August 26th is Women's Equality Day. We're turning the tables to find out whether women and men really eat differently. Because when it comes to some things, you simply can't lump women and men together. We explain why there are differences in the nutrition of men and women and what you should pay particular attention to as a woman or a man.
Body weight, fat and muscle mass: a question of sex
First, the hard facts. The bodies of men and women are built quite differently. When we look at body weight, fat and muscle mass, we see that women have a higher body fat percentage than men. And that despite being smaller in height and lower in body weight. On top of that, thanks to their testosterone levels, men have a protein synthesis that gives them more muscle mass from the start and lets them build it faster. Since muscles burn far more calories than fat, men also need more food energy than women even at rest. A disadvantage for women? They get it right intuitively: their diet is automatically lower in calories.
Differences in eating behaviour: personal preference or social symbolism?
The logical conclusion from the physical differences is that women eat more foods with a low energy density. These include, for example, fruit and vegetables with a high water content. Salads, soups and generally anything labelled “light” appeal more to the female target group. On top of that, women think more about nutrition, since they have always been the ones responsible for preparing food. They are also seen as more disciplined about sticking to their “healthy” eating rules. Women's menus are also more varied, while plain water is the all-time favourite for quenching thirst. Men have been observed to consume clearly more meat, beer and soft drinks. There is nothing innovative about that: even in the Stone Age it was the men who hunted the meat. Women, on the other hand, tended to gather roots and berries. In all cultures we find restrictive rules on alcohol consumption for women. Not only is the amount decisive (women are generally allowed to drink less than men), but also the alcohol content (the stronger, the more “masculine” and therefore forbidden). It is disputed whether these restrictions were introduced for health reasons or used as a social symbol of hierarchy.
Important nutrients for women
Women need above all foods rich in iron and folic acid, which are needed for blood formation and oxygen transport. Especially during pregnancy and menstruation, women should make sure to eat plenty of vegetables rich in iron and folic acid, which you find mainly in broccoli, beetroot and spinach. Lean meat also covers iron needs. Dairy products, especially reduced-fat versions such as low-fat quark and sheep's milk, have a very high share of vitamin B12. It has a positive effect on stress reactions and supports the nerves. You can find out more about vitamin B12 in our blog post “Vitamin B12 - the effects of a vitamin B12 deficiency”. Dairy products are also a good source of calcium. Calcium and vitamin D are important for healthy bones and teeth.
Important nutrients for men: what do men need?
Important nutrients for men are zinc and selenium. Zinc is responsible for the production of testosterone, an important male hormone. Selenium is a trace element that the body doesn't produce itself, so it has to be taken in with food. In men, selenium may support prostate health. That's why foods rich in zinc and selenium, such as lentils, potatoes and millet, should be on the menu especially often. Wheat bran, nuts and seeds, but also bananas, are rich in magnesium too, which is particularly important for men who love sport. Another power food for men is good old spinach, just as Popeye taught us. Pumpkin seeds are an insider tip for snacking. They are good for prostate function and also have a large share of vitamin E.
Our 5:2 programme: perfectly tailored to men and women
As you can see, the different eating behaviour of women and men has a biological background. Even if not everything can be generalised 100%, we can still define tendencies that may be more or less pronounced depending on sex. That is exactly why we have adapted our intermittent fasting programme too: here you'll find fasting products perfectly put together for women and men alike.
26 August is Women's Equality Day. We're turning the tables and want to find out whether the eating habits of women and men differ. After all, in some things you simply can't lump women and men together. We explain why there are differences in the diets of men and women and what you should pay particular attention to as a woman or a man.
Body weight, fat and muscle mass: a question of sex
First of all, the hard facts. The bodies of men and women are built quite differently. When we look at body weight, fat mass and muscle mass, we see that women have a higher body fat percentage than men. And that's despite a smaller height and lower body weight. On top of that, thanks to their testosterone levels men have a protein synthesis that gives them more muscle mass from the start, and they can also build it faster. Since muscles burn far more calories than fat, men also need more food energy than women even at rest. A disadvantage for women? They do it right intuitively: their diet is automatically lower in calories.
Differences in eating behaviour: personal preference or social symbolism?
The logical conclusion from the physical differences is that women eat more foods with a low energy density. These include, for example, fruit and vegetables with a high water content. Salads, soups and generally labelled "light products" therefore appeal more to a female target group. On top of that, women think about nutrition more, as they have always been responsible for preparing food. They are also seen as more disciplined in sticking to their "healthy" eating rules. Women's menus are also more varied, whereas plain water is the all-time favourite for quenching thirst. In men, it is observed that they consume clearly more meat, beer and soft drinks. There is nothing innovative about that: even in the Stone Age it was the men who hunted meat. Women, on the other hand, tended to gather roots and berries. In all cultures we find restrictive rules on alcohol consumption for women. Not only is the amount decisive here (women are generally allowed to drink less than men), but also the alcohol content (the stronger, the more "masculine" and therefore forbidden). It is disputed whether these restrictions were introduced for health reasons or used as a social symbol of hierarchy.
Important nutrients for women
Women mainly need foods rich in iron and folic acid, which are needed for blood formation and oxygen transport. Especially during pregnancy and during their period, women should make sure to eat plenty of vegetables rich in iron and folic acid, found above all in broccoli, beetroot and spinach. Lean meat also covers iron needs. Dairy products, especially reduced-fat versions like low-fat quark and sheep's milk, contain a very high amount of vitamin B12. This has a positive effect on stress reactions and strengthens the nerves. You can find out more about vitamin B12 in our blog post "Vitamin B12 - the effects of vitamin B12 deficiency". Dairy products are also a good source of calcium. Calcium and vitamin D are important for healthy bones and teeth.
Important nutrients for men: what do men need?
Important nutrients for men are zinc and selenium. Zinc is responsible for the production of testosterone, an important male hormone. Selenium is a trace element that the body cannot produce itself and that therefore has to be taken in through food. In men, selenium may help to lower the risk of prostate problems. That's why foods rich in zinc and selenium, such as lentils, potatoes and millet, should be on the menu especially often. Wheat bran, nuts and seeds, but also bananas, are also rich in magnesium, which is particularly important for men who love sport. Another power food for men is good old spinach, just as Popeye taught us. An insider tip for snacking is pumpkin seeds. They are good for prostate function and also contain a lot of vitamin E.
Our 5:2 programme - ideally tailored to men and women
As you can see, the different eating behaviour of women and men has a biological background. Even though not everything can be generalised 100%, we can still identify tendencies that may be more or less pronounced depending on sex. This is exactly why we have adapted our intermittent fasting programme : here you will find optimally put together fasting products for both women and men. While you eat normally on 5 days, you fast 2 days a week with a specially put together juice cleanse.
