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Berkeley Wellness Alerts
June 22, 2010 | Comments: 1
Carbs and Fat: Gender Matters
There are differences in how men’s and women’s bodies process dietary fat and carbohydrates and thus in the resulting levels of blood cholesterol, some research suggests.
On the whole, men and women have pretty much the same nutritional needs. Women do tend to need lower levels of nutrients because they are usually smaller, though they need more iron and folate during childbearing years. But should women and men follow the same dietary advice about fats and carbohydrates?
Research findings about diet, cholesterol, and gender have been inconsistent, but studies suggest the following:
• A diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol benefits both sexes, but it may be more effective in men. This was seen, for instance, in a study from Tufts University of middle-aged and older people who were put on such a diet. The men had a bigger drop in LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and triglycerides (fats in blood), on average. In women, triglycerides actually tended to rise. A low-fat, high-carb diet can raise triglycerides in men, too, but some studies indicate this is more common in women.
• A low-fat diet may reduce HDL (“good”) cholesterol more in women. This is a well-known drawback of a low-fat diet, which tends to lower both HDL and LDL cholesterol. To counter this, women should focus more on eating healthy (that is, unsaturated) fats, while limiting saturated fats and refined carbs. That is good advice for men, too, of course.
The bigger picture
Why might men and women react differently to the same diet? Estrogen affects the formation of lipoproteins in the liver, notably HDL and LDL, which help transport cholesterol through the bloodstream. Estrogen may also affect triglycerides. Since estrogen levels drop after menopause, some of these differences are reduced, though not eliminated, in older women.
Keep in mind, however, that gender is less important than many other factors (notably genetic ones) in determining who’ll do well on various diets. As is often the case, the average difference between the sexes is smaller than the differences among many individuals of the same sex. The trick is to find the diet that works best for you.
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It seems to me no one at Berkeley is really sure about dieting and women. In fact, governments are struggling with the obesity problem and so are overweight people, not all of whom gorge and do no exercise.
I've been struggling with my weight for over 40 years, starving when I could face it, to lose weight (700 calories a day), and exercising too. I'd tried every sort of 'healthy' medically recommended diet - to little avail.
Then I found the Zoe Harcombe diet - based on food combining, something I'd not tried before. And she explains it more clearly than others who've advocated similar approaches. For the first time in my life I've lost weight without starving, and I feel great. My daughter, with a similar metabolism, has found the diet works brilliantly for her, too.
It's not 'balanced' at each meal, but it is balanced over the whole day/week. It's not low fat. I've eaten plenty of cheese and olives - am allergic to fish. It is lower in carbohydrates than the standard recommended type of diet - devised, I gather, by the wheat marketing board! But unlike Atkins, it allows tons of veggies and fruit, plus carbohydrates in moderation. My blood pressure has gone down as well as my weight.
It works.
And if it works for me, with multiple food intolerances, an underactive thyroid and not really a carnivore, it'll work for anyone.
How come this approach has not been better publicised?
Posted by: Anna Jacobs | June 26, 2010 9:06 AM