Smoking marijuana can give men 'man boobs', an American plastic surgeon claims

New study claims smoking marijuana can give men ‘man boobs’.

Dr Anthony Youn, from YOUN Plastic Surgery, in Detroit, says cannabis could lower testosterone levels in men, leading to the development of excess breast tissue.

He says ‘man boobs’ are caused by an imbalance in the body’s levels of testosterone and oestrogen.

Dr Youn who writes for CNN,  explained that when the balance is in favour of oestrogen, instead of testosterone, extra breast tissue is created - and that cannabis can help tip the balance.

Dr Youn says ‘moobs’ – technically known as gynaecomastia – affect about 33 to 41 per cent of men aged 25 to 44.

He says the condition also affects as many as 60 per cent of teenage boys and 55 to 60 per cent of over-50s.

Most cases of ‘moobs’ resolve themselves within a couple of years but the removal of extra breast tissue is now the fifth most common plastic surgery choice for men in the U.S.

Dr Youn says that in animals, marijuana results in falling testosterone levels, shrinking testicles and abnormalities in sperm.

The effects of cannabis on testosterone in humans are not as clear, he says.

However, levels of the hormone in men who use marijuana a lot have been found to be lower than in men who do not use it.

For CNN, Dr Youn wrote: ‘So can smoking pot really give you man boobs?

‘Probably. Although the association between marijuana and gynaecomastia hasn't been conclusively proven, it appears very plausible. 

‘For this reason, the majority of plastic surgeons I've consulted with routinely inquire with their gynaecomastia patients about cannabis use and recommend they stop smoking pot immediately.’

Dr Youn added that men who smoke marijuana and have ‘moobs’ should probably put out their joints.

Source: Dailymail UK