:3; NIV)

Whew, I already know that some may want to throw rotten tomatoes at me for this post.  Even though the subject is seldom discussed, it still will be quite unpopular with most women.  I’ve had concerns for years about wearing underwire bras.  I’ve read several articles about the wire causing constriction of the lymph flow.  I also recall the personal pain and discomfort I felt years ago when I wore underwire bras.

Last year I listened to a teleseminar by Dr. Ben Johnson (M.D., D.O., and naturopathic doctor) where he spoke about how wearing a bra causes the breast tissue to be inflamed due to heat being trapped in the tissue.  He gave several other scientific and medical reasons of why wearing a bra is not a healthy thing to do.

Last week, Dr. Joseph Mercola posted an article entitled, “Can Wearing Your Bra Cause Cancer?”  Wow!  I was most intrigued.  Here are just a couple sentences from his article:  “Many physicians and researchers now agree that wearing a tight fitting bra can cut off lymph drainage, which can contribute to the development of breast cancer, as your body will be less able to excrete all the toxins you’re exposed to on a daily basis. Aluminum from antiperspirants, for example, is one potentially dangerous source of toxins that can accumulate if your lymph drainage is impaired.”  (Hopefully most of our readers know NOT to use an antiperspirant deodorant.  If you have questions about that, feel free to contact me.)

Dr. Michael Schacter stated, “Over 85 percent of the lymph fluid flowing from the breast drains to the armpit lymph nodes. Most of the rest drains to the nodes along the breast bone. Bras and other external tight clothing can impede flow.  The nature of the bra, the tightness, and the length of time worn, will all influence the degree of blockage of lymphatic drainage. Thus, wearing a bra might contribute to the development of breast cancer as a result of cutting off lymphatic drainage, so that toxic chemicals are trapped in the breast.”  Thought provoking?

One more tidbit from the article and I’ll quit.

Bra Wearers May Face Up to 125-Fold Higher Cancer Risk

Medical anthropologists Sydney Singer and Soma Grismaijer — authors of Dressed to Kill: The Link Between Breast Cancer and Bras — conducted a study of over 4,000 women, and found that women who do not wear bras have a much lower risk of breast cancer.

Their findings included:

• Women who wore their bras 24 hours per day had a 3 out of 4 chance of developing breast cancer
• Women who wore bras more than 12 hour per day, but not to bed, had a 1 out of 7 risk
• Women who wore their bras less than 12 hours per day had a 1 out of 52 risk
• Women who wore bras rarely or never had a 1 out of 168 chance of getting breast cancer

Prayer Power
Father, we thank You for wisdom and knowledge.  May we take what we learn and seek You for how to apply it in our own lives.

Link of the Day
Can Wearing Your Bra Cause Cancer?

Blessings on you as you continue to educate yourself on how to best care for the only body you will ever have.

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