Clove Oil and Breast Cancer

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Breast Cancer:  Mother Nature's Cruel Trick and What You Can Do About it!

It’s a good thing Mother Nature keeps on making me sick.  Because, let’s face it, if she didn’t I might run out of interesting subjects for our monthly newsletters! You might remember that in January, I wrote about {how I used my essential oils to support my recovery} from a delicate nerve operation I underwent for Tarlov Cyst Disease. Little did I know in January that my health challenges were just beginning.  .....In March my routine mammogram came back suspicious. .....In April I was diagnosed with invasive, hormone-positive, lobular carcinoma in my right breast. .....In May I turned 50 and .....In June I underwent a lumpectomy with reconstruction of both breasts.  In July I came down with a case of Shingles because my immune system was tanked (no surprise there)... and in August I will begin 5 weeks of radiation therapy.   At some point my oncologist wants me to begin taking hormone suppressing drugs to reduce my chances of a cancer recurrence. Unfortunately use of these hormone suppressing drugs will weaken my bones, putting the site of my nerve operation at risk and predisposing me to:  Osteoporosis Arthritis Heart Disease Bone pain Weight gain  and.... (drum roll please...)  Depression.  Groovy. All of this has caused me to ask some pretty important questions:  What can I do to turn this ship around?  How can I restore my immune system?  Can I use my oils to curb some of these unpleasant side effects? Which oils can be used as complementary care?  There is so much I would like address on these issues… but this month I think it is Clove oil that tickles my fancy.   And here’s why:

Native to Indonesia, Cloves are the reddish-black dried flower buds of the evergreen Clove tree.  Steam extracted from these buds, the oil possesses important anti-tumoral, anti-carcinogenic, and anti-inflammatory properties.

In studies published in 2012, 2013, and 2014 clove oil and its extract, eugenol showed great promise in the fight against Breast Cancer.  It was tested in vitro (in a petri dish) against a line of invasive, hormone-positive breast cancer cells exactly like mine.   All three studies concluded that the eugenol in clove oil:  Induced death in the cancer cells  Inhibited the expression of proteins that cause the cancer cells to divide and move AND Did not harm healthy human breast cells  Perhaps most excitingly, the 2012 study concluded that the eugenol:  Shut down estrogen receptors on these cancer cells and  Had “similar or even better affinities to estrogen receptors than tamoxifen and its metabolites.” This is a huge find!  It means that clove oil will essentially kill breast cancers like mine, shut down their estrogen positive properties, and prevent them from dividing or moving elsewhere... all without negative side effects. WIN, WIN!! I plan on working with my oncologist to complement my cancer treatments with clove oil for an even better outcome with fewer side effects.  Researching clove oil makes me feel empowered and gives me hope that I can improve my chances of survival without damaging the rest of me in the process. Happy Oiling!  ~Juli  Questions about essential oils?  Let me help!    Contact me here!