Natural Remedy for Ovarian Cysts

Recently, the New York Times reported that the FDA had changed its position on Bisphenol-A, or BPA.  Before, the FDA had said this chemical found in plastics was safe for human consumption.  Now, they are joining other countries in voicing concern over the leaching of BPA into our food supply.

BPA is used in a wide variety of hard plastic containers and canned food linings.  It’s so prevalent in our food supply that a study found that 90% of people had this chemical in their urine or breast milk, and it was even found in umbilical cord blood!

BPA is a hormone mimicker.  Specifically, it mimics estrogen.  In a study using rats, female rats exposed to high and low amounts of the chemical showed decreased production of luteinizing hormone (LH).  This caused decreased ovulation and interruptions in the menstrual cycle.  More research is needed into whether this contributes specifically to the formation of ovarian cysts, but it seems to be a definite possibililty.

How do you avoid this chemical that’s seemingly everywhere?  First, avoid plastics with the number 7 printed on the bottom.  These contain the highest concentration of BPA.  Also, avoid putting anything plastic in the microwave or freezer.  Exposure to extreme heat or cold seems to speed the release of this chemical.  Third, dispose of any plastic that gets scratched or nicked.  Fourth, make sure your water bottle is BPA free, or use a metal bottle.  Nalgene is now supposed to have BPA free plastic water bottles.

Another sneaky source of BPA besides plastics is in can linings.  If you are currently dealing with ovarian cysts, you may want to avoid foods that come in lined cans.  One of the worst offenders is canned tomatoes.

Diet and Ovarian Cysts

Almost every time I read about a natural cure for ovarian cysts, I hear something about diet.  Cure your cysts by eating this!  Avoid ovarian cysts by not eating that!  But is there any truth to all this talk?

I think there can be.  A lot of our health problems are brought about by an unhealthy diet.  Too many trips through the McDonald’s drivethru, and you’ve not only gained 10 pounds, you may have partially blocked your arteries, slowed down your intestines, hampered your immune system, clogged your liver, and perhaps even developed some cysts.

So how can we improve our diets to keep our bodies in tip top shape?  Most of us have heard the healthy eating rules – eat lots of fruits and vegetables (at least five servings a day), choose whole grain products over processed, choose leaner cuts of meat, and avoid ingredients you can’t pronounce.

In the specific area of ovarian cysts, there are some more rules you have to think about.  Since an ovarian cyst may develop because of a hormonal imbalance, you have to watch out for sources of artificial hormones in your food.  Some common places they are found is in milk and dairy products, meats, and eggs.  For those types of foods, you can generally find varieties that are hormone free, though you may have to pay for it.

Also, I’ve been reading our water can be a source of artificial hormones.  Since many people improperly dispose of medication in the toilet, the medicine makes it through water treatment facilities and back into our drinking water.  Even bottled water is not immune to this – some brands, such as Dasani, have been found to have traces of hormones as well!  This has led to some weird mutations in fish.  It’s enough to make you wonder what sort of problems this may be causing with our health as well.

The best solution to this problem is to get a really good water filter.  From what I’ve read, the only method of completely removing medications from the water is reverse osmosis.  However, this is a much more expensive system than the standard Brita filter.

Also, research has shown that artificial hormones make their way into our bodies through the packaging that food comes in.  Specifically, BPA simulates estrogen in the body, and is found in many plastics and can lining.  Fortunately, it seems that manufacturers are taking steps to eliminate this problem.

Photo by D. Sharon Pruitt via Flickr