by Jackie Hart, MD
Q: Do breast-enhancing supplements work? If so, how?
A: This is a very common question, which I have also asked while watching the glowing advertisements on TV. Im sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but there is no evidence that any type of herbal product can increase your breast size.
Ive done some investigating and discovered that the ingredients vary somewhat from product to product. Most tend to include a combination of herbs with a history of helping to regulate female hormones. These are the hormones responsible for proper menstrual and post-menstrual balance, sexual desire and function, and lactation. These herbs, which include dong quai, black cohosh, saw palmetto, fenugreek, motherwort, wild yam, dandelion, damiana, blessed thistle, and fennel seed, have no scientific proof that they are effective at enhancing breast size.
In addition to an exhaustive search of the scientific literature (which resulted in nothing to support breast-enhancing claims), I evaluated approximately eight websites selling products that promise breast enhancement. Only one of these sites offered a section titled "articles," which I assumed would contain scientific or semi-scientific papers revealing the value of these herbal remedies. Instead, this section included a video about a research project studying the use of Tibetan herbs for breast cancer. Treating breast cancer has nothing to do with breast enhancement; in fact, there was not even any mention of the particular herbs used in that study. Those selling the herbal breast enhancer suggest in the preface to the video that based on the amazing effects that herbs can have, anything may be possible. Even the impossible? Unfortunately, no.
Finally, I sent emails to each of these eight websites requesting any case studies or other scientific information to support their claims. None of the eight responded to my request in over two weeks time, and I received emails from five of the eight stating that "the following addresses had permanent fatal errors."
I am sorry to dash any hopes you may have had for these seemingly helpful products. However, as a very respected colleague of mine pointed out, the goal with our bodies should be to learn to truly like ourselves as we are. Many years ago, a young patient commented to me, as I tried to gently discourage her from an unnecessary plastic surgery procedure, "I guess youre right, because if I changed this aspect of myself, I would find something else to dislike and want to change that as well."
Q: Do breast-enhancing supplements work? If so, how?
A: This is a very common question, which I have also asked while watching the glowing advertisements on TV. Im sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but there is no evidence that any type of herbal product can increase your breast size.
Ive done some investigating and discovered that the ingredients vary somewhat from product to product. Most tend to include a combination of herbs with a history of helping to regulate female hormones. These are the hormones responsible for proper menstrual and post-menstrual balance, sexual desire and function, and lactation. These herbs, which include dong quai, black cohosh, saw palmetto, fenugreek, motherwort, wild yam, dandelion, damiana, blessed thistle, and fennel seed, have no scientific proof that they are effective at enhancing breast size.
In addition to an exhaustive search of the scientific literature (which resulted in nothing to support breast-enhancing claims), I evaluated approximately eight websites selling products that promise breast enhancement. Only one of these sites offered a section titled "articles," which I assumed would contain scientific or semi-scientific papers revealing the value of these herbal remedies. Instead, this section included a video about a research project studying the use of Tibetan herbs for breast cancer. Treating breast cancer has nothing to do with breast enhancement; in fact, there was not even any mention of the particular herbs used in that study. Those selling the herbal breast enhancer suggest in the preface to the video that based on the amazing effects that herbs can have, anything may be possible. Even the impossible? Unfortunately, no.
Finally, I sent emails to each of these eight websites requesting any case studies or other scientific information to support their claims. None of the eight responded to my request in over two weeks time, and I received emails from five of the eight stating that "the following addresses had permanent fatal errors."
I am sorry to dash any hopes you may have had for these seemingly helpful products. However, as a very respected colleague of mine pointed out, the goal with our bodies should be to learn to truly like ourselves as we are. Many years ago, a young patient commented to me, as I tried to gently discourage her from an unnecessary plastic surgery procedure, "I guess youre right, because if I changed this aspect of myself, I would find something else to dislike and want to change that as well."