Does it Work?Unsure if the latest product or service lives up to it's claims? From popular products to the latest scams, discuss it here before you buy!
These seem to come in both pill and cream forms, but both rely on phytoestrogens as their active ingredient. I checked a few places on the net to see what I could find.
I found this Q&A on Intelihealth regarding the cream:
Q: Are there any dangers associated with using breast-augmentation cream? How do these creams work, and have there been any reported negative side effects?
A:
I did a quick Internet search and found no fewer than 30 different products labeled as breast-augmentation or enlargement topical products. The ingredient lists for these creams and ointments are not uniform, but many contain phytoestrogens. In theory, breast size should be increased if the estrogen receptors within the breast tissue are stimulated. Phytoestrogens, say the creams' manufacturers, are safe because they are natural.
The reality is that these products do not work and may not be safe. There are no published studies in the medical literature to support the claims made by these products. While the amount of estrogen in them is usually quite small, there are theoretical risks of use, especially in women with a history of breast cancer or a strong family history of that disease. The only reliable way to increase breast size is through breast enlargement surgery.
The safety of these products is going to depend on what is in the cream or ointment. Since the skin is a very effective barrier to most chemicals, it is unusual to have systemic side effects from them. The amount of estrogenic activity in these natural products is sufficiently low that a systemic effect is unlikely, but it is not impossible. The most likely side effect would be a local reaction or rash from the ingredients. I know of no specific reports of toxicity, however.
This is from iVillage regarding the pills..
Enhancing Breast Size
Q. I heard of a pill that is scientifically proven to make breasts grow larger. Do you know what it does? Does it work, and is it safe?
A. There are three things that will reliably increase breast size: gaining weight, pregnancy, and breast implants. Everything else from special exercises to creams to miracle pills that sound too good to be true are just that -- not true. Your breasts may become temporarily fuller and larger right before your period from fluctuations in hormone levels and fluid retention. Some women on birth control pills or hormone replacement also may have this swelling. It is possible that the pills you describe contain some estrogen-like substances that will promote fluid retention and cause some breast swelling, but this effect will be inconsistent and temporary at best. Of course, these pills may just provide more calories, causing weight gain everywhere, including in the breasts.
In my opinion, these "miracle breast-building" products increase only one thing -- the wallets of the people selling them.
by Kelly Shanahan, M.D.
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I used the MegaBust website for information about these products. I noticed that they state no clinical trials have ever been conducted on these types of products. However, they are seeking volunteers for the very first trial. Any lucky participants will be entitled to purchase the product for a 25% discount during the trial
Manufacturers of these products get past the FDA because they use herbal ingredients which are currently unregulated.
Byline: Tyler, Varro E Volume: 53 Number: 7 ISSN: 00328006 Publication Date: 07-01-2001 Page: 119 Type: Periodical Language: English
Dr. Tyler reveals the truth behind the promises
What goes around comes around! Nearly a century ago, magazine ads featured Dr. Charles's Flesh Food for "building firm, healthy flesh" and "developing the bust" and Sargol for making "puny, peevish people plump and popular." At the time, medical authorities noted that the so-called "flesh food" was nothing more than a useless blend of Vaseline, starch, and zinc oxide.
Today, as then, cleavage-heavy ads in women's magazines feature products that promise "natural breast enhancement" from herbs that "stimulate your breast glands." What do we actually know about these products, and what evidence do we have that they work?
Here's my answer: precious little, at least in a positive sense.
There's Just No Proof
Probably the oldest American herb touted for breast enhancement is saw palmetto, the fruit of the small palm Serenoa repens. Late in the 19th century, it gained a folkloric reputation for slowly but surely causing breast enlargement with long-term use. Even then, it seemed odd to medical authorities that this herb was supposed to enlarge the breasts but shrink the prostate.
Studies tell us that saw palmetto is a useful treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), but as far as I can determine, no clinical evidence supports the claim for breast enlargement. In his book The Green Pharmacy (Rodale Press, Inc., 1997), my friend and colleague Jim Duke notes anecdotal information to support fenugreek seeds and sprouts (Trigonella foenum-graecum) as breast enlargers. He points out that fenugreek contains diosgenin, a precursor of semisynthetic estrogen, and that the herb was a key ingredient in Lydia Pinkham' s Vegetable Compound, an age-- old tonic for various "female complaints."
While it's true that the steroid diosgenin serves as a precursor of estrogen in the lab, there's absolutely no evidence that it is converted into any active hormone, whether you take it orally or apply it to the skin. The use of diosgenin in products intended to cause hormonal effects is based on a misunderstanding of this important distinction.
And though Lydia Pinkham's famous compound was recommended for a slew of ailments, breast enlargement wasn't one of them. As far as I can tell, its reputation for bust building came from the song "The Ballad of Lydia Pinkham," sometimes sung by ribald college students. According to the ditty, after a swig of the compound, Mary Bender "was able to fill her blouse."
Here's the final nail in the coffin of the notion that fenugreek is a breast enlarger: The seed is a favorite spice in south India and Sri Lanka, where it is used in abundance. I'm sure that women there probably consume far more on a daily basis than the 300 or so mg obtained from the standard 3 tablespoons-a-day dosage of the Pinkham remedy. Yet, as a group, women from that part of the world aren't noted for their big bustlines.
Other herbs sold for breast enhancement include damiana (Turnera diffusa var. aphrodisiacs), dong quai (Angelica polymorpha var. sinensis), blessed thistle (Cnicus benedictus), kava (Piper methysticum), dandelion root (Taraxacum officinale), oat bran (Avena sativa),
wild Mexican yam (Dioscorea species), motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), and cumin (Cuminum cyminum), just to name a few. I have two words for all these herbs: Forget it. There' s just no clinical proof, so I don't recommend their use as "bosom buddies."
Where Danger Lies
Ads for some enlargement products claim that they're "clinically proven, " but you never see references to studies in reputable peer-reviewed journals. Likewise, the terms "doctor approved" and "safe and effective" are commonly used, but details are never provided.
I'm concerned that precious little attention is paid to the safety of these products. Let's face it: They claim to enhance the growth of breast tissue.
If this is true, and I hasten to emphasize that this is completely unproven, how do we know that it applies only to healthy breast tissue and doesn't increase the number or size of malignant cells? No data supporting the safety of such products currently exists.
You don't need a PhD to know that genetics plays a major role in the development of our physical attributes. Although surgically inserted implants will certainly boost the bustline, swallowing herbal pills or rubbing on creams will leave you flat (chested).
Author Affiliation
Varro E. Tyler, PhD, SCD, is America's foremost expert on herbs and plant-derived medicine. He is dean emeritus of the Purdue University School of Pharmacy and Pharmacal Sciences in West Lafayette, IN, and distinguished professor emeritus of pharmacognosy. He is also the author of more than 350 scientific articles and 30 books, including a new edition of Tyler's Honest Herbal, written with herbalist Steven Foster (Haworth Herbal Press, 1999).
Tyler, Varro E, Miracle herbs for your bustline?. , Prevention, 07-01-2001, pp 119.
What about a "bust decreaser"? As many over weight women there are in this world, I think they would sell more bust reducers. That is one thing that I have never ever wished that I had more of. I dreaded the day that I started to develop and tried to hide that for years where other girls were trying ways that would show them off. Go figure.
The Food and Drug Administration gave its stamp of approval to a non-surgical system called the "Brava Bra."
The bra works with a vacuum system, pulling out the tissue to increase the breast size. Two hard plastic cups are linked by tubes to a computer pack, and are pulled together with a mesh sports bra.
But the user must have patience. A woman would have to wear the bra 10 consecutive hours a day for 10 consecutive days.
She also can track her progress on the Internet.
"It has a modem to the charger and this data goes back to a central office and then the lady can go on the computer and monitor her progress and see how she's doing," cosmetic surgeon Bruce White said.
The Brava Bra was designed for small-chested women. Its maker said the average increase is one-cup size.
The cost is $2,500. That's about half the cost of breast augmentation surgery.
Originally posted by Suzanne 3FC For anyone that is interested in increasing their bust size, here's an interesting option...
A computerized bra that increases your breast size. http://www.brava.com/
The Food and Drug Administration gave the stamp of approval for the product to be sold. This doesn't mean that the product works, it means that it isn't harmful.
I believe a number of women are taking Brava to court. Most of the complaints involve customer service issues. But the Brava system itself is described as a mere suction cup that does very little.
I will research where I found this information and try to post the URL if anyone is interested.
As far as the herbal pills/creams. They work for some women, but not all. Plus once you stop using them, the results deminish.
You could also find the common herbs used in these products, and buy those instead. It would probably be much cheaper.
those bust increasers
