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testes or that affect plasma gonadotrophin or sex their development signified estrogenization, lowered testosterone levels
hormone concentrations. and overall hormonal imbalance.
Soy industry spokespeople tend to downplay Can gynecomastia be reversed naturally? It depends, but cleaning up
side effects from estrogenization and testoster- the environment and the diet to remove environmental and phytoestrogens
one-lowering by claiming phytoestrogen con- are critical first steps. Many clinicians such as Kim Schuette of Biodynamic
sumption to be protective against prostate cancer Wellness in Solana Beach, California, report reversals (as described below)
and atherosclerosis. Although the possibility that just from eliminating soy milk and soy foods from the diet.
soy foods or supplements could prevent these That’s the good news, but sadly not all boys will be so fortunate. In
deadly conditions makes headlines, few men hear addition to the obvious factors of dose and duration, a key issue is tim-
that the downside is demasculinization, which in ing. The “windows of vulnerability” for phytoestrogen exposure is wide,
some men manifests as gynecomastia. and goes from conception to adulthood. High risk windows are in utero,
Although many studies link soy consump- infancy, shortly before puberty, and during puberty. That said, men remain
tion to masculinization, few have looked at at some risk for “moobs” throughout their lives and so would do well to
“moobs.” A study for the National Cancer take it easy on the soy.
Institute completed at the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill, however, reported that For further discussion and full references, visit Dr. Kaayla’s “Recovering
soy-eating men experienced “nipple discharge, from Modern Diets” blog at westonaprice.com.
breast enlargement and slight decreases in tes-
tosterone.” Although the researchers concluded Dr. Kaayla Daniel is The Naughty Nutritionist® because she outrageously
these side effects were inconsequential and few and humorously debunks nutritional myths, including the myth that soy is
men would see visible “testicle shrinkage” or a health food. She is the author of The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of
“massive breast enlargement,” the bottom line America’s Favorite Health Food and co-author with Sally Fallon Morell of
is the subjects of the study showed feminiza- the bestselling book Nourishing Broth: An Old Fashioned Remedy for the
tion from high soy phytoestrogen consumption. Modern World. Visit Dr. Daniel’s website drkaayladaniel.com to subscribe
Whether their “moobs” came in large or small, to her newsletter The Naughty Edge and to receive free special reports.

EPIDEMIC OF GYNECOMASTIA

The number of boys and men challenged with gynecomastia (aka “man boobs”) is on the rise. It is thought that one
reason for the increase in gynecomastia is the use of certain antipsychotic medications. This week I came across an article
regarding the prescription drug Risperdal. Risperdal is an antipsychotic drug commonly used for schizophrenia. It is also
being prescribed for bipolar disorder, autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, sleep disorders
and anxiety. As a prolactin-raising drug (which has a dopamine-blocking action) it can considerably increase levels of the
pituitary hormone prolactin. One of its side effects is excessive breast development in men and in some cases galactorrhea
(abnormal lactation).
Dopamine-blocking medications along with the pervasive use of soy isolates in commercial foods are creating a near
epidemic in America of gynecomastia among boys and men. A few years ago I worked with a mother of two boys, ages
twelve and fourteen, suffering with gynecomastia. Before using any iodine or other remedies to address the probable hor-
monal imbalance in both boys, I asked their mother to remove all soy from the diet. As she began to read labels she was
shocked to learn how much soy her sons were consuming daily. Close to 75 percent of all processed foods in this country
contain some form of soy protein.
Within two weeks both boys’ breasts had returned to normal sizes. We have seen similar positive results in those strug-
gling with ADHD, anxiety and bipolar disorder when the GAPS Diet was implemented. Wouldn’t it be great if all products
containing soy were required to have a warning label stating that soy can alter hormones in girls, women, boys and men?
And wouldn’t it be in the best interest of those struggling with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and anxiety to be
introduced first to the healing principles of the GAPS Diet prior to being prescribed strong medications with a multitude of
side effects? It is critical that the information so well taught by the WAPF spread to the general public.
The same boys with the man boobs had an older sister who had decided to become vegetarian. The parents observed
that almost overnight her bust size doubled. They brought her into my office in order for us to talk her off the vegetarian
cliff. One month after removing tofu, soy bars and soy milk from her diet and adding wild fish, raw cheese and eggs her
cup size went from an E to a C.

Kim Schuette, CN, Biodynamic Wellness, San Diego, California
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