Hi everyone,
I've currently got an issue concerning my breast size/possible gynecomastia - they aren't huge by any means, I've been reading up on the subject for a while now, and I'd like to get to solve it naturally of course. I've always had slightly puffy breasts for as long as I can remember, but I'm 28 now and I know that this is a symptom of something not quite being right inside me, something being out of balance, and they're also too big for my liking.
I had an issue with acne a few years ago, which I solved naturally by being really strict with myself over a 6-8 month period or so, in what I ate and drank, taking vitamins/EFAs/bowel cleanse/candida cleanse/liver cleanse etc. I was really pleased that it worked for me - my acne is 95% gone. During this time as well I did lose a bit of weight, nothing drastic but it was noticeable - I'm already quite a small guy. My breasts also got a lot smaller during that time as well, but I'm not sure if that was through weight loss or through being extra extra healthy and my hormones balancing up.
I'm a pretty healthy eater overall, vegetarian (5 years), lots of fruit and veg, rice, drink lots of water, take supplements like essential fats that I won't be getting from fish etc. Saying that, I still snack on sugary foods and drinks more often than I'd like too, so I'm aware that this might be a possible cause to the problem, but I'm also pretty sure that it's something deeper inside that's causing it. I'm not overweight by any means, 5'7" around 135 lbs, and I keep fit too.
I've read some good advice on some interesting websites, and the feeling I get is that I've got a hormone imbalance - too much estrogen, not enough testosterone. It's not just the breasts that are a symptom, I also find it hard to build muscle, have quite low stamina/don't sleep that great sometimes/find myself very tired at certain points in the day (lots of yawning) - general fatigue, definitely have a lower sex drive than most 28-yr old guys, sometimes have quite soft erections, have had trouble with depression/low moods in the past too, can be quite irritable at times as well (possibly linked to tiredness I'd imagine as well).
The natural options I've seen out there are to do some liver flushing (haven't done any in 2 years), use natural progesterone cream, and use supplements to increase free-circulating testosterone - and that these things should help to naturally balance my hormones.
I was just after some thoughts really as to whether I'm on the right path and have the right idea as to what action to take, and whether by balancing my hormones this way I could possibly make it worse, or do myself some harm in other areas - or whether I am looking in the right areas after all. I find the area of hormones quite tricky to follow at times, it seems like a hard thing to get right, and after all, they're powerful chemicals inside of us!
If you've got this far thanks for reading my rather long post. I appreciate the advice people give on these boards, it certainly helped me a couple of years ago with my acne. If anyone thinks this post would be better posted in another forum, please let me know.
Thanks, Tim.
These are definitely symptoms of low testosterone and elevated estrogen.
Though using progesterone cream to try and treat this is not recommended. Progesterone has a number of side effects including acne and the irritability you mentioned as progesterone, like testosterone, is an androgen. Progesterone also kills the sex drive, which is why it is used to chemically castrate men. Progesterone also activates HPV viruses associated with various cancers. And it is cumulative in the fat tissues, so it builds up to excessive levels over time leading to a condition known as progesterone dominance. And if that were not enough the testosterone generated by the progesterone can convert in to more estrogen.
But there is good news. First their is an herb called tribulus terrestris, which elevates testosterone levels over time. But you also need to block the conversion of the testosterone in to estrogen. This conversion requires aromatase to convert the testosterone in to estrogen. There are herbs though that are natural aromatase inhibitors so they block the conversion of testosterone to estrogen. My favorite aromatase inhibitor is nettle root (not leaf). Zinc is also an aromatase inhibitor. Recommended dose of zinc is 50mg daily with meals.
Another important thing is to cleanse the liver. And I am not talking about the olive oil, magnesium and lemon juice, which does not flush the liver. Digestive bitters will actually cleanse the liver allowing the liver to break down the excess estrogen. You only need to taste bitters, which are available in most health food stores. Since you only need to taste the bitters I recommend a half a dropper full on the tongue before or with meals. Drink plenty of water throughout the day when using bitters to help flush the toxins released from the liver.
The liver also requires B vitamins to break down the estrogens. Natural sources are best. I prefer rice bran, which also feeds the intestinal flora that in turn break down the estrogen metabolites.
There is also a supplement called trimethylglycine (TMG), which has numerous beneficial functions in the body including hormone formation.
Maintaining your adrenal glands is also important since they also produce the sex hormones:
http://curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=1527351#i
You should avoid alcohols, especially beer, gin, ouzo and whiskey as they can contribute to your estrogen load.
Also limit the intake or farm raised meats and dairy unless you are certain they are hormone free.
You diet should consist mostly of plants such as vegetables.
There is a common myth that soy raises estrogen levels. This simply is not true. Soy contains phytoestrogens, which are also found in about every plant we eat including peaches, grapes, onions, garlic, melons, yams, peas, seaweeds, parsley, etc. Flax seed is the highest source I am aware of being about twice as high as soy. But phytoestrogens are neither true estrogens nor do they raise estrogen levels. Phytoestrogens get their name because they exert a very weak estrogenic effect. We are talking an average of 200-400 times weaker than the body's own estrogen. But at the same time phytoestrogens actually help regulate the body's estrogen levels by locking up estrogen receptors preventing the body's own estrogens and even stronger xenoestrogens from locking on to the receptors. If these stronger estrogens are not able to latch on to a receptor they have no effect on the body. Therefore phytoestrogens DO NOT elevate estrogen levels they antagonize estrogens.
In fact phytoestrogens, such as resveratrol, are frequently recommended for the treatment of cancers including estrogen fed cancers.
There must also be a genetic component to 'man boobs' as well because my dear hubby has them and when I see pix of him and his brother and dad from when he and his brother were teens, they ALL had em!!!
Yes, i agree there is very likely going to be a genetic component. Some "men" will produce more estrogen than others. The reason I quoted "men" is that sex is not really determined by whether a person has a penis or vagina. A person's sex is determined by their chromosomes. A person can male genitalia and female chromosomes making them female. Or they can have female genitalia and male chromosomes making them actually male. So the only way to tell if you are really a male or female is genetic testing.
I am going to laugh like crazy when they start testing DNA for marriage. Many of the people who feel that "same sex" couples should not have the same rights as everyone else are going to find out that they themselves are not legally married under the same laws they pushed for. What goes around comes around!!!
Thanks for the replies guys, certainly plenty to think about. Cheers.