O/T Is Peppermint / Spearmint Giving Me Gynecomastia (Man Boobs)?

Hi,

About a year ago, I started drinking 2 cups of Peppermint or Spearmint tea daily. After a few months, I am pretty sure I noticed that my boobs had grown. Since I ran out of tea, I stopped consuming the mint and things returned to normal. Four months ago, I started using a natrual, Peppermint/Spearmint body wash from Avalon. I also added around 3ml of Spearmint essential oil to my body wash and I use this 3 times per week. My sister has told me that I am growing boobs and I have to agree with her to some extent.

Is it possible for the mint to cause this? I am also taking Fo-Ti supplement as well as several other supplements for general health. What is the cause of this Gynecomastia? I am overweight by a few stone so I do have larger than average man boobs but I'm sure they have grown to an abnormal size.

Thanks!

Yes, peppermint as an essential oil is perhaps the most estrogenic of all. Fo ti is far more estrogenic than soy. So if you are prone to gyno and concerned about man boobs, you want to stay far away from both.

Gibson wrote:Yes, peppermint as an essential oil is perhaps the most estrogenic of all. Fo ti is far more estrogenic than soy. So if you are prone to gyno and concerned about man boobs, you want to stay far away from both.

I take Fo Ti for my hair, to see if it can help with MPB, so far, I cannot say that it helps with hair and I have been taking it for many months now. I use Peppermint/Spearmint to lessen body hair which is does to a small extent. If I stop one or both of these products, will things go back to normal or am I stuck with these man boobs? Is there anything I can take to reverse this? Perhaps Zinc?

I second Gibson - This stuff kills testosterone.

CausticSymmetry wrote:I second Gibson - This stuff kills testosterone.

This is not good then. What do you suggest I do to increase my testosterone? Hopefully you can suggest something I already have so I can start using it right away. My sister also says my eyelashes have grown and my body is more curvy like a womans... Again, if I stop these 2 products, will things return to normal?

You might research turmeric's effect on gynecomastia. From what I have read, it appears to help.

so bronners peppermint and lavender soaps variety not a good idea for body wash , other types like Citrus Orange , Hemp Rose , Tea Tree , Almond is ?

AboDi wrote:so bronners peppermint and lavender soaps variety not a good idea for body wash , other types like Citrus Orange , Hemp Rose , Tea Tree , Almond is ?

Almond would be safe. Pretty sure citrus orange is ok, as well. The peppermint soap is only problematic if you have a pre-existing issue, or are prone to estro dominance--lot of factors could lead to such.

goten574 wrote:

CausticSymmetry wrote:I second Gibson - This stuff kills testosterone.

This is not good then. What do you suggest I do to increase my testosterone? Hopefully you can suggest something I already have so I can start using it right away. My sister also says my eyelashes have grown and my body is more curvy like a womans... Again, if I stop these 2 products, will things return to normal?

I think in your case you will have to be more proactive than just dropping fo ti and peppermint to reverse the estro effects. If you had caught it early, you probably would have been fine. The thing is once the switch is fully flipped, the body learns, so to speak, and is more apt to repond to estro stimulus.

Gibson wrote:

goten574 wrote:

CausticSymmetry wrote:I second Gibson - This stuff kills testosterone.

This is not good then. What do you suggest I do to increase my testosterone? Hopefully you can suggest something I already have so I can start using it right away. My sister also says my eyelashes have grown and my body is more curvy like a womans... Again, if I stop these 2 products, will things return to normal?

I think in your case you will have to be more proactive than just dropping fo ti and peppermint to reverse the estro effects. If you had caught it early, you probably would have been fine. The thing is once the switch is fully flipped, the body learns, so to speak, and is more apt to repond to estro stimulus.

What do you suggest then? Turmeric? is any of this mess helpful to my hair?

I have read that a very high dosage of turmeric can be effective. But that much turmeric will probably have a negative effect on your hair, in my opinion.

The Natural wrote:I have read that a very high dosage of turmeric can be effective. But that much turmeric will probably have a negative effect on your hair, in my opinion.

I started taking Milk Thistle (sylmarin) for the last 3 weeks, could this be the cause?! I heard that some woman take Sylmarin for breast enlargement. Yes, I take Spearmint/Peppermint for a body wash and yes I have been taking Fo-Ti for many months now but Milk Thistle is a recent addition so it seems odd that since I started this Milk Thistle, that I started noticing this. I've also started taking Silica around 2 weeks ago but I doubt this could cause it.

I may try small - medium doses of turmeric just for the sake of it but my Milk Thistle supplement has 700mg of Turmeric in it. I will stop Fo-Ti, Milk Thistle and my body wash and see what happens. I really hope things will reverse but I am not confident they will. Will resveratrol help?

Milk thistle is slightly estrogenic, but its profound effect on liver health, which helps rid he body of estrogen, negates any negative IMO. I've never heard of anyone getting gyno from milk thistle. But the main thing to keep in mind is that estrogen has a cumulative effect so, while the likely culprit is fo ti, with peppermint playing a close second, any estrogen will contribute. That said, you can take a break from milk thistle and return to it when your endocrine system is balanced again.

Turmeric won't reverse gyno. Standardized curcumin will help. the best for that end is BCM 95, but many, myself included, have reported a negative impact on hair from it. Anything that spikes androgens will be anti gyno and might hurt your hair.

You can try:
EGCG
Biotivia's Bio Forge Supps
Calcium D-Glucarate
Curcumin
Progesterone Cream
Now Brand nettle Root Extract
etc.

Cut all essential oils, watch out for grapefruit seed extract, used as a "natural" preservative and avoid essential oils--most are estrogenic, a couple aren't but that's a secret.

Gibson wrote:Milk thistle is slightly estrogenic, but its profound effect on liver health, which helps rid he body of estrogen, negates any negative IMO. I've never heard of anyone getting gyno from milk thistle. But the main thing to keep in mind is that estrogen has a cumulative effect so, while the likely culprit is fo ti, with peppermint playing a close second, any estrogen will contribute. That said, you can take a break from milk thistle and return to it when your endocrine system is balanced again.

Turmeric won't reverse gyno. Standardized curcumin will help. the best for that end is BCM 95, but many, myself included, have reported a negative impact on hair from it. Anything that spikes androgens will be anti gyno and might hurt your hair.

You can try:
EGCG
Biotivia's Bio Forge Supps
Calcium D-Glucarate
Curcumin
Progesterone Cream
Now Brand nettle Root Extract
etc.

Cut all essential oils, watch out for grapefruit seed extract, used as a "natural" preservative and avoid essential oils--most are estrogenic, a couple aren't but that's a secret.

For Curcumin, will the IH Antioxidant Boost help? I could order some of this tonight if that is suitable. I have Cedarwood and Tea Tree oil in my shampoo but I've been using this for so long that I don't think stopping this will make a difference.

goten574 - Probably the best way to deal with Gyno is to try DHT cream applied to the affected area, (Andractim)

If you buy Curcumin, would recommend you use Meriva, which is phytosome version and it will last up to 10-hours, without the negative effects on hair (as far as I can tell).

http://tinyurl.com/4l33aya

What it will do is reduce the effects of the potent estrogen, estradiol on the receptor sites.

Milk Thistle is not a problem at all, this is only a very weak estrogen, and like Gibson stated, helps remove
more potent estrogen.

Would recommend Selenium and iodine (iodine is an estrogen inhibitor).

If you decide not to use DHT cream, then apply iodine topically to the area.

Adding to what CS said, Cedarwood is totally safe and great for hair. Antioxidant boost looks solid and should help. I'm a big fan of resveratrol in general. you may want to pick up some calcium d-glucarate as well. And of course you should also work out and endeavor to cut body fat, as estrogen basically lives in fat.

CausticSymmetry wrote:goten574 - Probably the best way to deal with Gyno is to try DHT cream applied to the affected area, (Andractim)

If you buy Curcumin, would recommend you use Meriva, which is phytosome version and it will last up to 10-hours, without the negative effects on hair (as far as I can tell).

http://tinyurl.com/4l33aya

What it will do is reduce the effects of the potent estrogen, estradiol on the receptor sites.

Milk Thistle is not a problem at all, this is only a very weak estrogen, and like Gibson stated, helps remove
more potent estrogen.

Would recommend Selenium and iodine (iodine is an estrogen inhibitor).

If you decide not to use DHT cream, then apply iodine topically to the area.

Ok, I will keep taking the Milk Thistle. So Meriva is superior to your own brand? I already take Selenium and Lugol's but how do I apply Lugol's to the effected area? wouldn't that stain my skin and how much do I use? Andractim looks interesting but wouldn't it cause more scalp hair loss? I do not know where to buy it (I am in the UK) can anyone help?

Gibson wrote:Adding to what CS said, Cedarwood is totally safe and great for hair. Antioxidant boost looks solid and should help. I'm a big fan of resveratrol in general. you may want to pick up some calcium d-glucarate as well. And of course you should also work out and endeavor to cut body fat, as estrogen basically lives in fat.

I will research calcium d-glucarate. CS said Meriva would be better than his own brand of Curcumin so I will probably buy that. Any tips on losing body fat? I have an exercise bike behind me, would that help much in terms of fat reduction?

I think that a whole root turmeric extract (e.g. Paradise Herbs) would help, and not adversely affect your hair. But I also agree with IH here. Meriva is a good choice.

I have taken Fo Ti for years, without any negative side effects (e.g. gynecomstia). But given its botanical make-up, who knows. I do think that such cases are quite rare though. So I would pay attention to your recent additions (e.g peppermint), and discontinue these, until this condition of yours subsides.

The Natural wrote:I think that a whole root turmeric extract (e.g. Paradise Herbs) would help, and not adversely affect your hair. But I also agree with IH here. Meriva is a good choice.

I have taken Fo Ti for years, without any negative side effects (e.g. gynecomstia). But given its botanical make-up, who knows. I do think that such cases are quite rare though. So I would pay attention to your recent additions (e.g peppermint), and discontinue these, until this condition of yours subsides.

Has Fo Ti helped your hair in any way? Peppermint is not a recent addition, neither is Fo Ti, I have been using both for half a year. Milk Thistle and Silica are a recent additon, so is Nizoral (2 months ago) but I only use this shampoo once a week. I will look at the cost of the Antioxidant Boost and Meriva and see what is cheaper.

From my experience, I don't think fo ti will do anything beyond thicken and strengthen your existing hair. I actually take it for knee pain, as I jog about four times a week, and found it (fo ti) to be excellent.

I still need answers to these questions if possible please guys:

I already take Selenium and Lugol's but how do I apply Lugol's to the effected area? wouldn't that stain my skin and how much do I use? Andractim looks interesting but wouldn't it cause more scalp hair loss? I do not know where to buy it (I am in the UK) can anyone help?

Whenever I really tip the scales in that direction, I usually take Nettle Root. As long as you are using someithing else in your regimen that limits DHT to a small extent, it will work synergistically. I have also found Ashwaghanda to tighten things up quickly as well. Finally, maybe add some Coconut Oil to your cooking(or take the capsules)and exercise(swimming and pushups being the best) and you should recover pretty quick.

DM5 wrote:Whenever I really tip the scales in that direction, I usually take Nettle Root. As long as you are using someithing else in your regimen that limits DHT to a small extent, it will work synergistically. I have also found Ashwaghanda to tighten things up quickly as well. Finally, maybe add some Coconut Oil to your cooking(or take the capsules)and exercise(swimming and pushups being the best) and you should recover pretty quick.

Do you have any idea how to apply lugol's solution topically? It's something I can try right now if I knew how as I am worried about staining or using too much.

You recommend I consume Nettle Root as a mild DHT blocker? Does it have any side effects you've noticed? What sort of dosage? I use Coconut Oil for my face, would this help at all synergistically?

http://www.phoenix5.org/Basics/treatsides/gyneTurmeric.html

The Natural wrote:http://www.phoenix5.org/Basics/treatsides/gyneTurmeric.html

Thanks for the great link! Andractim is far too expensive for me but I will buy it as a last resort. I really want to try out topical iodine on my chest but do not know how to do this, again, can anyone help me out in this case?

I think I'm going to go ahead and buy the Antioxidant boost and NOW foods Nettle Root.

About Calcium d-glucarate, which out of these two should I buy? and will a months supply be suitable? Will Calcium d-glucarate affect my hair?

http://www.iherb.com/Life-Extension-Calcium-D-Glucarate-200-mg-60-Capsules/3938?at=0

http://www.iherb.com/Natrol-Calcium-D-Glucarate-60-Tablets/2281?at=0