What to eat to avoid man boobs

It's not just women who go through the menopause. Some men in their late 40s to early 50s experience the andropause or "male menopause" and are unlucky enough to develop man boobs as a result.

(In case you're worried, other symptoms include hot flushes, mood swings, loss of muscle mass, lack of energy, increased sweating, poor concentration and irritability.)

What to eat to avoid man boobs
"If you don't want to go bra shopping with your wife, you might want to concentrate on foods that are rich in zinc," says dietician Dave Grotto. "Zinc helps to raise testosterone levels and improves mental, physical and sexual performance for guys."

According to David, animal protein is the best source of zinc, such as oysters, beef, lobster, crab and chicken. And because guys don't eat perfectly every day, he also recommends taking a men's formula multi-vitamin that's rich in zinc.

At the same time, it's a good idea to eat foods that will help reduce your oestrogen levels – such as berries, grapes, melons, pineapples, broccoli, cabbage and green beans.

What causes man boobs?
There are a variety of things which can cause man boobs (or gynaecomastia to give the condition its proper name) but hormone imbalance is often to blame. All men produce some of the female sex hormone oestrogen but most have much higher levels of testosterone, which stops the oestrogen from causing breast tissue to grow.

Unlike women, men don't experience a sudden drop in their hormone levels in middle age. Although testosterone levels fall as men age, the decline is steady – less than 2% a year from around the age of 30-40 – and for most men, doesn't in itself cause a problem.

Obesity makes it worse
The more body fat you have, the more oestrogen your body produces – which causes breast tissue to grow. Doing lots of press-up or chest presses alone won't solve the problem. To burn fat you need to do regular cardiovascular exercise, such as interval training, mixed with weight training to improve definition. Building up your back muscles will improve your posture, while simply standing up straight can make a surprising difference to the appearance of your chest.

Less common causes
Gynaecomastia can also be caused by side effects from medication, such as anti-ulcer drugs or medication for heart disease, street drugs, such as cannabis or anabolic steroids, excessive alcohol consumption, Klinefelter's syndrome, lumps or infection in the testicles, or a more serious health problem, such as liver disease or kidney failure. Gynaecomastia is not related to breast cancer but if you are worried about breast swelling, or the area is very painful or there is a definite lump, see your GP.

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