Bras Are Overrated And Can Ruin Your Health!

Why do you wear them?

• Comfort?

• Fashion?

• Support?

• Habit?

When it comes to our health and wellbeing, there are many factors that influence us. Most are modifiable, such as what we eat, how we prevent and treat dis-ease, how we manage stress, our sleep hygiene etc. Others are not modifiable, such as our genetics (although these can managed to a point through addressing the modifiable - or epigenetic factors).

But there are also factors that are regularly taken for granted, that we continue to engage with without conscious thought, and that are very much within our power to change. I am specifically referring to what we wear. There are few aspects to this:

• Chemicals - in our soaps, hair and skin products, deodorants, even room sprays and washing detergents end up on, and being absorbed by our skin.

• Frequencies of materials - all forms of matter have different vibrational qualities, and as humans, the better our state of health, the higher our frequency. Synthetic fabrics tend to have far lower vibrational frequencies than natural fibres, and it stands to reason that wearing the could lower our own frequencies, potentially negatively affecting our health.

• Clothing fitting - tight fitting clothing and jewellery can restrict circulation, and while it can be obvious when our blood flow is restricted, restricted lymphatic circulation is less obvious. The lymphatic system is a complex system of fluid drainage and transport. Fluid forced from the bloodstream during cardiovascular circulation is filtered through the lymph nodes, keeping fluid levels in balance and protecting the body from infections. This is absolutely vital for our health.

Belts, tight pants, rings, tight socks, shapewear are all likely to be restricting circulation, but perhaps the worst culprit is the bra.

Although an improvement on the corsets which preceded them, bras, especially underwire bras, are strongly linked to breast cancer, which is not surprising since they restrict lymphatic flow specifically in this area.

A 1991-93 study of 5000 women that found:

• Women who wore their bras 24 hours per day had a 3 out of 4 chance of developing breast cancer.

• Women who wore their bras for more than 12 hours but not to bed had a 1 in 7 risk for breast cancer.

• Wearing a bra less than 12 hours per day dropped breast cancer risk to 1 in 152.

• Women who never or rarely wore bras had a 1 in 168 risk for breast cancer.

For reference, this is 4-8 stronger than the association between smoking and lung cancer and is discussed further in the book Dressed To Kill: The Link Between Breast Cancer and Bras.

https://substack.com/home/post/p-148126376

Women did not wear bras for most of human history, so why do we need them now?

Unless performing intense exercise, I personally do not feel like I do need to wear one! So I'm detoxing from bras to let my body detox naturally.

If you have other reasons for wearing one:

• Consider wearing them less (take them off when you get home, and definitely do not wear them to bed!

• Swap underwire bras for ones without wires.

• Try a looser fitting bra.

• Practice lymphatic massage or try a dry skin brush to use daily (this is super easy to do yourself).

• Focus daily on supporting all your systems of elimination (bitter greens for liver, fibre for bowels, filtered water for kidneys, exercise for cardiovascular, lymphatic, respiratory, and sweat! (Antiperspirants are a whole other subject).

• Really think about why your are wearing them, and if you are prioritising your appearance over your health...