10 Things You Need To Know About Your Breasts

We all learned a little bit about breasts in biology class and a lot about breasts when we got them. But there’s still more we’re learning about our boobs everyday. Here are just 10 things we learned today, for example:

1. 85 percent of you wear the wrong size bra.

An estimated 8 out of 10 of women are wearing the totally wrong size, so there’s a pretty solid chance your breast-holder isn’t really working for you.

2. It’s normal for one of us to be larger than the other.

We’re not as symmetrical as you may think. About half of women have a pretty notable difference in size, with the left breast often larger than the right.

3. Slimming down may reduce your risk of breast cancer by half.

A study published earlier this year found that overweight postmenopausal women who shed just 5 to 10 percent of their body weight slashed their breast cancer risk in half. (Fat can raise levels of the hormone estrogen, which is known to fuel certain kinds of breast cancer).

4. Increase your vitamin D intake and you’ll decrease your risk of breast cancer.

Many of you have too-low levels of this vitamin, which is a shame considering that it is linked to a reduced risk of breast cancer.

5. Not sleeping? You’re increasing your cancer risk.

More research points to a correlation between not sleeping at night and a higher cancer risk.

6. Not sleeping? You’re increasing your cancer risk.

It’s likely the hormone melatonin to blame, which regulates sleep cycles and may also affect estrogen levels. Sleep deprivation at night may also suppress the immune system, allowing cancer cells to grow.

7. Skip that second glass of wine to reduce cancer risk.

There’s no doubt that drinking is linked to an increased risk of breast cancer, which is why experts recommend limiting your intake to one glass a day and even less if you have a higher breast cancer risk (due to family history or other reasons)

8. Your breasts are more prone to dry skin than any other body part.

Your breasts stretched when you hit puberty, so they have thinner skin than the rest of your body, making them more likely to get fry than other places.

9. Your breast size changes all the time.

You can go up as much as a cup size at certain points in your period cycle, which can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on whether or not you love wearing button-down shirts.

10. Sleeping facedown can change the shape of your breasts over time

It’s best to put a pillow under your breasts for support every night. Good night, breasts!