Enlarged men’s breasts are known by many names including man breasts, man boobs and moobs. But although people often make light of this embarrassing condition, the psychological effects of gynecomastia (the medical term for man breasts) can be devastating. This article will discuss the different non-surgical gynecomastia treatments available and what you can do to reduce the size of your man boobs.
Men with gynecomastia often have very low self esteem and can develop a deep sense of shame about their bodies. Many will avoid taking their shirt off in public, dress in baggy clothes or slouch in an effort to hide their man breasts. Most men with this condition believe that the only way to cure gynecomastia is with expensive and potentially dangerous surgery. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
The reality is that in 9 out of 10 cases you can get rid of your man breasts through diet and exercise. The reason for this is that there are actually two different types of gynecomastia. The most common form is known as pseudo-gynecomastia and is caused by excess chest fat rather than excess breast tissue.
This form of gynecomastia is usually triggered by a poor diet and lack of exercise. This leads to a hormone imbalance between the ratio of testosterone and estrogen in your body. A build up of estrogen is thought to be the main cause of excess chest fat and feminine looking breasts in men. By increasing the amount of the male growth hormone testosterone in your body, you will lessen the effects of estrogen and thus reduce the symptoms of gynecomastia.
One of the best ways to increase the amount of testosterone in your body is through weight lifting. Doing compound exercises that work a large amount of the body’s musculature have been proven to raise testosterone far more than isolation exercises, which only work one or two muscle groups. Compare for example a dead lift or squat with a bicep curl. The dead lift and squat work several different muscle groups such as the back, stomach, chest and legs. Whereas a bicep curl only works the arms and will burn far less calories and produce far less testosterone.
Your diet also has a big effect on the amount of testosterone your body produces. Eating peanut butter and avocados may not sound like the way to reduce your man breasts, but foods high in natural saturated fats have been shown to increase the amount of testosterone. You should aim to eat a combination of lean meat such as free range chicken or steak for protein, green vegetables for fibre and drink 6-8 glasses of water per day to help flush your system. Cutting down on the amount of processed fats and sugar you eat will also help to restore the balance of hormones in your body and get rid of your man breasts.