Men and women may need different diets

[S.A.M.]

In the first study of its kind, researchers have shown that gender
plays a major role in determining which diet is better suited to
promoting longer life or better reproductive success.

But reproductive success differs dramatically between the sexes when the
carbohydrate-protein balance is changed: males live longest and have the
greatest reproductive success with a diet that favours carbohydrates to
protein by eight-to-one, whereas females have greatest success when the
ratio is just one-to-one. Given a choice, however, females eat only a
small amount more protein than males. The shared ability to sense and
choose food dooms both males and females to eat a diet that is a
compromise between what is best for each sex.

"Male and female crickets maximise their fitness on different diets,"
says UNSW's Dr Alexei Maklakov, the study's lead author. "Despite that,
the dietary preferences of the sexes are very similar. Instead of
selecting foods in a sex-specific manner, males and females select
'intermediate' diets that are less than optimal for both sexes.

Source: email communications

Link to original paper

Link to newspaper article

 

[clusteringflux]

In the first study of its kind, researchers have shown that gender
plays a major role in determining which diet is better suited to
promoting longer life or better reproductive success.

But reproductive success differs dramatically between the sexes when the
carbohydrate-protein balance is changed: males live longest and have the
greatest reproductive success with a diet that favours carbohydrates to
protein by eight-to-one, whereas females have greatest success when the
ratio is just one-to-one. Given a choice, however, females eat only a
small amount more protein than males. The shared ability to sense and
choose food dooms both males and females to eat a diet that is a
compromise between what is best for each sex.

"Male and female crickets maximise their fitness on different diets,"
says UNSW's Dr Alexei Maklakov, the study's lead author. "Despite that,
the dietary preferences of the sexes are very similar. Instead of
selecting foods in a sex-specific manner, males and females select
'intermediate' diets that are less than optimal for both sexes.

Source: email communications

Link to original paper

Link to newspaper article

Well, the simple fact of differing muscle mass between men and women is a dead give away to this assertion. Also considering the fact that during periods of pregnancy and breast feeding women often crave certain types of food is very telling.Frankly, I'm surprised that it hasn't been studied more closely up to this point.

I've often wondered if a person had to eat only one food, what food would be the most sustaining. Now I have to wonder if it would be the same food for both men and women.
Any ideas, SAM?

 

[draqon]

wait so I am a male...what should I eat more? carbs or protein? what should it be? 1 to 8?

 

[cosmictraveler]

My mum ate what she wanted and lived to be 95. She never took vitamins or exercised. She never had medical problems that adversely affected her until she was 92. I've known many relatives who did the same thing and lived long and healthy lives , at least into their late 80's early 90's.

 

[S.A.M.]

I think the underlying point is that women need a certain body fat percent to attain menarche, to have a regular menstrual cycle, to get pregnant. Female hormones affect fat metabolism and deposition making it resistant to loss. So it would make sense that women should eat less carbs, as the tendency would be towards conserving energy for reproductive stresses. Men on the other hand have higher lean mass, which requires more energy to maintain, so it makes sense that they should eat more carbs as muscles preferentially oxidise glucose. It would then make sense for both men and women to eat frequent small meals, to avoid storage of excess calories.

 

[draqon]

She never had medical problems that adversely affected her until she was 92.

what happened when she was 92? :bugeye: What problems arose? What diet did she have? What did she eat? What was her daily routine? How social was she?

 

[clusteringflux]

My mum ate what she wanted and lived to be 95. She never took vitamins or exercised. She never had medical problems that adversely affected her until she was 92. I've known many relatives who did the same thing and lived long and healthy lives , at least into their late 80's early 90's.

Sure, there people who smoke,drink and eat eggs and bacon every morning and live to 90. It's still not a practice that I would suggest to someone I care about.

 

[cosmictraveler]

what happened when she was 92? :bugeye: What problems arose? What diet did she have? What did she eat? What was her daily routine? How social was she?

She had a arthritis problem in her knees and was given Vioxx to help relieve the pain that she was having. About 6 months after using the Vioxx she suffered a series of strokes and heart attacks which decimated her body and finally killed her. They took the Vioxx off the market because of so many people dying and having strokes and heart attacks.

 

[draqon]

She had a arthritis problem in her knees and was given Vioxx to help relieve the pain that she was having. About 6 months after using the Vioxx she suffered a series of strokes and heart attacks which decimated her body and finally killed her. They took the Vioxx off the market because of so many people dying and having strokes and heart attacks.

wow...that is so sad...did you sue them? :bugeye: