August 2006

Nutritional needs differ between the sexes

When it comes to optimal nutrition, men and women have different considerations. The distinctions are subtle, but they may affect a man’s health, reports the September issue of Harvard Men’s Health Watch.

Monounsaturated fats are healthful for both men and women, but a vegetable-based omega-3 called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), found in canola and flaxseed oils, may be a problem for men.

Low alcohol intake appears to reduce the risk of heart attacks and certain strokes in both men and women. But while drinking responsibly doesn’t seem to cause any health problems for average men, even low doses of alcohol may increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer.

A high-calcium diet may protect women against osteoporosis. There’s far less evidence that dietary calcium has the same benefit for men; in fact, large amounts may increase their risk of prostate cancer.

Men need less iron than women and should avoid excess iron. In the presence of an abnormal gene, it can lead to harmful deposits in various organs.

Source: Harvard Men’s Health Watch, www.health.harvard.edu/men

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