Can Hoppy Beer give you ‘Man Boobs’?

Can Hoppy Beer give you ‘Man Boobs’?

We’ve all heard of the infamous ‘beer belly’ or ‘Molson muscle’, where your beer intake inhibits your ability to see your toes. It hasn’t discouraged men to cut back on the booze, but recent online news might change that.

What if hoppy beer increased estrogen levels, resulting in ‘man boobs’? That’s what author Stephen Buhner suggests in his book, Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers; hops found in your favourite beers could potentially lead to unwanted breasts. Though it was originally published in 1998, it’s started to gain steam on the web recently.

Hops have high levels of phytoestrogen, or estrogen for plants. They were historically used to help with menopause and endometriosis among women, as well as reduce sexual desire in monks…but it’s difficult to prove if it actually worked.

Are Buhner’s claims backed by science? There’s no doubt beer contains phytoestrogen, but how much would you need to drink to grow man boobs? Probably more than you’d be able to before passing out.

Phytoestrogen is found in lots of common natural foods and vegetables, and they’ll never be accused of making your body any worse than it already is. So if you’re getting a little ‘top end’ heavy from your drinking, blame the calories, or start exercising.

Photo credit: Kirill Z/Shutterstock

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