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

[Yulia_R]

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/ar...se-Cancer.aspx

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.[5]

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
The overall difference between women who wore their bras 24-hours a day and those who did not wear bras at all was a 125-fold difference. Based on the results of this study, the link between bras and breast cancer is about three times greater than the link between cigarette smoking and cancer.

[tolovemercy]

So, there's been a few threads about this lately and I totally agree. Really interesting.

I'd love to hear other's thoughts on going braless in practice. I mean, maybe if you're an A cup it's easy to just forego is altogether, but as someone who wears a 32G, it's not really a practical or comfortable option. Are there other alternatives?

[Juvysen]

OMG. That is CRAZY! I agree with the practice issue...

[RomanCarmelMom]

I'm skeptical about the results. Correlation and causation are not the same thing.

[didelphus]

Wow, I didn't realize that people actually wore their bras to bed. Now if you just gave birth and have to wear nursing pads that's one thing but seriously, sleep in your underwire. How cozy!

[ASusan]

Did they control for weight, or anything else?

In general, women who go braless can do so because they have small breasts. Women who wear a bra 24/7 do so because they have a lot of breast material to contain.

I never used to wear a bra to bed, but I still need one to hold in the nursing pads.

[lindberg99]

Originally Posted by ASusan

Did they control for weight, or anything else?

In general, women who go braless can do so because they have small breasts. Women who wear a bra 24/7 do so because they have a lot of breast material to contain.

I never used to wear a bra to bed, but I still need one to hold in the nursing pads.

That is a very good point. Breasts are mostly fat, right? So if you are small breasted enough that it is comfortable for you to go braless often, odds are you are probably thin too. If you're thin, you might have a much healthier diet and exercise a lot more than bigger women, both of which will decrease your rate of any type of cancer.

[Yulia_R]

What do you guys think about the metal underwire point? It does make sense, I should say...

[Karamom]

I have really big breasts and hate to wear a bra because I get so sweaty underneath them with one on (TMI sorry!) So around the house I never wear a bra but I do in public because my breasts sag too much and it would not look good Anyway my point is that its not only small breasted women who may go without.

[2xy]

Originally Posted by didelphus

Wow, I didn't realize that people actually wore their bras to bed.

My mom is large-breasted and has worn a bra to bed for as long as I can remember. I actually didn't realize until I was in my teens that all women didn't do this!

Originally Posted by Karamom

I have really big breasts and hate to wear a bra because I get so sweaty underneath them with one on (TMI sorry!)

I'm an A-cup, so I can't relate, but doesn't it still get sweaty under your breasts without a bra? I would think it would be more uncomfortable if they're hanging down, because there'd be more skin-to-skin contact....?

[Fujiko]

How do you go without? I wear bras 24/7 because my nipples chafe. Plus my nipples always poke out (). I'm an A cup but I could never figure this out. I would do it if I could. (btw I hate underwires. they're the devil.)

[Ruthla]

I wear a bra to bed when I have PMS and during my period. My breasts are heavy and full and they HURT if I don't wear a bra. But I have "leisure bras" that I wear for sleeping in (a habit I started after my first was born.) They're loose and stretchy and don't constrict anything (but they do provide enough support to releive pain caused by swollen breasts and gravity.)

I also wonder if this study controlled for different kinds of bras. Did they account for bras that fit vs bras that don't fit properly (and might cut in somehere?) Did they account for underwire vs softcup bras? I can't go out in public without a bra (I literally sag down past my waist and I just don't feel it's modest enough) but I haven't worn an underwire bra in over a decade.

I'm also wondering if there are any other factors that are causing both bralessness and lack of cancer- maybe "crunchier" women who eschew bras are also more likely to eat organic foods, not use chemical body care products, etc?

[Karamom]

Originally Posted by 2xy

I'm an A-cup, so I can't relate, but doesn't it still get sweaty under your breasts without a bra? I would think it would be more uncomfortable if they're hanging down, because there'd be more skin-to-skin contact....?

I'm think without a bra I have better air circulation. With a bra they are all squished up LOL. Since I am leaning over and moving during the day without a bra they get air. It does sound backwards but that's how it works for me. By the way I am so envious of your A cup I always thought small breasts were more attractive.

[alegna]

Hmm, interesting. I wonder what all they controlled for- weight, breasdt size, breastfeeding, other lifestyle factors, etc.

-Angela

[EviesMom]

Uh yeah. I'm kinda dizzy from the spin Mercola has put on that study, which might or might not have been well done. Yes, small chested women in their 20s who rarely wear bras are probably 168 times less likely to be diagnosed with cancer RIGHT NOW than large chested and overweight women in their 80s who wear them to bed. That's about all I can really glean from the piece. There are about 40 million variables involved here, and it doesn't, at least in this article, appear that they've accounted for very many of them.

I'll keep wearing my bras, some of which are underwire and some of which are not. I happen to like my DDs (DDD while I'm nursing) remaining above my waistline, thanks. The underwire thing is total woo-woo in my opinion, and while I'm pretty woo-woo myself, that's too out there even for me.

I don't wear them to bed, and but I don't think it has anything to do with cancer! (Let's see, in my large chested, but also frequently breastfeeding family, I think we have 1 case of breast cancer. And I have lots of relatives, being that my grandfather was 1 of 14; grandmother was 1 of 5. So family reunion direct relatives I guess about 50 women. And the 1 case of cancer was a gal who never had kids and never nursed. And who smoked like a chimney. I'm not too worried about my personal risks. Of course, I've nursed for 5 years straight currently and am still going strong! That I think does help. )

[Bri'sgirl]

This is something I've heard about for years, but never gave much thought to.

I wear cami's that have the built in shelf bra. I wonder if these would be the same risk as wearing a bra or not. They are not sized to cup size...just a regular shelf bra. I'm a large B/small C, depending on the brand.

[jjawm]

I'm not worried. As pp said, it sounds like a pretty flawed study.

[Liquesce]

Originally Posted by jjawm

I'm not worried. As pp said, it sounds like a pretty flawed study.

: I put about as much stock in this finding as I do in the HIV/circ studies.

[PaulaJoAnne]

A truly well fitted bra, that does not contain metals in the wires, will not cause problems.
If it fits tight and does not allow the lymph nodes to drain properly, then problems can arise later. But not necessarily cancer.

[MayBaby2007]

That is interesting.

I read THIS site awhile ago. I often play around w/the idea of going bra-free...but I don't think I can do that, yk? I'm 38DDD but according to that site, going bra free can help perk up the ladies. I'm not daring enough to venture out and about w/o a bra yet.

Sorry, bras might make your breasts sag more.

You have ligaments in your breasts. They are designed to hold your breasts up. If you wear a bra for years—or, worse yet, wear a bra 24 hours a day for years—these ligaments will atrophy (get weaker and smaller).

The good news: If you stop wearing a bra these ligaments should get stronger and you should find your breasts perkier within about about three months.

Even if you have huge breasts...

Even if you have huge breasts, you should see significant improvement.

But, you say, someone told you that breasts don't have ligaments. Not so.

In nearly a quarter-century of watching patients free their breasts from artificial supports, I've personally seen the results. Try it.

Interesting.