IPA Beer Lovers Beware: Hoppy Brews Linked to Man Boobs

Choose your beer wisely if you want to keep man boobs at bay.

A new book is reporting that men who drink hoppy beers are more likely to develop man boobs than men who do not. In his book, titled "Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers," author and acclaimed herbalist Stephen Harrod Buhner examined the effects of drinking hoppy beers.

Buhner explained that since hops contain high levels of phytoestrogen, which is a plant estrogen, men who drink a lot of hoppy beers, such as India Pale Ales, are more likely to develop man boobs.

Buhner concluded that too drinking too many hoppy beers can also lead to premature aging, sluggishness, tooth decay, hair loss and development of a beer belly. He added that "long-term exposure to the estrogenic properties of hops" could lead to "difficulty sustaining an erection" as well.

In the book, Buhner also mentioned the medicinal properties of hops. He stated that hops have can be used to treat insomnia, endometriosis and menopausal pain.

These findings could be alarming for a lot of American men. According to the market research firm, IRI, sales of IPAs (India Pale Ale), which is a type of hoppy beer, increased by 50 percent last year. IPAs also accounted for roughly 25 percent of all craft beer sales.

Men might want to consider a beer with fewer hops in it.