Men, Women Have Different Nutrition Needs

Men and women have some different considerations when it comes to optimal nutrition, advises a U.S. newsletter.

Monounsaturated fats such as olive oil or omega-3 fatty acids found in fish are healthful for both men and women. But a vegetable-based omega-3, alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA, found in canola and flaxseed oils, may be a problem for men, according to the September issue of Harvard Men’s Health Watch.

ALA is good for the heart, but some studies suggest it may increase the risk of prostate cancer. For men with heart risks, ALA may be a good choice, but men with more reason to worry about prostate cancer should get their omega-3s from fish and their vegetable fats from olive oil.

In both men and women, low alcohol intake appears to reduce the risk of heart attacks and certain strokes, 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, the newsletter says.

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