Do lavender and tea tree essential oils cause gynecomastia?...Of all the questions I get about essential oils, this question is in the top five.



As a (grand)parent, I understand the fear of doing something to hurt your child. That's why sensationalized headlines, like "More evidence essential oils 'make male breasts develop'," get so much attention. Unfortunately, few people read the whole article, and instead read just the headline, and pass it along to friends.





After a couple of decades in health and fitness, I've observed very consistent patterns.



Possible side effects of natural products consistently get blown out of proportion, and their health benefits are often ignored. On the other hand, the health benefits of pharmaceuticals get hyped up while the side effects are often overlooked.



This is not an anti-pharma article. In fact, I believe there's a lot of good reasons to rely on conventional medicine. There's also plenty of value in alternative or natural health products. Unfortunately, most people believe you have to be on one side or the other. Not me...



To be 100% transparent, my wife and I are independent distributors for Young Living. If you don’t know me, you might assume that discredits what I’m going to write below. Those who do know me, know that I’ve built a career around helping people achieve optimal health with nutrition, exercise, supplementation, lifestyle choices, and yes, even essential oils.



My goal isn’t to convince you that essential oils are safe. It’s to encourage you to think for yourself, and come to your own conclusion. I'll share some stuff to think about, and of course, weigh in with my own opinions. As a health-minded consumer, your health is 100% your responsibility. Be smart about who you listen to, and avoid getting caught up in sensationalized headlines.



What is Gynecomastia?



Gynecomastia is the development of breast tissue in males. As you know...boys have pecs, and girls have breasts.



At least that's the case when things are normal. Sometimes, our metabolisms become dysfunctional, and men grow boobs, too.



Adult men can develop moobs ("man boobs") when they have low testosterone. They can also develop gyno when their testosterone gets excessively high, or when they have a relatively quick increase in testosterone levels.



A significant rise in testosterone causes some to aromatize, or convert testosterone to estrogen.



Elevated estrogen stimulates the growth of breast tissue in men. A drop in testosterone, which decreases his ratio of testosterone to estrogen, can also cause gynecomastia.



Adolescent boys going through puberty experience similar surges in testosterone as those who take exogenous testosterone.



In fact, about 60% of boys experience gynecomastia for short periods during puberty. That's normal. For about 10%, it persists.



Obesity, diet, and certain medications can increase estrogen levels and cause breast development as well. Obesity-related breast growth is called pseudogynecomastia. It is an enlargement of breast tissue due to excessive body fat gain, although fat cells are obesogenic and can further accelerate the growth of breasts in obese men.



Endocrine disruptors can cause gynecomastia as well. They are compounds that, as the name suggests, disrupt endocrine function. They influence the balance of sex hormones, thyroid, and other hormones.



Many endocrine disruptors are synthetic compounds found in food packaging, plastics, and personal care products.



Gynecomastia vs Prepubescent Gynecomastia



From toddler to teen, hormone levels say pretty steady. Gynecomastia is less common among preadolescents, but it isn't rare.



The four main contributors are genetics, disease, diet, and endocrine disruptors.



The rise of childhood obesity is a likely contributor to gyno in young boys as well.



You might not know it, but some foods are higher in estrogens, including dried fruit, peas, beans, soybean, chickpeas,