Diet Changes to Reduce Male Breasts and Decrease Estrogen

Gynecomastia, or abnormal male breast tissue growth, can affect men of all ages and is especially common in older men. Roughly 70% of men age 50 and older live with male breast enlargement. While it rarely has serious medical implications, the emotional toll can significantly impact your quality of life.

You may have heard that making changes to your diet can help reduce male breasts and lower estrogen. However, this is a misconception. Surgery to reduce the size of your chest is one of the best options for treating gynecomastia.  

Causes of gynecomastia

To understand why dietary strategies aren’t effective in treating gynecomastia it’s important to understand the cause. Your body produces many hormones, including testosterone -- responsible for male characteristics -- and estrogen, known for female characteristics.

Under normal circumstances, males produce a small amount of estrogen and a much higher amount of testosterone. This keeps things in balance and prevents you from developing female features. If you have gynecomastia, your estrogen and testosterone are imbalanced. Your testosterone is lower, and your estrogen is higher, leading to abnormal growth of breast tissue.

There are no known diets that reduce male breasts and lower estrogen in men with gynecomastia.

Diet and pseudogynecomastia

Both true gynecomastia and pseudogynecomastia cause abnormal breast growth in men. However, the reasons are very different. While a hormonal imbalance causes glandular tissue growth in true gynecomastia, pseudogynecomastia is caused by a buildup of fatty tissue. This can happen when you’re overweight or obese, and most men with pseudogynecomastia are indeed overweight.

In the case of pseudogynecomastia, making changes to your diet to lose weight can help reduce the size of your chest, since excess body fat is at the root of the problem. However, no special diet is necessary. A nutritious diet that is lower in calories and high in nutrients will promote weight loss.

Male breast reduction

Here at Precision Plastic Surgery, Dr. Joseph Ku offers surgical treatment to restore a naturally masculine appearance to your chest. Currently, breast reduction surgery is the most effective treatment for gynecomastia.

What you can expect from male breast reduction surgery

Male breast reduction surgery is a short procedure that doesn’t require an extensive recovery period. In fact, most men find they can return to work within a few days following surgery. Bruising and swelling typically subsides within one to two weeks.

During the procedure, Dr. Ku removes excess glandular tissue and fat to give your chest a flat, masculine appearance. If gynecomastia has caused your chest skin to sag, he may remove some of the excess skin. Scars are virtually invisible so that it isn’t apparent that you’ve had the procedure.

Candidates for male breast reduction

Stop in to see Dr. Ku to find out if you’re a candidate for male breast reduction surgery. The results of male breast reduction surgery are permanent as long as you maintain a healthy weight. Men who are in good health and at a stable, normal weight are generally excellent candidates for surgery.

Male breast reduction surgery can restore the natural appearance of your chest and improve your self-image. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Ku, call our office or use our online booking form.