Diet taboos for cystic constitution

Animal-derived high-estrogen foods, high-sugar and high-oil pro-inflammatory foods, highly processed and irritating foods with excessive nitrites, and other statements spread online such as "you can't eat soy products, you can't eat seafood, and you can't touch hairy things" are all very controversial, and there is no need for a one-size-fits-all diet.

To be honest, I just received a 32-year-old girl last week who had bilateral ovarian cysts and breast hyperplasia. I heard online that soybeans should not be used for cysts, so she stopped eating soy milk for half a year and rarely ate tofu. The result was that the cysts were 2mm longer when reexamined. Instead, because of the large fluctuations in estrogen, a circle of acne broke out on her chin. There has always been a great controversy about estrogen-based diets, and the view of Western medicine is very clear: What should be absolutely banned are snow clams, royal jelly, purple river cartons, and illegal estrogen-added health products that claim to be "beautifying and anti-aging." These animal-derived exogenous estrogens are highly active, and direct intake will stimulate the rapid growth of hormone-dependent cysts (ovarian and breast cysts are the most typical). Some schools of traditional Chinese medicine suggest that you should eat less foods containing phytoestrogens such as soybeans and kudzu root. This does not mean that they will directly promote the growth of cysts, but that these foods are cooler and have a cystic constitution with heavy phlegm and dampness - people who are prone to edema, sticky stools, and thick tongue coating - if you drink iced soy milk every day, Drinking a large amount of kudzu root powder will indeed aggravate the accumulation of phlegm and dampness, and indirectly provide a "hotbed" for the growth of cysts. However, if you drink warm soy milk and drink one cup at a time, there will be no problem at all. After all, phytoestrogens are regulated in both directions. If the estrogen is high, it will help you antagonize it, and if it is low, it will help you supplement it. There is no need to kill it with a stick.

Rather than worrying about something as trivial as whether to drink soy milk or not, most people don’t realize that the high-sugar and high-fat foods stuffed into their mouths every day are the invisible drivers of cyst growth. Eight out of ten patients with multiple cysts I have come into contact with have a sweet tooth, and they even hold onto cakes and pearl milk tea before and after their menstrual period. High GI sugars and trans fatty acids will quickly increase insulin levels and disrupt the balance of the entire endocrine axis. This is equivalent to fertilizing a body that is already prone to cysts. The land itself loves to grow weeds (cysts), and they will naturally grow wildly if they are given enough nutrients. There is also a widely circulated misunderstanding here. Many people say that people with cystic constitution should avoid red meat and dairy products. In fact, it is not so absolute. Fresh lean beef, pork tenderloin, and pure milk without sugar can completely supplement high-quality protein if eaten normally. Just avoid processed red meat (bacon, sausage, cured meat), fried steak, sweet milk caps, and modified milk. Overcorrecting will lower the immunity, and the gain is not worth the candle.

There is another type of taboo that is easily overlooked, which is heavy and highly processed foods. A while ago, a 28-year-old boy with a renal cyst came for a review. In half a year, the cyst grew from 1cm to 3cm, and there was also slight soreness in the kidney area. When I asked about his diet, I found out that he ate braised crayfish with cold beer for supper almost every day in the summer. Sometimes he would eat pre-made dishes when he was too lazy to cook. Preserved foods with high salt and excessive nitrite, and highly processed foods with a large amount of preservatives and flavorings will naturally increase the metabolic burden on the liver and kidneys. People with liver and kidney cysts have weaker metabolic abilities than ordinary people. Long-term consumption will indeed stimulate the cysts to grow. Of course, this does not mean that everyone should avoid spicy food. I have a patient in Chongqing who eats spicy food all the time, and the cyst is well controlled. However, if your cyst already has tenderness and local inflammation, it is best to temporarily stop spicy food, otherwise it will aggravate congestion and pain, so there is no need for everyone to follow the taboo.

As for the myth that "you can't eat seafood, mutton, rooster and other hairy things" that are widely circulated on the Internet, to be honest, I have come into contact with so many patients, and I have never seen anyone whose cyst became larger after eating steamed shrimp once. There is currently no evidence-based medical evidence to prove that this type of food will promote the growth of cysts. The concept of "hair food" in traditional Chinese medicine is originally aimed at people with allergies, ulcers, and people recovering from surgery. If you are allergic to seafood and have high uric acid, you should eat less. If you don't feel uncomfortable after eating it, eat steamed fish and boiled shrimp twice a week. The high-quality protein you supplement can improve metabolism and is good for controlling cysts. I once had a patient who heard others say that he should ban "fat foods". He hadn't touched meat, eggs or milk for a year, and ate boiled vegetables every day. As a result, his immunity was so low that he caught colds repeatedly. During the follow-up examination, he also developed a new small cyst. Later, he returned to a normal diet and adjusted his work and rest for three months, and the cyst shrank.

In fact, there are really not as many taboos about cysts as everyone thinks. I have seen too many people who dare not eat this or touch that. They are so anxious every day that the cyst grows as it should. Instead, it is better to relax and avoid those three types of clearly risky foods. As long as you eat the rest comfortably and in moderation, there will be no problem. After all, a good mood is better than any strict taboo. Oh, by the way, one final word, don’t blindly buy those health care products and folk remedies that claim to be able to “eliminate cysts”. Many of them contain unknown ingredients that can damage your liver and kidneys, and are much more harmful than eating two bites of hot pot.