by T. S. Love

Created on: January 11, 2008   Last Updated: October 14, 2008

Bras suck, but can they kill?

I have never liked wearing a bra but I never thought it could be bad for my health. I was researching online to try to determine my bra size but instead uncovered evidence suggesting that not only is wearing a bra unnecessary but it may actually cause physical harm.

For thousands of years, our breasts have bobbed along happily with no mechanical support whatsoever, other than that naturally provided by our chest muscles. There is absolutely no medical reason to wear a bra, only peer pressure and fashion. One article compared bra wearing to the ancient torturous custom of foot binding. Why must we mutilate ourselves?

Contrary to public opinion, going bra less does not cause breasts to sag. Age does that, or biology, or just plain bad luck. Wearing a bra does not cause breasts to remain perky; it merely makes them appear that way.

Why is it the rate of breast cancer is so high in the West, anyway? Some doctors believe that it is the prevalence of poorly fitting brassieres, particularly the under wire variety. These bras put pressure on the lymph nodes and block the lymph glands from draining. The lymphatic system is responsible for removing toxins from the body. Another theory is that the breasts get overheated, similar to the problem of lowered sperm counts in men who wear tight briefs.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that forgoing a bra after a biopsy has been known to shrink tumors and prevent further growth. Most astounding was this statistic: "Premenopausal women who do not wear bras had less than half the risk of breast cancer compared with bra wearers." (Hsieh, C.C. and D. Trichopoulos, D. Eur. J. Cancer 27:131-5 1991)

Here are some links to check it out for your self. Don't be confined by someone else's opinion. Like everything else in life, this is your choice.

The 'Purpose' of the Bra - What does a bra do?
www.breastnotes.com/aware/aw...bra.html

How bras are linked to breast cancer
www.007b.com/bras_breast_cancer.php

Research relating to bras, breast cancer, and fibrocystic disease
www.brafree.org/bfresearch.htm

Self-Care For Your Breasts
www.bodymechanics.net/subpage...ast.htm

Have you seen pictures of normal non-sexual breasts?
www.007b.com/breast_gallery.php

Brassiere: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brassiere

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