Enlarged breasts impact millions of men worldwide. Scientists call this condition Gynecomastia. It stems from a hormonal imbalance between testosterone and estrogen.
Gynecomastia doesn't put a man's health at risk. Yet, it has a significant impact on his self-esteem. This occurs because society often looks down on men with this condition.
The good news is that many studies by researchers have shown that certain foods can help reduce Gynecomastia. Other foods should be avoided.
This post will show you which foods to eat and which to avoid to minimize your Gynecomastia.
Foods to eat
Foods with healthy fats
Some healthy fats can boost your testosterone levels.
The issue is that most folks can't tell good fats from bad fats.
Good fats include saturated fats and monounsaturated fats.
University of Pennsylvania researchers discovered that guys who ate more monounsaturated fats had higher testosterone levels compared to those who didn't.
Also, the men's bodies looked more masculine.
Eating these foods can give your body enough of these good fats:
- Raisins
- Butter
- Almonds
- Potatoes
- Coconut
- Garlic
- Onions
- Pecans
- Olive oil
- Egg yolks
- Coconut oil
- Olives
- Ginger
- Avocados
- Organic nuts
Squeezed juices
Many people who want to shed pounds add squeezed juices those made at home, to their eating plans.
They do this because squeezed juices don't have many calories and help the body get rid of toxins.
Also, the juice keeps your body full of water as it helps you drop weight by speeding up your metabolism.
A quick metabolism will also:
- Boost your energy
- Make your immune system stronger
- Get rid of more toxins quicker
When your metabolism is slow, you burn fewer calories, and the extra gets stored in your body as fat.
As a result, you'll gain weight, which makes your Gynecomastia worse. What's more, being overweight can also put you at risk for diseases like:
- Hypertension (High blood pressure)
- Stroke
- Coronary heart disease
- Gallbladder disease
- Osteoarthritis
- Type 2 diabetes
This means squeezed juices are not good for treating Gynecomastia, but they also help you avoid other serious health issues.
Some of the juices you can drink include:
- Pineapple juice
- Carrot juice
- Pomegranate Juice
- Amla juice
- Cucumber juice
- Orange juice
Foods with Vitamin D
Vitamin D in adequate amounts promotes testosterone production and boosts your sperm count.
Also, Vitamin D helps to produce steroid hormones, strengthens the immune system, and makes bones stronger.
Studies show that foods rich in Vitamin D help overweight men to reduce body fat.
However, researchers are still working to understand how the vitamin decreases body fat.
Here are some foods that provide large amounts of vitamin D:
- Pork
- Trout
- Cereals
- Caviar
- Eggs
- Mushrooms
Anti-inflammatory foods
These foods contain anti-inflammatory substances that can reduce your Gynecomastia by decreasing the swelling.
Keep in mind, Gynecomastia happens because of enlarged or swollen breast tissues.
Also, some of these foods that fight inflammation have antioxidant qualities.
This means they'll help your body clean itself out, which is crucial as it'll boost weight loss. The more toxins build up in your body, the more fat you store.
So by getting rid of the toxins, these foods:
- Boost your energy
- Help digestion
- Cut down food cravings
- Ease joint pain
Good foods to eat that fight inflammation are:
- Berries; strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries
- Broccoli
- Fatty fish; sardines, mackerel, herring, tuna, salmon, and anchovies
- Beans
- Sweet potatoes
- Citrus fruits
- Peppers
- Turmeric
- Tomato
Foods with Zinc
Research shows zinc helps your body make testosterone.
Your zinc levels often drop if you do hard workouts, like cardio or weightlifting.
This makes it essential to eat foods rich in zinc to boost your testosterone levels.
You can get zinc by eating these foods.
- Veal liver
- Oysters
- Pumpkin seeds
- Lean beef
- Salmon
- Spinach
- Almonds
- Avocados
- Guavas
- Apricots
- Raspberries
- Cantaloupes
- Peaches
- Lobsters
Foods you should avoid to reduce Gynecomastia.
Some foods you eat every day increase body fat making your Gynecomastia worse.
This means you need to know which foods to avoid to get that toned and sculpted body.
Here's a list of such foods:
Alcohol and beer
Alcohol has a negative impact on your liver's ability to burn extra estrogen in your body. This leads to high estrogen levels and lower testosterone, which can cause Gynecomastia.
Also, beer is made from grains that can put a lot of estrogen into your system. Because your liver can't burn off the extra amounts , it builds up.
So, you'll need to quit drinking alcohol if you want to stop your man boobs from getting bigger.
Canned and processed food items
Chemicals that keep canned and processed foods fresh may limit how much testosterone your body makes.
For example, chemicals like polycarbonates and bisphenol A (BPA) influence pituitary glands and testis resulting in decreased testosterone.
Sugary Foods
When you consume high-sugar foods, your body needs to produce more insulin, which affects how your body makes testosterone.
This explains why most diabetic men have low testosterone levels.
So, you need to control your daily sugar intake to prevent effects on your testosterone levels.
You can begin by cutting out candy and sweets from your diet and any other food with artificial sugar.
Soy products
Soy products like soybeans, soy snacks, and soy milk add tiny amounts of estrogen to your body building up as time passes.
The buildup of estrogen hormone can make your Gynecomastia worse; so, you should avoid soy products until your condition gets better.
Deep-fried and packaged foods
Many deep-fried and packaged foods contain high levels of fat; it's no surprise most doctors tell you not to eat these foods.
When you eat such foods often, you increase fat buildup around your chest.
The more fat you have the more estrogen the enzyme aromatase produces. This leads to Gynecomastia.
Also, having too much fat in your body puts you at risk for other health problems like diabetes, cancer, and depression.
Will phytoestrogens cure Gynecomastia?
Scientists disagree about whether phytoestrogens can help reduce Gynecomastia or make it worse.
This is because some research shows that higher levels of phytoestrogens in the body might lower fertility, as they're a type of estrogen.
But other studies say the opposite is true. These researchers claim that phytoestrogens lower estrogen levels, which helps because it means there's more testosterone in the body.
Overall eating phytoestrogens has more pros than cons right now.
Experts suggest seven foods if you want to get phytoestrogens. These include:
- Whole grains
- Pomegranates
- Red grapes
- Mushrooms
- Cruciferous veggies such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Bok choy, collard greens, and arugula.
Other reasons for Gynecomastia
Your diet isn't the only thing that can cause man boobs. You might develop gynecomastia by:
- Taking certain meds like anti-depressants and chemotherapy drugs
- Often using steroids and drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and bhang.
Other methods to reduce Gynecomastia
Even if you eat the right foods and your testosterone levels increase, your breasts may remain saggy.
You can avoid embarrassment by doing full-body exercises to lose weight and tone your body.
Running, swimming, and walking are great exercises for good results. You can also do
- Deadlifts
- Pushups
- Squats
- Cable crossovers
- Bench presses
To wrap up
To eliminate your Gynecomastia, you need to watch your diet.
Stay away from deep-fried sugary canned foods and alcohol. Also, eat more healthy fats and anti-inflammatory foods and work out regularly.
During exercise, you can hide Gynecomastia by putting on Esteem Apparel vests. These vests last a long time and fit underneath all types of clothes.
