What is gynecomastia and what are the causes?

Gynecomastia is the term used to describe atypical breast enlargement in men, usually caused by a hormonal imbalance. Male breast tissues begins to swell in response to increased estrogen levels and/or diminished testosterone. The condition generally occurs in a man's life when he is most hormonal: as a newborn, during puberty and finally in late adulthood. Following birth, men are left with residual estrogens still present in their bodies, left over from their pregnant mothers. When a man reaches his teenage years, the condition takes place because the body's interplay of hormones is drastically changing and continues to progress until early adulthood. In older men, the condition occurs due to hormonal imbalance brought on by aging.

What does drinking soy milk have to do with man boobs?

According to a recent article published by the Huffington Post, Emmy-award-winning actor Jeremy Piven started to develop "breasts" as a result of drinking too much soy milk. "I was the guy that dabbled in soy milk, but now I've found out soy milk has enough estrogen for me to grow breasts," shared Piven. It turns out that soy milk, like all soy products, contains estrogen-like compounds called phytoestrogens, which promote abnormal breast growth in men. Jeremy Piven's case of gynecomastia was a result of drinking too much soy milk - don't be confused; soy milk is very healthy, when consumed in moderation.

What you can do about it!

Well for starters, when it comes to soy or anything for that matter, always remember: keep everything in moderation! Aside from diet, the cause is more than likely hormonal and this means that hormone testing is necessary to determine if indeed a hormonal imbalance is present. If a hormonal balance is to blame, doctors recommend seeing a physician who specializes in hormone replacement therapy. BodyLogicMD, the nations largest network of highly trained physicians specializing in integrative and wellness medicine offer all-natural, effective methods of correcting hormonal imbalances and providing symptom relief. Using biodientical hormones, BodyLogicMD physicians replace the hormones that your body should be producing naturally, in order to restore a sense of homeostasis.

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