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As you may have noticed, we don’t habitually comment on celebrities and their plastic surgery as other bloggers do.  However, it seems perfectly appropriate when an opportunity to educate our readers presents itself.

In a November 1st interview with STV, Jeremy Piven commented briefly that he stopped drinking soy milk because he was afraid it might cause breast growth.  While talk show hosts and celebrity bloggers seem to think this is funny, they probably don’t know that 1) Piven might be right about soy milk and 2) for many men out there, male breasts are a major source of anxiety.

The purpose of this post is to direct readers to one article in an academic journal that may just validate his concern about soy milk.  Note that the article documents a single case – not a widespread scientific study. It should not be interpreted as conclusive.

This article in the May-June 2008 issue of Endocrine Practice documented an “unusual case of gynecomastia related to the consumption of soy products.”  According to the authors, a 60 year old male came in with 6 months duration of bilateral gynecomastia (male breasts) and no underlying conditions.  Because physical evaluations didn’t reveal a cause, they interviewed the man more thoroughly.

The patient “described a daily intake of 3 quarts of soy milk. After he discontinued drinking soy milk, his breast tenderness resolved.”

Gynecomastia is a hormonal and physical problem that may be caused by several different lifestyle factors.  Men who experience the condition should see a doctor to help resolve the underlying causes when possible.  If breast tissue persists after the cause is resolved, male breast reduction surgery is an option.