It’s worth caring about. I promise.
Read on and you’ll see why.
First, let’s briefly go over breast anatomy so that we’re all on the same page.
Breasts consist of 3 main types of tissue:
- Glandular tissue is the part of female breast tissue that makes and stores milk.
- Connective tissue is structural and holds the breast together.
- Fatty tissue surrounds the glandular and connective tissue, and gives breasts their size and shape.
Breast density is a measure of the amount of the different types of tissue you have in your breasts. Fatty tissue makes breasts less lense. Glandular tissue makes breasts more dense.
This measure is significant because breast density is an important marker of breast cancer risk. It’s a double whammy: Having breasts that are more dense leads to increased risk of developing cancer and decreased chances of finding it early. That’s because cancer, calcifications, and glandular breast tissue all show up as white on a mammogram. That means that cancer and calcifications can “hide” more easily in denser breasts.
The only way to measure breast density is with a mammogram. It cannot be determined through self or clinical breast exams. That said, I am NOT suggesting that you run out and get a mammogram just to determine your breast density. But if you’ve had one, it’s worth checking out the report yourself (many physicians don’t talk about breast density with their patients, but it’s on the report). You’ll see a BI-RADS classification or a written description (or both). Either way, you can have a look at your report to learn how dense your breasts are.
If you haven’t had a mammogram, consider these factors:
- Thinner women tend to have increased density
- Smaller breasts tend to be more dense
- Hormone therapies (like the birth control pill or HRT) can increase breast density
- Having children decreases breast density
- According to the CDC, about half of all women over 40 have dense breasts
Genetics also play a huge role when it comes to breast composition. But your genetics are not the whole story. As in nearly every genetic condition, there is also a degree of influence from your lifestyle and environment.
Dietary and lifestyle strategies that help to decrease density include:
- Increased soy consumption
- A high fibre intake
- Decreasing meat
- Minimizing saturated fats (diary, meat)
- Minimizing high glycemic foods
- Avoiding alcohol
- Minimizing exposure to estrogens in medications and/or the environment
Density is also significantly impacted by your hormones. In fact, estrogen, progesterone, prolactin, stress hormones, androgens (testosterone and other “male” hormones), and potentially even thyroid hormones all play a role. This means that keeping hormone levels balanced is another way to protect your breasts.
Finally, although this topic can be scary, keep in mind that breast density is only one of the variables that affects your breast cancer risk. Knowledge can be empowering if it inspires healthy changes. There’s no point in being afraid. I simply encourage you to use this info as a tool for learning more about your body and making informed choices.
If you have questions, feel free to talk to me. I’m here for you!
Dr. Rachel VandenBerg, ND
Select References:
https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/dense-breasts.htm
https://aacrjournals.org/cebp/article/18/1/102/282471/The-Relative-Importance-of-Genetics-and
https://breast-cancer-research.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13058-020-01332-4
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28456099/
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