Effect of turmeric/curcumin to block estrogen and hence reduce gynecomastia

Question

If we search the internet, we see plenty of articles

1. https://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/Turmeric.html,
2. https://examine.com/supplements/curcumin/,
3. (Video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZJTk9Re3Qc,
4. (Video testimonial) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNdPeR8tSj0,
5. https://www.fixmanboobs.com.au/the-anti-gynecomastia-powers-of-turmeric/) claiming that the ingredient curcumin in turmeric is an effective estrogen blocker, and hence can be used to reduce gynecomastia (male breasts).

There're also few studies that're more technical in nature and hard for a person who isn't a medical specialist to understand, e.g. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5354546/

So I'd like to know by further existent studies, if turmeric is effective in decreasing estrogen level in male body, and hence reducing male breasts or gynecomastia? Thanks in advance!!

Answer 1

The following comprehensive scientific sources do not even mention any relationship between turmeric/curcumin and gynecomastia:

• Turmeric, Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, komen.org
• Turmeric, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
• Curcumin: A Review of Its’ Effects on Human Health, PubMed, 2017
• Curcumin, Examine.com, 2015
• Google .gov: or .edu: search for turmeric or curcumin + gynecomastia

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The youtube videos and fixmanboobs.com.au site mentioned in the question are not backed up by any references.

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The PubMed article from the question mentions that curcumin can inhibit estrogen receptors and thus decrease estrogen activity but it does not say if this has any health effects.

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In conclusion, there seems to be no scientific evidence to support the claim that turmeric/curcumin helps to reduce gynecomastia.

Answer 2

There seems to be no clear and direct evidence for this.

But a few angles might be worth exploring:

Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations found curcumin to be a stable inhibitor of aromatase (Singh et al 2016).

The prepubertal gynecomastia in males and breast hypertrophy in females are conditions of aromatase excess syndrome (Metwalley and Farghaly 2013).

Aromatase inhibitors are used as therapy for breast cancer, endometriosis, leiomyoma (fibroid tumors), idiopathic short stature, gynecomastia, and male hypogonadism, as they prevent estrogen formation (Le Ray et al 2012; Pavone and Bulun 2012; Singh 2013; Hero 2016; Blakemore and Naftolin 2016; Miller et al 2016).

_{Singh S, Awasthi M, Pandey VP, Dwivedi UN (2016) Plant derived anti-cancerous secondary metabolites as multipronged inhibitor of COX, Topo and aromatase: Molecular modeling and dynamics simulation analyses. J Biomol Struct Dyn 1–65. doi: 10.1080/07391102.2016.1241720}

_{Metwalley KA, Farghaly HS (2013) Aromatase excess syndrome presenting with prepubertal gynecomastia in an Egyptian child with type 1 neurofibromatosis. Indian J Hum Genet 19:472–4. doi: 10.4103/0971-6866.124379}

_{Singh SK (2013) Aromatase inhibitors in male sex. Indian J Endocrinol Metab 17:S259-61. doi: 10.4103/2230-8210.119594}

_{Blakemore J, Naftolin F (2016) Aromatase: Contributions to Physiology and Disease in Women and Men. Physiology (Bethesda) 31:258–69. doi: 10.1152/physiol.00054.2015}

Seema Patel: "Disruption of aromatase homeostasis as the cause of a multiplicity of ailments: A comprehensive review",The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Volume 168, April 2017, Pages 19-25 (DOI http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.1016/j.jsbmb.2017.01.009 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0960076017300092)

This is quite promising, but currently nothing more. Also in light of the multitude (https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gynecomastia/symptoms-causes/syc-20351793) of possible (https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16227-enlarged-male-breast-tissue-gynecomastia) causes for this one diagnosis.