INDONAL in the treatment of mastopathy
MUDr. BELLA
Breasts consist of the body of the breast, the nipple, and the areola. The mammary gland comprises several individual glands, numbering 15-20, as well as fibrous tissue and adipose tissue. Throughout a woman’s life, almost daily transformations in the mammary gland tissue occur, as there is a significant dependence on hormonal production, which changes significantly during the menstrual cycle. These changes mainly affect the levels of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone, influencing not only the glandular tissue but also other parts of the breast.
Breast diseases and changes are common in women, encompassing breast cancer, benign breast tumors, and hormonal alterations that may manifest as focal dysplasia, cysts, or mastodynia. Breast cancer stands out as the most prevalent oncological disease among women and is unquestionably the most serious breast ailment. However, a significant number of women also report mastodynia. Mastodynia primarily occurs in the condition known as mastopathy, a benign breast disease that manifests as lumps, nodules in the breast, or swelling, accompanied by symptoms of breast pain, often radiating to the arm. It is reported that approximately 30-80% of women experience varying degrees of breast pain during their lifetime. Some women never feel breast pain, while others experience it from a young age. Breast swelling often occurs before menstruation due to hormonal changes, which can be painful. This pain typically subsides after menstruation. The sensation of pain arises from a hormonal imbalance of the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone, resulting in a relative or absolute excess of estrogens, causing changes in the breast tissue.
With the onset of menopause, mastodynia usually does not occur. It primarily affects women of reproductive age, typically between 30 and 50 years, although breast pain is not uncommon in younger women. Soreness can occur in one or both breasts, and regular medical check-ups are necessary. Treatment for mastodynia varies, ranging from non-hormonal to hormonal preparations. Various medications may be prescribed to alleviate breast pain. Before initiating treatment, it is essential to rule out a malignant breast tumor. Only then can breast pain be addressed, as approximately 5% of cases may be associated with a malignant breast tumor. The goal of treatment is to reduce or eliminate pain and alleviate the feeling of breast tension.
One option for reducing breast pain is Indonal, whose active substance, Indole-3-carbinol, has a beneficial effect on estrogen metabolism and contributes to equalizing its levels. Indole-3-carbinol is obtained for the nutritional supplement by extraction from cruciferous plants such as broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi, and cauliflower. The mechanism of action is that it favorably affects the mutual ratio of estrogen metabolites in favor of 2a-hydroxyestrone, the so-called ‘good metabolite.’ This way of estrogen conversion does not lead to the development of pathological changes in the soft tissues of the female genital organs dependent on estrogen.
We conducted a study on various diagnoses, with one of the aims being to determine the influence of breast tenderness using the recommended nutritional supplement Indonal. The study involved 27 doctors from all over Slovakia, and 316 women were included in the research. The preparation was evaluated over 6 months. Overall, 81% of women reported an improvement or even disappearance of pain, 15% did not feel any improvement, and 4% experienced a worsening of pain. Indonal can cause mild side effects in some cases. Among the most common were a feeling of increased breast pain in the mentioned 4% of women, bloating, a smaller amount of stomach nausea, and light bleeding outside the menstrual cycle.
The results processed so far indicate a significant improvement in findings among women experiencing breast pain. In most patients, there was a reduction in cyclic and non-cyclic pain, along with an improvement in mastopathy when prescribed with the correct diagnosis. A similar evaluation is also underway in the Czech Republic.
Author: MUDr. Vladimir Bella, PhD.
