How does gender affect nutritional health? (2024)

• Differences
  • Do the sexes differ in their calorie needs?
• Need
  • Gender and basic nutritional needs
• Micronutrients
  • Gender and micronutrients
• Reproduction
  • Micronutrients and female reproductive cycles
• Choice
  • Does food choice differ by gender?
• Decisions
  • Are women healthier?
• Comments
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Because men's hormones are more stable, researchers build studies around them. More studies are needed on nutritional health by gender.

Do the sexes differ in their calorie needs?

Your calorie needs vary depending on your gender. A man needs more calories than a woman, even though they are the same size and weight. Men have and can have greater muscle massburnup to 400 calories per day more than women their size. Because most men are larger and heavier than women, their calorie needs increase even more.

Gender and basic nutritional needs

Food contains macronutrients and micronutrients. The macronutrients are proteins, fats and carbohydrates. For the best health, you must consume macronutrients in the right proportions. These conditions do not vary by gender. Adult men and women should be given the following:

• 10 to 35% of their calories from protein
• 45 to 65% from carbohydrates
• 20 to 35% from fats

Of course, nutritional needs may vary within gender. Factors that influence these needs include:

• Genetic makeup
• Body composition
• Hormones
• Chronic illness
• Taken medication

Such factors can influence an individual's needs for both macronutrients and micronutrients.

Gender and micronutrients

Micronutrients arevitaminsInmineralswhich are needed in very small quantities for good health. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has established daily dietary goals for micronutrients. Because men must consume more calories than women to meet their basal needs, some of their micronutrient needs are higher. They need more:

• Magnesium
• Potassium
• Zink
• Vitamine A
• C-vitamin
• Thiamine
• Riboflavin
• Niacin
• Choline
• Vitamin K
• Vitamine B-6(after 70 years)

Some daily nutrition goals are the same for men and women, including their needs for:

• Phosphorus
• Sodium
• Vitamins E
• D-vitamin
• Vitamine b12
• Folic acid

Micronutrients and female reproductive cycles

Sometimes women need more micronutrients because of their reproductive function. Women need more:

• Iron.Women need more than twice as much iron as men during their reproductive years. After the age of 50, their iron requirements are the same as those of men.
• Calcium.Women's daily dietary goals for calcium increase at age 51. They need a higher calcium intake to keep their bones healthy aftermenopause. Men's needs increase later, at age 71.

Daily nutritional goals for some micronutrients are different for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. They need more folic acid,Jewand choline. Pregnant women also need extra iron.

Medical experts recommend that women of childbearing potential get onefolic acidaddition, even if they don't plan onepregnancy. Folic acid is the synthetic form of folic acid. Adequate folic acid is necessary to prevent a type of birth defect called a neural tube defect. Women need enough folic acid in the month before they become pregnant and in the first trimesterof pregnancy.

Does food choice differ by gender?

Research shows that men and women differ in their food preferences, which can impact their diets.

Food choice.A study of young adults found that women ate more whole grains and cereals and more cooked vegetables. They ate fewer eggs and less meat and processed meat.

Meat consumption.Another study found that men ate more meat than women and viewed meat more positively. These findings support previous studies showing that many cultures associate meat with masculinity. Statistics also show that women are more likely than men to be vegan or vegetarian.

Plant-based diet.A Yale study found that women were more open than men to a plant-based dietcosts. A meat-free diet has health benefits, but women were also open to eating plants to improve the environment and protect animals.

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Are women healthier?

Other studies show that women know more about nutrition and often eat healthier.

Healthy habits.Researchers surveyed young adults in 23 countries and found that women were more likely to engage in four types of healthy eating behaviors. Women were more likely than men to:

• Avoid foods with a high fat content
• Eat fruits
• Addfiber-rich foods
• Limit salt

Avoidance of food. A Swedish study found that women can avoid foods they consider unhealthy. Women in the study reduced their use of:

• Gluten
• Red meat
• White flower
• Preservatives
• Fruit color

Researchers in the Swedish study found that women were more likely to do sobeing on a dietthan men, which could explain some food choices. Making healthy choices explained more of the women's decisions than dietingdeed.

American Council on Exercise: “Do Men and Women Have Different Nutritional Needs?”, “How to Determine the Best Macronutrient Ratio for Your Goals.”

Annals of Behavioral Medicine: “Gender Differences in Food Choice: The Contribution of Health Beliefs and Diet.”

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “Fast Food Consumption among U.S. Adults, 2013-2016.”

Frontiers in Psychology: “Of Meat and Men: Gender Differences in Implicit and Explicit Attitudes Towards Meat.”

Help guide: "Healthy food and nutritional advice for women."

Journal of Nutrition: “Gender Differences Across the Life Course: A Focus on Unique Nutritional and Health Considerations in Women.”

Nutrition and Food Sciences: “Gender Differences in Tastes and Eating Habits.”

Nutrition Journal: “Gender differences in perceived food health and food avoidance in a Swedish population survey: a cross-sectional study.”

U.S. Department of Agriculture: “Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.”

Yale Program on Climate Change Communications: “Examining Gender Differences in the American Diet.”