from the BBC news service:
"Chewing gum can 'enhance breasts'
Pueraria mirifica is full of
active chemicals
A chewing gum which the makers say can help enhance the size, shape and tone of the breasts has
proved to be a big hit in Japan.
B2Up says its Bust-Up gum, when chewed three or four times a day, can also help
improve circulation, reduce stress and fight ageing.
The gum works by slowly releasing compounds contained
in an extract from a plant called Pueraria mirifica.
In theory, this helps to keep the muscle tissue in good
order.
Pueraria mirifica, also known as Kwao Krua, is a species found in Thailand and Burma.
It has
long been used by indigenous hill tribe people as a traditional medicine.
The plant's underground tubers
contain a number of chemicals called phytoestrogens - natural compounds which mimic the effects of the female sex
hormone oestrogen.
These include miroestrol and deoxymiroestrol, which are believed to exert a particularly
strong effect, as they are very close in chemical structure to oestradiol, the main human oestrogen.
B2Up
says that it is the effect of these two chemicals, coupled with a third phytooestrogen isoflavone, which makes its
gum so effective.
It cites tests carried out by Thailand's Chulalongkorn University which found Pueraria
mirifica therapy was able to enhance breast size by 80%.
Further tests carried out in England found that the
plant had a beneficial effect on the skin, and hair, as well as the breasts.
The company also markets
different Pueraria products, including pills, and tea.
The gum, which comes in rose flavour, has proved so
popular that there are plans to start selling it in convenience stores.
Scepticism
Claire
Williamson, of the British Nutrition Foundation, said research had suggested phytoestrogens may be beneficial in
post-menopausal women in terms of reducing menopausal symptoms, and may also have beneficial effects on risk factors
for heart disease and osteoporosis.
A role in breast cancer has also been suggested.
But she said
research had suggested that isoflavone supplements are not as effective in managing menopausal symptoms as
isoflavone rich foods such as soya.
Furthermore, consumption of isoflavones may need to be life-long in
order to have beneficial effects on postmenopausal symptoms.
"So there is clear evidence of the potential
health benefits of consuming isoflavone-rich foods such as soya, however consumption in the form of a gum has not
been extensively studied and such products may be simply another food gimmick."
I wonder what this stuff does
to men?
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