Dear Lactnetters,
       One interesting fact is that the longer a mother nurses, the lower the
concentration of environmental contaminants in her breast tissue.  The
chilling reality is that the mother's levels decrease because she has passed
on much of the contaminent to her nursing children.
       And once again, it is tempting for non-lactivists and cautious people
in general to be concerned about the high levels of dioxin and other
contaminents in mothers milk, the truth remains that breastfed individuals
have a lower risk of cancer and disease than those who do not get this milk.
       Many of the pesticides that find their way into our breast tissue have
estrogenic effects.  Long-term breastfeeeding reduces both circulating
natural estrogen and estrogen-like (xenoestrogens) chemicals in our milk.
Both these factors probably play a role in decreasing breast cancer risk.
       I do not have the scientific expertise and wealth of background
experience that Kathy D. has.  Sandara Steingraber, Ph.D. serves on the
National Action Plan on Breast Cancer administered by the U.S. DHHS, has
taught bio at Columbia in Chicago, and has held fellowships at Univ. of
Illinois, Radcliffe, and Northeastern.  Her doctorate is in biology.  She
does write with poetic license.
-Debi Page Ferrarello, RN, IBCLC (MS Community Health Education next
month---PHEW!)
Abington, PA

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