Various types of claims are often made on social media. One such claim was made by fitness coach and influencer Priyanka Mehta. She claimed in a video that sleeping wearing a bra can increase the risk of breast cancer. In this video he advised women not to wear bra at night to avoid any possible danger. Let us understand why such claims come to the fore and how much truth is there in them.
What did the influencer claim?
In this video, he explained in a conversational manner that at night the body works to expel the accumulated toxins. According to him, the lymph nodes present in the armpits, breasts and chest are responsible for this internal cleansing process. They argue that if a woman sleeps wearing a bra that is too tight or has an underwire, this process may be disrupted; This can cause swelling and fluid accumulation, which can damage the breast tissue over time.
What does medical science say?
Although this claim sounds serious, medical science does not accept it as true. This issue first came to light in 1995, when Sydney Ross Singer and Soma Griesmeyer mentioned a possible link between bras and breast cancer in their book *Dressed to Kill*. The next part of this book came out in 2017, but experts later rejected these claims.
American Cancer Society report
According to the American Cancer Society, there is no scientific or medical evidence that wearing a bra restricts lymph flow or causes cancer. Similarly, the US National Institutes of Health has also clearly stated that wearing a bra, using antiperspirants, or having breast augmentation surgery—none of these things are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.
Cancer Research UK’s claims
Cancer Research UK also supports the same thing. He says that very little research has been done on this topic, and this is because there is no scientific basis for any connection between wearing a bra and cancer. No such relationship has come to light in any research conducted so far. A large-scale study conducted in 2014, involving more than 1,500 women, also found that neither the habit of wearing a bra—including how long it is worn—nor the use of underwire, nor the age when one starts wearing one, were associated with breast cancer risk.
What do experts say?
According to a report by *firstcheck_in*, Dr. Shuaib Zaidi, surgical oncologist at Max Super Specialty Hospital, also rejects this claim as completely baseless. They say that wearing a bra—whether during the day or at night—does not increase the risk of cancer. He further explained that lymphatic flow in the breast takes place through several pathways; Therefore, even if there is pressure on a particular area, the body compensates by using other pathways.
