Some American girls are developing breasts as young as age seven, researchers have found. Although there’s no conclusive evidence as to what is causing girls to develop early signs of puberty, environmental exposure to estrogens and chemicals that mimic estrogen are among the key factors suspected. The early onset of puberty may lead to obesity, hormone imbalances and cancer.

A new study, published in the August 9, 2010, online issue of the journal Pediatrics, looked at more than 1,200 girls age six to eight examined between 2004 and 2006, in New York, Ohio and California. It compared the age when the girls showed early signs of puberty with the results of a similar study from 13 years ago.

Over that time period, the age at which girls began showing early signs of puberty decreased significantly among all races:

Among 7 year-olds, about 10.4% of white girls, 23.4% of black girls and almost 15% Hispanic girls had started developing breasts.

Among eight-year-olds, 18.3%of white girls, nearly 43% of black girls and just under 31% of Hispanic girls showed evidence of breast development.

The rate has about doubled since 1977, when 5.0% of 7 year-old white girls showed signs of breast develoopment and 15.4% of black girls. No comparison data was available for Hispanic girls.

“The proportion of girls who had breast development at ages seven and eight years, particularly among white girls, is greater than that reported from studies of girls who were born 10 to 30 years earlier,” the study’s authors concluded.

Lead author Dr. Frank Biro of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and his co-authors explained that the stage of development in which a girl’s breasts begin to “bud” is considered the onset of puberty, not her first menstrual cycle.

The average age of the first period has declined as well, says Nickel. “Girls used to get their first menstrual period at 14 or 15,” she says, but now the average is closer to 12.

Previous research on puberty, specifically the menstrual cycle, has indicated that girls who start menstruating at age 11 or younger have an increased life-long risk of breast cancer.

Suspected Cause: Environmental Exposure to Estrogens

The researchers have no conclusive evidence about what could be causing girls to develop teenage bodies earlier. They postulated that obesity could be a factor since girls who developed breasts early tended to have a higher body-mass index than those who didn’t.

New research shows that chemicals in plastics may lead to obesity, early puberty, endocrine disruption and cancer.

Chemicals in Plastics mimic Estrogen

Dr. Frank Biro of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital said no matter where they are found, pollutants that mimic the female hormone estrogen might also be contributing to early puberty. Whether these pollutants are found in the food that they’ve eaten, products used for personal care, or even products used at their homes they are all contributing factors.

Estrogenic Compounds in Plastics Linked to Cancer

Chemicals in the environment – most notably bisphenol-A (BPA), and Polythylene Terephthalate (PETE), are found in many plastic bottles widely used for water, sodas, fruit juices, sports drinks, ketchup, mayonnaise, peanut butter, vinegar and just about every other food you can think of.

These estrogenic chemicals leach into the bottles’ contents and they have now been linked to the disruption of both male and female hormones and may be a significant reason for the early onset of puberty and the dramatic increase in PMS, uterine fibroids, endometriosis and breast and ovarian cancer.

Researchers at the University of Missouri found that one bottled water brand spurred a 78% increase in the growth of the breast cancer cells compared to the control sample, with 1,200 initial breast cancer cells multiplying to 32,000 in 4 days, versus only 18,000 for the control sample.

This study indicates that chemical contaminants in the bottled water sample stimulated accelerated division of cancer cells. When estrogen-blocking chemicals were added, the effect was inhibited, showing that the cancer-spurring chemicals mimic estrogen, a hormone linked to breast cancer.

While the specific chemical(s) responsible for this cancer cell proliferation were not identified in this pilot study, ingestion of endocrine-disrupting and cancer-promoting chemicals from plastics is considered to be a potentially important health concern (Naidenko O, Leiba N, Sharp R, Houlihan J. 2008. Bottled water quality investigation. Ref.: http://www.ewg.org/reports/bottledwater).

A growing body of research links PETE from plastics with a variety of adverse outcomes, including increased body fat and insulin resistance (Grün and Blumberg 2009), decreased anogenital distance in male infants (Swan et al. 2005), decreased levels of sex hormones (Pan et al. 2006), and other consequences for the human reproductive system, both for females and males (reviewed by Hauser and Calafat 2005). Infants and children may be especially vulnerable to the toxic effects of PETE (Sathyanarayana 2008).

All of this indicates that early onset of puberty and childhood obesity may be the result of environmental exposure to plastics during early childhood or from prenatal exposure during pregnancy.

Estrogens also found in Dairy products and Beef

The synthetic drug 17-beta-Estradiol is fed to beef cows in the U.S. to make them put on more weight so they can get them to market sooner and sell them for more money.

Estradiol is also concentrated in milk due to modern dairy farming techniques designed to boost milk production, including feeding cows hormones and milking pregnant cows until very late in their pregnancy.

Unfortunately, the trade-off we suffer is a higher rate of Estrogen induced disease, including cancer, which is not recognized or at least not admitted by the Dairy and Beef Industry.

Dr. Hansen’s Rx

To protect yourself and your family here’s what Dr. Hansen recommends:

1. Avoid environmental estrogen exposure wherever possible.

Eliminate or reduce exposure to plastics, especially PETE (Recyclable #1) and BP-A (Recyclable # 7).

Make your own at home or look for products that come in glass jars, e.g. Apple Juice, Spaghetti Sauce, Water, etc.

If you use bottled water, make sure not to store your bottles in your hot garage. Heating plastic bottles will greatly increase the amount of estrogenic chemicals that leach into the water or soda, etc.

Eat beef and dairy sparingly and eat only organic beef and dairy products (hormone and antibiotic free) when you do eat them.

2. Eat Brassica family vegetables (broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower) often. They contain Indole-3-carbinol, which activates rapid clearing of estrogens out of the body.

3. Test your hormones, especially if you have any symptoms of Endocrine Disruption, including PMS, Irregular Menstrual Cycles, Heavy Periods, Endometriosis, Uterine Fibroids, Hot Flashes, Osteopenia, Osteoporosis, etc.

4. Take natural bio-identical progesterone to counteract the harmful effects of the environmental exposure to estrogens. Progesterone activates Tumor Suppressor Protein. Breast cancer cells do not multiply when women have a sufficient supply of progesterone. Progesterone likewise also prevents cancer of the ovaries and uterus as well as the lungs.

To learn more about Natural Bio-Identical Progesterone, click here.

To learn more about how PETE plastics may affect your health, click here.

Both men and women produce progesterone throughout their lives. As we age, progesterone levels decrease significantly in both sexes.

A woman’s progesterone begins declining at age 35 and a man’s progesterone begins falling at age 45. The decline of progesterone is associated with mood disorders, anxiety and depression, poor sleep, osteoporosis, breast and uterine cancer, prostate cancer, as well as aging of the brain and nervous system.

To slow the aging process both men and women should test their progesterone levels regularly and take a natural progesterone supplement if their levels get too low. Progesterone is the natural counter balance to the harmful Estrogen known as Estradiol.

Excess Estradiol / Deficient Progesterone

Estradiol is the principal estrogen found in both men and women. A small amount is necessary for optimal function. However, too much Estradiol is associated with causing cancer of the breast, uterus and prostate.

Estradiol is fed to beef cows in the U.S. to make them put on more weight so that they can get them to market sooner and sell for more money. Estradiol is also concentrated in milk due to modern dairy farming techniques designed to boost milk production, including feeding cows hormones and milking pregnant cows until very late in their pregnancy.

Unfortunately, the trade-off we suffer is a higher rate of Estrogen induced disease, including cancer, which is not recognized or at least not admitted by the Dairy and Beef Industry.

Estrogenic Compounds in Plastics Linked to PMS and Cancer

Polyethylene terephthalate (PETE), the main ingredient in the plastic bottles most widely used for water, sodas, fruit juices, sports drinks, ketchup, mayonaise, peanut butter, vinegar and just about every other food you can think of, has been found to leach harmful estrogenic chemicals into the bottles’ contents. Known as phthalates, these chemicals have now been linked to the disruption of both male and female hormones and may be a significant reason for the dramatic increase in PMS, uterine fibroids, endometriosis and cancer.

To learn more about how PETE plastics may affect your health, click here.

Progesterone Deficiency in Women

In women, a deficiency of Progesterone and/or an excess of Estradiol is associated with PMS, uterine fibroids, endometriosis and Osteoporosis, as well as Breast, Ovarian and Uterine Cancer. Progesterone is the natural counter-balance to Estradiol. Progesterone activates Tumor Suppressor Protein (p53) to suppress excessive cell growth that can lead to cancer.

Progesterone and PMS

A deficiency of Progesterone and/or too much Estradiol causes excessive menstrual bleeding and cramping. It also causes PMS moodiness, bloating, acne, and breast tenderness. By raising your progesterone levels you can totally eliminate the symptoms PMS. Here’s how it works.

Progesterone and Mood/Sleep

Progesterone has a calming effect on the nervous system through its action on GABA, the calming neurohormone. Progesterone produces a valium-like effect on the stressed nervous system and creates a healthy EEG sleep pattern in the brain similar to that produced by valium.

Progesterone and Cancer

Progesterone increases the Tumor Suppressor Protein known as p53, the “guardian of the cell” and decreases the cancer activating protein known as bcl-2.

The Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 guards against cellular mutations that can cause cancer in the following ways:

• Activation of DNA repair
• Stops Cell growth when necessary to allow DNA time to repair
• Initiates programmed cell death (apoptosis) when DNA damage is irreparable

Estradiol, on the other hand, does the opposite of progesterone. It causes a decrease in p53 and activates bcl-2, the opposite acting protein that promotes cancer cell growth.

Here’s the take home message: Breast cancer cells do not multiply when women have a sufficient supply of progesterone. Progesterone likewise also prevents cancer of the ovaries and uterus as well as the lungs.

Progesterone in Men

Men make about half as much progesterone as women. However, it is extremely important for men as well as it is for women. Progesterone gets converted into Testosterone. Most men know that the loss of Testosterone is associated with aging and causes decreased libido and erectile dysfunction. It is also associated with prostate cancer.

Progesterone preserves natural stores of Testosterone by preventing it from being converted into Di-Hydro-Testosterone (DHT), which blocks the prostate and causes Benign Prostate Enlargement and it’s bothersome symptoms including frequent urination, hesitancy, feeble urine stream and night-time urination. Too much DHT also blocks the hair follicles and is the principal cause of male pattern baldness.

A deficiency of Testosterone, in men or women, is associated with a loss of muscle mass, joint pains, heart disease and the tendency to put on excess abdominal fat. Taking supplemental natural progesterone can boost your Testosterone level.

Progesterone and Prostate Cancer

Men typically make a very small amount of Estrogen: about 1/10^th the amount of a woman. If however, the ratio of Estrogen to Progesterone gets out of balance, prostate cancer develops for the same reason breast or uterine cancer develops in a woman. Progesterone protects against cancer growth and Estradiol activates cancer cell growth.

Progesterone Protects the Brain and Nervous System

Progesterone also protects and preserves the nervous system. Progesterone and Testosterone work together to prevent neurodegeneration of the central nervous system. Therefore, any age-related decline in progesterone may have a negative impact on brain, memory and nerve function. Additionally, progesterone and the natural, bio-identical estrogen known as Estriol, help reduce age-associated abnormalities of the myelin sheath that covers the nerves. New research indicates that supplementing these natural hormones could help prevent Multiple Sclerosis.

What is the best form and dose of Progesterone?

The most effective form of progesterone is the oral, sub-lingual form. Transdermal progesterone creams are less effective long term. The skin is designed to be a barrier, not to absorb hormones. It works well for a short while, but eventually progesterone applied to the skin gets shunted into fat cells and begins to build up. Eventually this excess progesterone can cause side-effects including moodiness and irritability.

The mucous membranes of the mouth however, were designed for absorption. When progesterone is absorbed in the mouth, it is absorbed and transported through the blood stream directly to the ovaries, uterus and receptors on the pituitary gland, before it is broken down in the stomach or the liver and excreted from the body. I have found this method to be very effective without any excess buildup over time.

The sublingual form is safe to take for extended periods. The usual sublingual dose is 50 to 100 mg of natural progesterone daily depending on the individual. To determine the correct amount that is right for you, I recommend saliva or blood testing before and after one to three months of natural progesterone therapy. Once the correct dose is found, you should make sure you get your progesterone level tested every twelve months to make sure your levels remain in the optimum range.

Overview
Hormones exert a powerful influence over a woman’s health. Estrogens protect a woman from cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis and are vital for fertility. Progesterone levels affect mood, and balance the tissue proliferative effect of Estrogen. Testosterone increases energy, libido, and muscle.

A comprehensive assessment of your hormonal balance can be made by measuring Estrone, Estradiol, Estriol, DHEA, Progesterone, and Testosterone. Informed decisions regarding the need to initiate Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT), or how to individualize therapy can then be made to maximize the health benefits of BHRT. Individual differences in hormone metabolism make monitored therapy the best choice for long term health.

Careful monitoring and individualization of BHRT can provide women with the benefits of supplemented natural Estrogen while reducing the risk of uterine, ovarian and breast cancer. (An increased cancer risk has been associated with conjugated Estrogen or synthetically modified hormone use. This is not the case with bio-identical or natural hormone use.)

Estrogen

With advancing age, a woman’s ovarian function declines, leading to a decline in the production of Estrogen. This decline leads to vasomotor instability that causes hot flashes. It also causes decreased muscle mass, which is then replaced by fibrous tissue. Thinning skin is due to a loss of connective tissue support and elasticity. Vaginal mucous membranes also become thin and dry and breast tissue begins to sag. Supplementing natural Estriol (E3) can help stop many of these undesirable effects associated with menopause.

Progesterone
Progesterone is also produced by the ovaries from cholesterol. It has its own unique hormonal functions, but a certain amount is also converted into Estrogen. Progesterone increases uterine secretions and stimulates calcium deposits into bone tissue. It also helps regulate salt, control blood sugar, calms the nervous system and promote a healthy thymus gland. Supplementing natural Progesterone can help maintain these healthful benefits. You should have approximately ten times more Progesterone than Estriol for optimal balance.

Testosterone
When a woman’s ovarian function declines in the years before and during natural menopause, so does the amount of Testosterone she produces. Between a woman’s 20s and 40s the amount of Testosterone circulating in her blood declines about 50%. If a woman starts synthetic Estrogen Replacement Therapy at menopause, her blood levels of Testosterone drop even further due to a biochemical reaction.

Symptoms such as fatigue, muscle wasting, low sex drive, decreased sexual stimulation, and diminished sense of well-being can be due to a Testosterone deficiency. These symptoms may be significantly improved with natural Testosterone replacement.

DHEA
DHEA is the most abundant steroid in the body. DHEA is a steroid precursor produced by the adrenal gland and converted to Testosterone and the Estrogens. DHEA levels decrease dramatically with age. Adequate DHEA levels give the body the building blocks necessary to produce these hormones. Low levels of DHEA are associated with and increase in coronary artery disease, muscle wasting, abdominal fat and osteoporosis. Taking DHEA reverses these processes and may also increase the sense of well-being.

Hormone levels affect health and well-being.
Monitoring hormone therapy increases therapy benefits while reducing side effects.
Due to individual differences in hormone absorption and metabolism, the hormone dosage required to attain physiologic levels will vary by patient and method of administration.

References

1. Samsioe G. The endometrium: effects of estrogen and estrogen-progestogen replacement therapy. Int J Fertil Menopausal Stud 1994;39 Suppl 2:84-92
2. Davis S. Androgen replacement in women: a commentary. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1999 Jun;84(6):1886-91
3. Watts NB. Hulka BS. Epidemilogical analysis of breast and gynecological cancers. Prog Clin Biol Res. 1997;396:17-29.
4. Rosano GM, Panina G. Cardiovascular pharmacology of hormone replacement therapy. Drugs Aging 1999 Sep;15(3):219-34

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)

Many women are surprised to learn that PMS moodiness and painful menstrual periods are not normal. An imbalance of the Estrogen to Progesterone level can cause PMS and cramps as well as Migraine Headaches, Irregular Periods, Heavy Menstrual Bleeding, Acne, Ovarian Cysts, Uterine Fibroids, Infertility, Osteoporosis and Cancer. At the Hansen Clinic of Natural Medicine we test a woman’s hormones to determine the cause of the hormonal imbalance. We then prescribe nutritional, herbal and homeopathic medicines based on the individual findings of each patient’s symptoms and lab results.

Women are thrilled to discover how good they can feel when their hormones get balanced and all their symptoms go away. If you or your daughters are suffering from PMS or any of the other estrogen related disorders listed above you owe it to yourself and your daughters to get tested so you can balance out your hormones. You will be surprised how good “healthy” feels.

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)

HPV is a sexually transmitted virus that can cause damage to the cervix, genital warts and cervical cancer. More than 1 out of 4 women in the United States, ages 14 to 59, have been infected with genital HPV. As many as 20-40 million Americans have HPV currently, with 6.2 million new cases occurring every year. This sexually transmitted virus will cause invasive cancer of the cervix in an estimated 11,500 women and kill 3,670 in the U.S. this year alone.

Conventional Medicine knows of no cure for HPV. Treatments include Cryotherapy, Laser Surgery, or LEEP procedures. Medical Doctors are trained to treat this disease only by freezing or burning off the end of the cervix. Each procedure is an amputation of approximately ¼ inch of the neck of the uterus. The doctor can only hope he cuts off enough of the cervix to get all of the virus, but leave enough so that if the woman wants to have a baby, there is enough cervix left to hold the baby in for entire pregnancy. Unfortunately, all of these procedures frequently fail and the virus often comes back within six months prompting more amputations or eventually a total hysterectomy.

The good news is that there is a natural alternative. Dr. Hansen, has been successfully treating HPV and abnormal PAPs for 20 years with a natural treatment that totally eradicates the virus, without invasive surgery and without leaving any trace of HPV DNA to come back.

For HPV Key Facts, click here.

For HPV Patient Success Stories, click here.

For HPV Testing information, click here.

For HPV Vaccine information, click here.

Menopause

Menopause means the cessation of menses, but often brings in its wake the start of other equally aggravating symptoms including hot flashes, sweating, sleeplessness, thinning of the skin, thinning of the bones, changes in mood, lowered energy level, vaginal dryness, and decreased sexual desire. Many women feel that they have lost control of their own bodies. Nature intended for the menses to stop, but the onslaught of other symptoms is NOT normal.

Millions upon millions of women have taken synthetic hormone replacement therapy to stop the symptoms of menopause. Recently, however, the National Institutes of Health abruptly halted the nation’s biggest study on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), because the study found that the use of synthetic estrogen and progestin drugs like Premarin and Prempro for more than five years increases a women’s risk of breast cancer by 26%, her risk of a heart attack by 29%, her risk of stroke by 41% and her risk of blood clots by 113%. (Source: JAMA. 2002;288:321-333).

That news prompted many women to abandon the drugs temporarily. Sales of Wyeth’s estrogen-progestin drug Prempro, the brand used in the study, went down 52 percent. Half of the 6 million women taking the drug stopped taking it. Sales of Wyeth’s estrogen only drug Premarin went down as well, but only by 15 percent. Now however, heavy advertising has helped Premarin sales go back up by 23% recently as women who are still suffering from hot flashes have forgotten about risks discovered in the abruptly halted study.

Even the so-called bio-identical hormones Estrone and Estradiol are associated with significant risk of cancer, strokes and blood clots. The only truly safe estrogen is Estriol. Known as E3, Estriol has been referred to as the forgotten estrogen. The truth is that the drug companies simply copied the wrong estrogen 70 years ago when the made their first synthetic copies of the naturally occurring estrogen in women. They copied the most potent estrogens, which meant that a small amount would go a long way. Unfortunately, because they are more potent, Estrone and Estradiol are also more prone to cause serious side-effects.

The good news is that this stormy and unpleasant course does not have to happen and women do not have to take dangerous drugs to prevent it. There are safe and effective natural medicines that you can use to eliminate the symptoms of Menopause. Life-style and dietary choices, including supplementation with specific vitamins & minerals, and foods, plus natural Estriol, Progesterone, DHEA and Testosterone can help make Menopause a joyful experience.

Testing Your Hormones

You need to test your hormone levels to know where you are. You want to make sure that you are getting enough, but not too much. Your Estriol level should be 8-10 times higher than your Estradiol levels. Once you know your hormone levels you can get or keep them in balance.

At the Hansen Clinic we measure Estrogen, Progesterone, Testosterone and DHEA levels. Female hormones exert a powerful influence over a woman’s health. Estrogen helps prevent thinning of the bones, thinning of the skin, vaginal dryness and other symptoms of aging. Progesterone levels affect mood, stimulate a healthy bone density and reduce the risk of cancer that could be caused by unopposed Estrogen. Testosterone helps maintain energy, libido, and muscle mass. DHEA is a hormone produced by the adrenal gland that is the precursor to Progesterone, Testosterone, or the Estrogens. Adequate DHEA levels give the body the building blocks necessary to produce these hormones. Deficiencies of DHEA indicate an adrenal weakness and appear to be inversely associated with coronary artery disease and aging. A simple sample of your saliva can tell you if your female hormones are in balance and ease you through a wonderful change of life.

Natural Hormone Alternatives

Dr. Hansen recommends natural, Bio-identical Estriol, Progesterone, DHEA and/or Testosterone depending upon individual symptoms and lab results. The appropriate individualized balance of natural hormones has been shown to eliminate hot flashes, stabilize mood, increase energy, libido and muscle mass, as well as prevent thinning of the bones, thinning of the skin, and drying of the vaginal membranes that are usually associated with menopause.