Q: I am a small-chested female and would like to get larger naturally. Is there anything that will do this naturally? - Layperson
A: The term breast, also known by the Latin mamma in anatomy, refers to the upper ventral region of an animal's torso, particularly that of mammals, including human beings. In addition, the breasts are parts of a female mammal's body which contain the organs that secrete milk used to feed infants.
This article focuses on human female breasts, but it should be noted that male humans also have breasts (although usually less prominent) that are structurally identical and homologous to the female, as they develop embryologically from the same tissues. While the mammary glands that produce milk are present in the male, they normally remain undeveloped. In some situations male breast development does occur, a condition called gynecomastia. Milk production can also occur in both men and women as an adverse effect of some medicinal drugs (such as some antipsychotic medication), extreme physical stress or in endocrine disorders.
Anatomy of the female breast
The breasts are covered by skin; each breast has one nipple surrounded by the areola. The areola is colored from pink to dark brown, hairless, and has several sebaceous glands. The larger mammary glands within the breast produce the milk; they consist of several lobules, and each breast has some 10-20 lactiferous ducts that drain milk from the lobules to the nipple, where each duct has its own opening,
Most of the breast is connective tissue, i.e., adipose tissue (fat) and Cooper's ligaments. The breasts sit over the pectoralis major muscle and usually extend from the level of the 2nd rib to the level of the 6th rib anteriorly. The superior lateral quadrant of the breast extends diagonally upwards in an 'axillary tail'. A thin layer of mammary tissue extends from the clavicle above to the seventh or eighth ribs below and from the midline to the edge of the latissimus dorsi posteriorly.
The arterial blood supply to the breasts is derived from the internal thoracic artery (previously referred to as the internal mammary artery), lateral thoracic artery, thoracoacromial artery, and posterior intercostal arteries. The venous drainage of the breast is mainly to the axillary vein, but there is some drainage to the internal thoracic vein and the intercostal veins.
The breast is innervated by the anterior and lateral cutaneous branches of the 4th through 6th intercostal nerves. The nipple is supplied by the T4 dermatome.
Both sexes have a large concentration of blood vessels and nerves in their nipples.
Lymphatic drainage
About 75% of lymph from the breast travels to the ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes. The rest travels to parasternal nodes, to the other breast, or abdominal lymph nodes. The axillary nodes include the pectoral, subscapular, and humeral groups of lymph nodes. These drain to the central axillary lymph nodes, then to the apical axillary lymph nodes. The lymphatic drainage of the breasts is particularly relevant to oncology, since cancer cells can break away from a tumour (breast cancer being a common cancer), and spread to other parts of the body through the lymph system by a process known as metastasis.
Function
The function of the mammary glands in female breasts is to nurture the young by producing milk, which is secreted by the nipples during lactation. However, zoologists point out that no female mammal other than the human has breasts of comparable size when not lactating and that humans are the only primate that have permanently swollen breasts. This suggests that the external form of the breasts is connected to factors other than lactation alone.
The mammary glands that secrete the milk from the breasts actually make up a relatively small fraction of the overall breast tissue. It is commonly assumed by biologists that the real evolutionary purpose of women having breasts is to attract the male of the species; that, in other words, breasts are sexually dimorphic, or secondary sex characteristics. One theory is based around the fact that, unlike nearly all other primates, human females do not display clear, physical signs of ovulation. This could have plausibly resulted in human males evolving to respond to more subtle signs of ovulation. During ovulation, the increased estrogen present in the female body results in a slight swelling of the breasts, which then males could have evolved to find attractive. In response, there would be evolutionary pressures that would favor females with more swollen breasts who would, in a manner of speaking, appear to males to be the most likely to be ovulating.
Some zoologists (notably Desmond Morris) believe that the shape of female breasts evolved as a frontal counterpart to that of the buttocks, the reason being that whilst other primates mate in the typical piggy-back position, humans are more likely to successfully copulate mating face on. A secondary sexual characteristic on a woman's chest would have encouraged this in more primitive incarnations of the human race, and a face on encounter would have helped found a relationship between partners beyond merely a sexual one.
Others believe that the human breast evolved in order to prevent infants from suffocating while feeding. Since human infants do not have a protruding jaw like our ancestors and the other primates, the infant's nose might be blocked by a flat female chest while feeding. According to this theory, as the human jaw became recessed, so the breasts became larger to compensate.
Size, shape and composition
Most of the human female breast is actually adipose tissue (fat) and connective tissue, rather than the mammary glands. There is naturally a great variety in the size and shape of breasts in women, with size being affected by various factors including genetics.
The primary anatomical support for the breasts is thought to be provided by the Cooper's ligaments, with additional support from the skin covering the breasts themselves, and it is this support which determines the shape of the breasts. The breasts naturally sag through aging, as the ligaments become elongated. This process may be accelerated by high impact exercises, and a brassiere may reduce this effect by providing external support, although the health benefits of wearing of a brassiere are not universally accepted. Pendulous breasts (ptosis) are considered undesirable by some, and some older women seek cosmetic surgery to raise their busts.
As breasts are mostly composed of adipose tissue, their size can change over time if the woman gains or loses weight. It is also typical for them to grow in size during pregnancy and while breastfeeding, mainly due to hypertrophy of the mammary gland in response to the hormone prolactin. The size of a woman's breasts usually fluctuates during the menstrual cycle, particularly with premenstrual water retention. An increase in breast size is also a common side effect of use of the contraceptive pill.
There is no relationship between breast size and ability to breastfeed, and it is a common belief that human female breasts are shaped the way they are so that they can feed babies by producing milk. However, their shape is also thought to have evolved due to sexual attraction, as described above.
The size of a woman's breasts is typically expressed as a "bra size". According to the results of the "Size UK" survey, the average bra size in the UK has increased from a 34B in the 1950s to a 36C today, and the average size for U.S. women is a 34B as of 2005 by the CDC. Women with exceptionally large breasts may experience back pain only if they wear improperly fitting bras, whilst in some societies there is a belief amongst some that small breasts make a woman less sexually attractive. Some women suffer from insecurity about their breasts, and in some cultures a number of women who are unhappy with their size seek surgery either to artificially reduce or enlarge their breasts. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery found that 334,052 breast augmentation procedures were performed in 2004. Some women undergo breast reconstruction after mastectomy for breast cancer, a result of the high value placed on symmetry of the female human form in those cultures, and because women often identify their femininity and sense of self with their breasts.
It is typical for a woman's breasts to be unequal in size, particularly whilst the breasts are developing during puberty. Statistically it is slightly more common for the left breast to be the larger [citation needed]. In some rare cases, one breast may be greatly larger or smaller than the other, or fail to develop entirely.
Development
The development of a woman's breasts, during puberty, is caused by sex hormones, chiefly estrogen (This hormone has been demonstrated to cause the development of woman-like, enlarged breasts in men, a condition called gynecomastia, and is sometimes used deliberately for this effect in male-to-female sex reassignment surgery).
A vast number of medical conditions are known to cause abnormal development of the breasts during puberty. Virginal breast hypertrophy is a condition which involves excessive growth of the breasts during puberty, and in some cases the continued growth beyond the usual pubescent age. Breast hypoplasia is a condition where one or both breasts fail to develop during puberty.
The orb-like shape of breasts help limit heat loss, as a fairly high temperature is required for the production of milk.
All facts considered, there are only three ways to increase breast size: actual weight gain (especially increased body fat), hormonal (estrogen,prolactin), and a combination of these.
Below are some herbal blends shown to naturally increase breast size by history of usage, anecdotal stories, and small, loosely, preliminary, scientific studies:
Bloussant Ingredients:
Bloussant herbs provide plant estrogen to help reactivate the mammary glands to develop breast tissue. This is the very same growth process that occurred during puberty, but human estrogen was the "fuel". Once the teenage years are over, unless these glands are re-stimulated, the breast will not enlarge any further.
Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens)(Leaf)
Saw Palmetto contains some of the highest concentrations of the plant elements recommended by herbalists for breast enlargement. Saw Palmetto is a low growing palm whose berries have been cherished by herbalists and natural medicine practitioners for years. Saw Palmetto, sometimes known as sawtooth palm or windmill palm, grows in the southeastern United States from South Carolina to Southern Mississippi and also grows naturally in every county of Florida. The hard saw teeth for which the plant is named run along the petiole, or leaf stalk. Saw Palmetto is a remarkable herb for both men and women. It is now a popular and effective treatment for prostate enlargement in men but has it's origins in natural medicine as a breast enlarger and is still recommended today by naturopathic physicians for increasing breast size. Saw Palmetto has been used for centuries in different cultures. Native Americans, dating back to pre-Mayan civilizations, used the plant for food and medicine and particularly for breast disorders in women. Saw Palmetto is useful as a nutritive tonic, supporting the function of a healthy appetite and smooth digestion. It also tones the urethra, and it may be used to uphold the healthy function of the thyroid gland and urinary system. This herb has no side effects or drug interactions.
Fennel Seed (Foeniculum Vulgare) (Fruit)
Fennel is a biennial or perennial plant that grows wild in the Mediterranean area and in Asia Minor but is commonly cultivated in the U.S. and Europe. Fennel is one of the more estrogenic of plants and is very similar to fenugreek. Herbal data bases indicate that Fennel seed contains some of the highest levels of natural estrogens, phyto-nutrients and diosgenin that add to healthy breast tissue. These phyto-nutrients are mild and have many health benefits. Because these natural estrogens and phyto-nutrients can replace excess estrogen in the system, they can help calm hormonal swings associated with PMS and menopause. Many chemical and environmental toxins will mimic estrogen and attach to the estrogen receptor sites within the mammary glands. The plant nutrients can help to wash these out of the system, aiding in increasing the health of the breast tissue. Fennel is commonly used to treat amenhorrea, angina, asthma, heartburn, high blood pressure and to boost sexual desire. Fennel helps to arouse appetite, relieve colic, abdominal cramps and is also used to improve the kidneys, spleen, liver and lungs. There are no side effects or contradictions with normal use.
Dong Quai (Leaf)
Dong Quai is considered by the Chinese to be the "empress of herbs" and the "sovereign herb for women." It originates from many provinces in southwestern China and is now commercially cultivated to keep up with the booming demand. Dong Quai has been used by the Chinese for more than two thousand years as a strengthener of the heart, lung, spleen, liver and kidney meridians and as a tonic for the blood. Dong Quai Extract is the supreme female tonic in traditional Chinese medicine. Women in other parts of the world have also discovered that Dong Quai naturally provides balancing and normalizing support for women's unique rhythms, cycles and body systems. It is primarily known for it's uses in treating women's problems including lack of sexual desire, the symptoms of menopause, cramps and PMS. In addition, the root is rich in vitamin B-12, which plays a role in the production of new blood cells. Researchers believe that one important action of Dong Quai is to promote natural progesterone synthesis, another key element for breast enlargement. Dong Quai has earned a reputation as the "ultimate herb" for women and is also know as "the women's ginseng."
Damiana (Tumera Diffusa) (Leaf)
Damiana is a small shrub with aromatic leaves and yellow flowers that typically grows in dry, rocky climates throughout Mexico, Central and South America, the West Indies, California, and Texas. Damiana is well known in southwestern cultures as a sexuality tonic, and is recommended by many top herbalists. It stimulates the intestinal tract and brings hemoglobin and oxygen to the genital area. It also increases energy levels which does a lot to restore libido and desire. In women, Damiana often restores the ability to achieve orgasm. In Holland, Damiana is renowned for its sexual enhancing qualities and positive effect on the reproductive organs. Damiana can quickly stimulate the genital area by enriching the oxygen supply. Longer term use can improve sexual fitness and performance. Damiana extracts have been shown, in the test tube, to weakly bind to progesterone receptors. This is a key element for breast enlargement. Damiana is also an excellent strengthening remedy for the nervous system. This herb can have interactions with hypoglycemic drugs.
Blessed Thistle (Cnicus Benedictus) (Leaf)
Blessed, or Holy, Thistle can be found in abundance in Europe, Asia, the American prairies, Canada and British Columbia as well as Australia. It is a handsome annual occurring in stony, uncultivated places. It is said to have obtained it's name from it's high reputation as a heal-all, being supposed even to cure the plague. The Blessed Thistle grows about 2 feet high, is reddish, slender, very much branched and scarcely able to keep upright under the weight of it's leaves and flowerheads. In cold infusions, Blessed Thistle is valuable in weak and debilitated conditions of the stomach, and as a tonic, creating appetite and preventing sickness. In warm infusions, it forms, in intermittent fevers, one of the most useful diaphoretics to which employment can be given. The plant was at one time supposed to possess very great virtues against fevers of all kinds. It is said to have great power in the purification and circulation of the blood, and on this account, strengthens the brain and the memory. Because of it's powerful estrogenic properties, it is chiefly used now for nursing mothers, the warm infusion scarcely ever failing to procure a proper supply of milk. It is considered one of the best medicines which can be used for this purpose.
Dandelion (Taraxaci Herba) (Root)
The Dandelion is a perennial plant found almost everywhere. The oblong or spatulatae, irregularly dentate or pinnatitid leaves grow in a rosette from the milky taproot, which also sends up one or more naked flower stems, each terminating in a single yellow flower. Dandelion has two particularly important uses: to promote the formation of bile and to remove excess water from the body in edemous conditions resulting from liver problems. The root especially effects all forms of secretion and excretion from the body. This boosting of secretion is key to the formation of new breast cells and tissue, and the boosting of excretion is key to the cleansing of the estrogen receptor sites which get clouded with environmental toxins that mimic estrogen. By acting to remove these and other toxins from the body, it acts as a tonic and stimulant as well. An infusion of the fresh root is said to be good for gallstones, jaundice, and other liver problems. No side effects or contradictions with normal use.
Watercress (Nasturtium Officinale) (Leaf)
A native of Europe and Russia, common in Great Britain and widely naturalized in the United States and Canada, Watercress is a hardy perennial found in abundance near springs and open running watercourses, of a creeping habit with smooth, pinnatifid leaves and ovate, heart-shaped leaflets. Watercress is the most ancient of green vegetables known to man and it's use can be traced back to the Persians, Greeks and Romans. The common method of preparation in those days was with oil and vinegar. In the 21st century, scientists are discovering that Watercress may indeed have properties to counteract the effects of smoking. Its cruciferous nature may even help prevent lung diseases, such as emphysema and cancer. Watercress contains gluconasturtin (only released when the leaves are chopped or chewed), which helps neutralize a carcinogen in tobacco. Watercress also contains credible amounts of folic acid and Lucien. J.E. Meyers, Botanical Gardens of Hammond, Indiana informs us that Watercress is one of the best sources of vitamin E. This is the fertility vitamin, essential to breast enlargement, Vitamin E helps the body to use oxygen, which increases physical endurance and stamina and improves heart response. As a medicinal plant, Watercress has been traditionally considered a diuretic, expectorant, purgative, stimulant, stomachic and tonic. It has also been used as a remedy against anemia, eczema, kidney and liver disorders, tuberculosis, boils, warts and tumors. Watercress has more iron than spinach, more calcium than milk and three times as much Vitamin E as lettuce. It’s packed with vitamins A and C, and is low in calories.
Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga Racemosa) (Root)
Black Cohosh is native to North America, where it grows freely in shady woods in Canada and the United States. It is a tall, herbaceous plant, with feathery racemes of white blossoms. The root of this plant is much used in America in many disorders, and is supposed to be an antidote against poison and the bite of the rattlesnake. Herbal researcher Dr. James Duke has this to say about Black Cohosh; "Black Cohosh really should be better known in this country, especially with our aging population and the millions of women who are now facing menopause. Recognized for it's mild sedative and anti-inflammatory activity, Black Cohosh can help with hot flashes and other symptoms associated with that dramatic change of life called menopause. It's also reported to have some estrogenic activity. Native Americans used the roots and rhizomes of this member of the buttercup family to treat kidney ailments, malaria, rheumatism, and sore throats. Early American settlers turned to it for bronchitis, dropsy, fever, hysteria and nervous disorders, lumbago, and yellow fever. It's also reportedly well known for easing PMS and menstrual irregularities." This estrogenic activity, notes Dr. Duke, can contribute to a "mastogenic"effect; the natural enlargement of the breasts.
Wild Yam (Dioscorea Villosa) (Root)
Wild Yam is probably the most widely used herbal tonic for women's health. Wild Yam is used for breast enlargement, hormonal balancing and as a sexual stimulant. Herbal data bases indicate that Wild Yam contains some of the highest levels of natural estrogens, phyto-nutrients and diosgenin recommended by herbalists for breast enlargement. These phyto-nutrients are mild and have many health benefits. Wild Yam has also been used for centuries in Central America as a natural pain reliever. Wild Yam contains compounds similar to progesterone, and the diosgenin, a procurer of progesterone, makes it a popular choice for treating PMS. Wild Yam is recommended by herbalist Susan Weed author of "Breast Cancer? Breast Health!" for healthy breast tissue. Wild Yam has long been used for it's benefits in women's reproductive health, including premenstrual syndrome and menopausal problems. It can also be helpful for kidney and gallbladder problems, and for muscle spasms and inflammation.
(CONTINUE TO PART 2)
