When perfectly-shaped breasts begin to sag, it can impact your appearance and self-confidence. Though it is said that this physical process would usually set in during your 40s, certain lifestyle factors can lead to breast sagging at a younger age too. Losing and gaining weight rapidly, lifestyle factors and even the way you sit or sleep can contribute to losing breast firmness.
Breasts are made of several different types of tissue, including fat, glands, and support structures, and all of these can influence the texture of the breast. The majority of your boob is fat—or if you want to be all scientific about it, adipose tissue. Floating in this sea of adipose are little clusters called lobes. Lobes are made of lobules, which produce milk if you’re breastfeeding. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, there are 12 to 20 lobes in each breast. The lobes are connected to the nipple by milk ducts. The whole network is supported by connective tissue.
What causes saggy breasts?
Saggy breasts are caused by several changes that force the youthful, perky breasts to typically give way to saggier breasts, these changes include:
Age: As a woman gets older, the ligaments that make up the breast tissue stretch and lose elasticity. As a result, breast fullness is compromised as the underlying support system of tissue and fat diminishes. A change may be particularly evident during menopause.
Gravitational pull: Years of gravitational pull take their toll, especially on women with larger breasts.
Lack of proper support: Wearing a supportive bra is important to maintaining breast shape and lift. “Lack of proper support will take its toll over a 30- to 40-year period.
Smoking: Carcinogens in cigarette smoke cause elastin to break down in the body. These elastin fibers are responsible for skin elasticity throughout the body.
Sunburn: Ultraviolet rays damage the skin and cause loss of elasticity as well.
Weight gain: Major fluctuations in weight can cause unnecessary stretching of the breasts. Maintaining a healthy weight will help women avoid the progression of unnecessary stretching.
What is Uda seed?
Uda seed (Xylopia Aethiopica), known as Chimba in Hausa, Eeru alamo in Yoruba is an important seed in Africa because of its medical and traditional uses. In the Middle Ages, the fruit was exported to Europe as a ‘pepper’. It is used in African cuisines and traditional medicine.
In the Southeastern part of Nigeria, Uda seed is an essential ingredient in the preparation of local soups to aid new mothers in breastfeeding. It remains an important item of local trade throughout Africa as a spice and flavoring for food and for medicine. The fruit is sometimes put into jars of water for purification purposes.
It can be added whole or crushed before being used to prepare assorted food dishes such as soups, yam porridge, pepper soup, stews, sauce, meat, fish, etc. It can be used alone or mixed with garlic or ginger for making herbal tea. It can also be used as a preservative.
Can I use Uda seed for breast firming?
Although studies have shown that Uda seeds in local soups can help new mothers in breastfeeding by stimulating lactogenesis (milk production after giving birth), there is no evidence that Uda seeds are beneficial for breast firming or enlargement.
Nevertheless, because Uda seeds contain some of the most important vitamins for breast enlargement (vitamin A, E, C and B), consuming food made with Uda seeds will not only increase breast size, but these vitamins can also help to tone the skin and make breasts firmer.
