Another reason for probiotic consumption: breast cancer

[IfIOnly]

Small, recent study with interesting findings: healthy bacteria was found in healthy breasts, but harmful bacteria was found in cancerous, unhealthy tissue. http://www.news-medical.net/news/20160625/Health-promoting-bacteria-may-protect-women-from-breast-cancer.aspx

 

I didn't know breast tissue harbored bacteria. I think I read it's in the ducts rather one has breastfeed or not.

 

I've been getting back into culturing foods via fermented veggies and kombucha, which are full of good bacteria. Our foods in the past were so full of probiotics before refrigeration and freezing became the common ways of preserving them. I'm def. motivated to stick with fermenting some of our foods after reading up on this study.

 

Eta: quote:

 

The motivation for the research was the knowledge that breast cancer decreases with breast feeding, said Reid. "Since human milk contains beneficial bacteria, we wondered if they might be playing a role in lowering the risk of cancer. Or, could other bacterial types influence cancer formation in the mammary gland in women who had never lactated? To even explore the question, we needed first to show that bacteria are indeed present in breast tissue." (They had showed that in earlier research.)

 

But lactation might not even be necessary to improve the bacterial flora of breasts. "Colleagues in Spain have shown that probiotic lactobacilli ingested by women can reach the mammary gland," said Reid. "Combined with our work, this raises the question, should women, especially those at risk for breast cancer, take probiotic lactobacilli to increase the proportion of beneficial bacteria in the breast? To date, researchers have not even considered such questions, and indeed some have balked at there being any link between bacteria and breast cancer or health."

Edited June 25, 2016 by ifIonlyhadabrain

[maize]

Very interesting!

[IfIOnly]

Microbiology is fascinating.

 

I've read many times that breastfeeding helped prevent cancer, and it's neat to find out why that may be so. I've breastfed my five children and extended breastfed (at least 18 months is my goal) most of them. It's good for them and good for me!