Man boobs. They can be a major source of embarrassment for so many men.
But you’d be surprised by the amount of blokes who are actually afflicted by this condition.
The NHS reckons as many as 90% of us will experience some enlargement of our breasts at some point in our lives.
But why do men get them? And is there anything we can do about it?
Man boobs (or Gynaecomastia, to give it the posh name) are very common in teenage lads going through puberty.
They’re also common in older men, or guys of any age who are obese or overweight.
But there’s one common thing that links most cases of the condition in these three types of men – that’s hormonal imbalance.
Basically when there’s an imbalance between the male sex hormone testosterone and the female hormone oestrogen then it can lead to breast tissue growing.
If testosterone levels drop in teenage boys then they become oestrogen dominant and that’s when the man boobs start growing.
Often this hormone imbalance during puberty will clear up as they get older.
Man boobs manifest themselves in older men as testosterone levels start falling after they peak around the age of 20. It’s especially prevalent in overweight men as body fat leads to an increase in the production of oestrogen.
There is an enzyme in your fat cells called aromatase which converts testosterone into oestrogen. So it’s a vicious cycle – the fatter you are, the more oestrogen you produce and the more oestrogen you produce the fatter you get.
Man boobs can also grow as a result of using drugs like cannabis and amphetamines, drinking too much alcohol or using steroids – as well as certain health problems like liver or kidney disease or lumps in the testicles.
But there are plenty of things you can do to improve your body’s hormonal balance and become less oestrogen dominant.
Exercise plays a massive part in boosting your testosterone levels. Generally being active and getting a sweat on as often as possible will help – but things like weight lifting and high intensity training will send your T levels soaring.
We hate to say it, but cutting down the amount of booze you drink will help shift them. Alcohol causes testosterone to drop and increases oestrogen production.
It’s a double-edged sword as while your body is trying to metabolise all that alcohol, any fat burning shuts down and all those empty, sugary calories will get stored as fat.
High sugar foods in general are terrible for your health. Refined carbohydrates in things like white bread, cookies, pies and pizzas will send your blood sugar soaring and you’ll most likely store all that excess glucose in your fat cells.
Worst of all, sugar can increase the process of turning testosterone into oestrogen – which is terrible if you’re trying to shift those man boobs.
But there are some brilliant foods out there that can help your body deal with and flush out the excess oestrogen.
Adding green vegetables like spinach, cabbage, kale, broccoli and brussels sprouts will help your body get rid of it.
Foods rich in zinc, like oysters, nuts, red meat and poultry, can help too as the mineral stops the process of aromatization which turns testosterone into oestrogen.
If you have any health questions about Gynaecomastia you should always contact your GP.
