BREAST: A modified cutaneous (pertaining to the skin) glandular structure, ectodermal in origin generally considered as modified and specialized apocrine  (secretory) sweat glands under the influence of the endocrine (hormonal) system.

As many as 50 - 80% of North American women suffer from some form of cystic breast disease. This condition causes a great deal of discomfort,pain and anxiety.

Even though it is classed as BENIGN, it can be difficult both for women and their clinicians to distinguish a cystic breast from a cancerous breast.

The term CBD, covers a whole spectrum of changes that occur in women during their reproductive years under the endocrine system influence, particularly that of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Some women have tenderness and enlargement premenstrually considered as a "normal" physiological cyclic change. Others have considerable pain to the touch and their breasts feel lumpy and irregular.

Occasionally, they can feel a clearly defined cyst. This cyst usually contains clear fluid and is often drained under local anesthesia. If it "goes away," it is not considered cancerous. If it "remains" it is often referred for mammography and or biopsy. (New improved methods are becoming available and much less painful!) As many as 30% of women with CBD have an incapacitating problem with frequent formation and scarring of tissue, accompanied by severe pain that interferes with sleep and normal daily activities.

NOW, for a DIFFERENT perspective:

The thyroid gland produces a hormone, which controls circulation of blood from the heart to the body by adjusting to environmental conditions inside AND outside the body. This is accomplished by the hormones effect on heart rhythm. Such extreme examples would be in hypothermia where blood is directed from the extremities to the brain or in weightlessness where again blood leaves the legs and is forced up to the brain. At lesser extremes we have the menstrual cycle and its uterine blood changes. A LOW FUNCTIONING THYROID and an imbalance in the hormones estrogen and progesterone can complicate the control mechanisms in place for adjustment of our internal/external environments.

The human being reaches a unique plateau in life at age 33 when the physical, mental and emotional capacities have had adequate time to practice their skills. At this age we reach true maturity and from here on, this team begins to express its spirit.

Most cystic conditions begin around this age.

Dr. Ghent, a distinguished surgeon at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont. found after 20 years of research that certain types of CBD were caused by a deficiency of iodine in the breast tissue. Iodine is an essential mineral required by the thyroid for normal function.

He found that treating women with the colloidal elements for iodine and other trace minerals, that 95% of women had their breast tissue return to normal.

Dr. Bernard Eskin, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Philadelphia, has shown that the whole reproductive system requires iodine to work properly, especially breast and ovarian tissue. Because of the breast's affinity to both iodine and the circulating hormones of the thyroid, it has been suggested that the breast is likened to one big thyroid gland! In fact, breast cancer is often associated with an under active (hypo) thyroid gland and low thyroid hormones in the blood. And now the news - the human body produces one fifty millionth of a gram of thyroid hormone per day and the circulating amount in the blood plasma is one part per ten million. THIS AMOUNT CANNOT BE MEASURED BY A BLOOD TEST!

The simplest way to test for low thyroid function is to take your axillary temperature (armpit) with a digital basal thermometer every morning immediately upon waking.

You must remain still until the thermometer beeps and then record the result. If consistently below 36.5 C, thyroid function would be considered below normal.

A double blind study in Seattle, Wa., supervised by the FDA, showed significant improvement of women with CBD with the introduction of colloidal iodine introduced as a medicament with no ill effect on thyroid function.

Dr. Susan Love, in her  book (Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book) refers to the work of French researchers who found that breast pain was relieved 95% of the time with a natural progesterone gel rubbed into the breast.

Dr. Christine Northrup recommends hot castor oil packs applied to the breast for one hour, 3 times a week for three months and once per week thereafter.

The Health Detectives conclude:

Low thyroid function can be linked to the incidence of fibrocystic breast disease in women usually after the age of 35.