Beijing, July 17 (IANS): A 26-year-old Chinese man reportedly grew breasts because of the hormones in his fried chicken meals, his doctors said.

Li, who loved to eat fried chicken wings and drumsticks, went for an advice after his chest began to get larger and larger, People's Daily Online reported.

Doctors told him that the hormones in the chicken were the reason behind his growing breasts and advised him to eat more vegetables and fruits, the report said.

Gynecomastia (enlarged breasts in men) is a common disorder symptomised by enlargement of breast tissue in males. The disorder is caused when an imbalance of oestrogen and testosterone occurs in male body.

Many poultry products such as eggs and chickens these days are loaded with hormones, which can cause breast enlargement in men as well as women.

These growth hormones facilitate cell division, which can cause not only enlargement but the development of cancer as well.

Some chicken and other meat products have been found to contain growth hormones.