"Bust enhancing" herbal products.
"Bust enhancing" herbal products are widely advertised. No clinical trials have been published. These products contain a variety of ingredients, including grains, hops, saw palmetto, dong quai, chaste-tree berry, wild yam, kava, fennel, black cohosh, and fenugreek. Several of these herbs are hormonally active; for example, hops contain 8-prenylnaringenin, a phytoestrogen that is more potent than other dietary phytoestrogens. Many bust-enhancing dietary supplements contain substrates for Fusarium, a fungus that produces zearalenone, a potent estrogen that has been associated with breast enlargement in humans and other species. The use of bust-enhancing products should be discouraged because of lack of evidence for efficacy and long-term safety concerns.
Fugh-Berman
Adriane
A
Department of Health Care Sciences, George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA. fughberman@aol.com
D000818:Animals; D001940:Breast / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004968:Estrogens, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005670:Fusarium; D006801:Humans; D007529:Isoflavones; D048789:Phytoestrogens; D008517:Phytotherapy; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D004968:Estrogens, Non-Steroidal; D007529:Isoflavones; D048789:Phytoestrogens; D028321:Plant Preparations