Differences in Gender and Optimum Nutrition page

[wiltondeportes]

Has there been any research done on this topic? Or does anybody have any theories?

I was just doing some interesting reading on evolutionary causes for differences in the sexes. My stomach got me thinking about food, and then I made the connection. I wonder if women are prone to maybe a slightly different diet than a man?

I can only speak for my own family and friends when it comes to actual evidence. The trend would be that women eat less meat, less fat, and more carbs. Whether they are better or worse off for it, I don't know.

Thoughts?

[Laconophile]

You could be on to something.. Men were the hunters and women were the gatherers.

[Lewis]

Has there been any research done on this topic? Or does anybody have any theories?

Not a lot that I know of. There may be.

I was just doing some interesting reading on evolutionary causes for differences in the sexes. My stomach got me thinking about food, and then I made the connection. I wonder if women are prone to maybe a slightly different diet than a man?

Some small-scale societies deliberately allocate different foods to men and women. Some of this may simply be association—the men eat the testicles, because those are a male part; but there may be deeper observational knowledge buried in there. Some of these societies feed specific diets to pregnant and lactating women, and there're certainly good reasons for that.

I can only speak for my own family and friends when it comes to actual evidence. The trend would be that women eat less meat, less fat, and more carbs. Whether they are better or worse off for it, I don't know.

Thoughts?

I think that's merely the baneful effect of the women's magazines.

[Doddibot]

There is a difference in that while men often have significantly greater energy requirements, they don't differ so drastically in their vitamin and mineral requirements. Therefore, it's more important for women to eat foods that are richer in micronutrients. Organ meats, vegetables, etc.

[loafingcactus]

Female athletes actually burn fat better than male athletes. There's been a move afoot to change the advice for women on what to eat during athletic events because they dont do as well on the high carb event feeding as had been assumed.

[DFH]

It's interesting that there is not more real info out there.

I did a google just to see what comes up, and mostly it was CW nonsense copied and pasted over and over.

Everyone is the same in the womb until a certain point. After that, it's all about hormones.

[Lewis]

I just remembered, Taubes says:

Women have greater LPL activity in their adipose tissue than men do ... and this may be one reason why obesity and overweight are now more common in women than men.

If that's so perhaps they're better off with less carbohydrate than men. If the O.P. has generally observed them eating more (pretty much true in my experience, too), then I suggest that they may on the whole be more aware of excess bodyfat, more concerned about it, and therefore, unfortunately, more likely to follow the bad advice to eat less red meat and fewer concentrated fats.

In fact, most women could probably do with more red meat, since they lose iron with their monthly courses.

[Betho]

I think that's merely the baneful effect of the women's magazines.

I would agree with that. I was talking to my mom the other day and we were talking about low carb/primal eating. She had done Atkins years ago and did quite well on it but she told me that after a while she just could not shake the "fat is bad, saturated fat is even worse" mantra that had been pounded into her in the 80s. She ended up quitting.

So, in essence, the brainwashing of "low fat = good" is so strong in some women that even with seeing results on a high fat diet, they can't get past it.

[lizzychan5]

Has there been any research done on this topic? Or does anybody have any theories?

I think there needs to be some real women's health research to be done, period. Back in the day (a la 1977), the FDA actually bared all women of child bearing age from tests. Research on women is actually a pretty new concept, and sexism in scientific studies is still pretty rampant.

http://www.womenshealth.vcu.edu/pdfs...23-09FINAL.pdf

[wiltondeportes]

I think that's merely the baneful effect of the women's magazines.

Well one unique fact that makes me wonder is that my grandma is 90. She's not in great shape, but mentally she's sharp as an arrowhead. In other words, she's mostly taken to old age quite well. I have tried somewhat to convince her of primal nutrition, but she is way more confident in conventional wisdom. So it's not just women's magazines...these beliefs go farther back.