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Even though women have different reactions to their breasts, one thing is certain: every woman desires healthy pair.

Physicians say the health of the female breasts are usually determined by the lifestyle of their owners, even when some circumstances are truly beyond human control.

While we may not have the power to overrule certain things, we can shape the health of our breasts through healthy eating and sensible lifestyle.

A psychologist, Dr. ’Bode Akinbolawa, notes that though body shapes differ and women come in various shapes and sizes, many women fantasize about having the so-called ideal body shape, and the breasts happen to be the defining point in this regard.

“It’s the main reason some women resort to plastic surgery to improve the shape and size of their breasts,” Akinbolawa notes.

Risks of breast implants

Many women take to breast implants in order to enhance the shape and size of their breasts. Researchers agree that breast implants boost women’s confidence socially and enhances their sex lives. But then, how healthy are breast implants? What are the likely long-term effects?

For one, experts at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons warn that stretch marks can occur if breast implants are significantly larger than the original breasts were.

Worse, the United States Food and Drug Administration cautions that some of the complications and adverse outcomes of breast implants sometimes include additional surgeries, with or without the removal of the device; and formation of scar tissue around the implants.

Again, physicians warn that patients sometimes experience breast pain, as well as changes in nipple and breast sensation after implants. The implants may also rupture, especially in cases of silicone gel-filled implants.

An oncologist, Dr. Remi Ajekigbe, warns that while breast implants do not appear to increase the risk of breast cancer, scientists are still examining a possible link between implants and a slightly increased risk of anaplastic large cell lymphoma.

Indeed, a new study by a group of Canadian scientists states that the presence of breast implants may hide developing tumours when women undergo mammogram. As such, by the time their doctors know what is happening, their cancer is more advanced.

According to experts, most implants are filled with saline solution or silicone, which are radio-obscure — that is, X-rays cannot penetrate them — so, they cast a shadow, obscuring the breast tissue that lies behind them. That way, between a fifth and four fifths of the breast tissue cannot be seen.

And if you are a woman who looks forward to having a baby someday, breast implants may make it harder for you to breastfeed, experts say.

Meanwhile, the longer a woman has the implants, the greater the chances that she will develop complications, some of which will require more surgery.

A nurse consultant at FDA’s Centre for Devices and Radiological Health, Gretchen Burns, warns, “The life of these devices varies according to the individual. All women with implants will face additional surgeries, though no one can tell them when.

“While a few women have kept their original implants for 20-30 years, that is not the common experience.”

Eat for your breasts

Consultant Nutritionist, Dr. Simeon Oladimeji, says the place of good foods cannot be underestimated when it comes to human health. It goes without saying that a healthy body will nurture a pair of healthy breasts. So, what kind of foods can nurture our breasts? These ones…

Fruits and vegetables

Oladimeji says a diet lacking in essential vitamins and minerals may show in the condition of our skin. Sweet potato, spinach, kale and butternut squash are rich in vitamin A and can help nourish the delicate skin in the breast area, experts say.

Again, vitamin E-rich foods such as green leafy vegetables, avocados, olive oil, broccoli, etc., are helpful because vitamin E is important when it comes to increasing breast size.

Eat balanced diet

Oladimeji counsels us to include lean protein in every meal. Lean protein foods include meat, fish, chicken, turkey, eggs, dairy, beans, soy foods, nuts and seeds.

He urges the reduction or elimination of sugar in all forms, including packaged foods. Instead, he says, we should eat a variety of sea foods such as shrimps, lobster, crabs, etc., as they can improve the speed of oestrogen, which boosts more breast tissue.

Go easy on alcohol

Studies show that women who drink more than three drinks a day have 1.5 times the risk of developing breast cancer than do non-drinkers. So, go easy on alcohol. Instead, eat healthy foods such as broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and greens as they contain indoles (a class of phytochemicals associated with cancer prevention). Indoles-rich foods are believed to aid the body in reducing oestrogen levels.

The bottom line: breast health is a serious issue. Take care of yours.

Written by Solaade Ayo-Aderele