New research finds breast cancer miracle is one we’ve had all along
Can you imagine if Big Pharma had a drug that could slow the growth of breast cancer cells — even shrink them? One that would have no side effects — in fact, it would actually help you get a good night’s sleep.
Why, there would be banner headlines trumpeting such a miraculous new discovery.
As it turns out, a new study from Michigan State University has found something that can do just that.
Only it’s not a drug, and it won’t be coming from a Pfizer, Merck or AstraZenica.
It’s a hormone that our own body makes — and something we can easily find in foods and supplements.
Michigan State University researchers took a long, hard look at breast cancer stem cells.
Cancer stem cells are what many experts believe are the “top dogs” of a tumor, organizing and giving rise to all of the other cancer cells.
And what they found was nothing short of amazing!
When these laboratory-created breast cancer stem cells were treated with melatonin — that natural hormone released by our brain at night — their growth was suppressed. And even more astonishing, when those cancer cells were exposed to a chemical that stimulates their growth, the melatonin-treated ones reacted just the opposite, becoming smaller. Some even disappeared entirely.
Now, melatonin is certainly not a new discovery. In fact, it’s been around for ages as a supplement typically used to help those with insomnia get a better night’s sleep.
We also produce it naturally at night. But exposing ourselves to bright lights before bedtime, such as from television, phones and computers, zaps the production of the hormone.
So along with losing sleep, we’re likely also upping our risk of developing breast cancer.
But that’s not the only risk we’re hit with. Wait until you hear this one: the chemical the researchers used to try and make those tumors bigger was none other than BPA, the same compound that’s added to plastics and the lining of food cans!
It’s a double whammy. Not only are we doing everything possible to lower our natural melatonin, but then we’re exposed to chemicals all around us that promote cancer.
And this isn’t the first time that researchers have found melatonin can inhibit the development of malignant tumors. A previous study from the Bassett Research Institute revealed that the hormone can slow breast cancer growth by 70 percent!
It seems we’ve got a gold brick in our midst, and yet even the Michigan State researchers talk about their study as one that will help to “identify potential new drugs.”
Seriously?
It should be obvious by now that increasing our natural melatonin may be the most promising way to kick breast cancer to the curb.
So here’s what all of us (guys, too!) need to start doing:
- Don’t take your phone or iPad to bed with you. The kind of light these devices give off is especially bad news when it comes to melatonin production.
- Another source of melatonin-zapping light can come from all those energy-saving CFL bulbs. Your best bet is the old incandescent kind that are getting harder to find. If you can’t get those, look for LEDs with a number low on the “K scale,” which means the light is warmer and less blue.
- Make it a habit to enjoy some melatonin-boosting foods, such as pineapple, bananas, oranges and especially tart cherry juice.
- Keep your bedroom as dark as possible when you go to bed. And once under the covers, make sure it’s really “lights out.” Even one lamp switched on during the night sends a message to your brain to stop producing melatonin.
- Take a melatonin supplement before bedtime as an easy way to help boost your levels of the hormone.
Sources:
“Melatonin boost a key to fighting breast cancer” Michigan State University, August 23, 2016, msutoday.msu.edu
