Gynecomastia or "Man Boobs" as it's often referred to as is becoming more common but it isn't necessarily "normal" & it's definitely preventable.

Gynecomastia is a noncancerous excess of male breast gland tissue. It more commonly involves both breasts but can occur in only one breast. Most often, the condition is caused by hormone changes. Gynecomastia is usually triggered by an imbalance in levels of testosterone to estrogen. The condition affects 35 to 40 percent of men at some time in their life

Causes of Gynecomastia:
Hormone Imbalances (low testosterone, higher estrogen)

Drinking from plastic water bottles

Alcohol consumption (especially beer) Increases estrogen & decreases testosterone

High Cannabis Consumption

PUFAs (Polyunsaturated fatty Acids which cause inflammation & oxidative stress.

Weight gain

Steroids

Genetics (they load the gun but lifestyle pulls the trigger)

Certain medications

Drinking tap water (due to birth control pills in water)

Soy consumption (soy is high in estrogen)

Drinking conventional dairy milk (conventional dairy cows are injected with estrogen for growth factors)

Iron accumulation (iron feeds estrogen)

Let's break down some of the most common....

Alcohol is one of the largest contributors specially hoppy beers. phytoestrogens from the hops & yeast which produces estradiol, the powerful human hormone. Yeast also produces cortisol which attributes to another commonly related issue: beer belly

Cannabis has been said to have estrogenic effects as well, however the science isn't sure about this. It's about 50/50 split on yes it does and no it doesn't. I'm not blaming cannabis for man boobs BUT it is something to take into consideration if you're wanting to make changes for this reason. I would more so worry that cannabis tends to make men reduce their physical exercise & increase unhealthy eating habits.

Plastic water bottles are definitely a big contributor to this issue because plastic waster bottles contain xeno estrogens which mimic estrogen in the body , adding to estrogen accumulation & lowering testosterone. Switch to metal or glass water bottles to kick these xenoestrogens.

If a man has gained weight whether fast or over time, this is an obvious cause of excess tissue growth. It's important to know that fat stores toxins so the more fat on the body, the more toxins will hide in it, cause the fat cells to expand and appear larger or swollen.

Gynecomastia isn't always forever. Some men have luck reversing it with making lifestyle changes involving the above. Some men are not able to & choose to either live with it get surgery surgery.

Overall, gynecomastia isn't dangerous. There is a small increase in risk for male breast cancer, although gynecomastia is common, male breast cancer is rare. In the United States, only about 2,000 cases of male breast cancer are diagnosed annually, and about 400 men die of breast cancer each year. (Stats from Mayo Clinic)

This is something men may or may not experience, know about or care about. While we don't want to ever be embarrassed about our bodies or embarrass others it's something we should be aware of. Because it is a glimpse into a man's overall health, hormone levels & lifestyle.

Know better, do better
-Kourtney Lewis