I’m all for equality, but dieting provides an exception.
There are some facts that can’t be argued with. On average, men tend to be taller and more muscular than women. The larger and more muscular one is, the more calories one needs to consume to maintain that size, therefore, men typically need more calories than women. The 2,000-calorie diet, which the nutritional panel on most products is based on, can cause some misleading results; it implies to average person (AKA someone not interested in pulling out a calculator to do the math) that eating a serving of that product will provide you with X% of your daily need for a particular vitamin, mineral, or macronutrient. However, that percentage is a rough estimate, and it is only remotely accurate if your caloric need is around that 2,000- calorie ballpark. A fairly active woman around 120 pounds fits the bill, but a similarly active 170-pound male needs about 800 more calories!
One of the most common problems for men is that they forget that the next 800 calories need to be just as balanced as the 2,000 that came before them. If you’re a 150+ lb. active male, and the box you’re looking at says you’ve consumed %100 of your Vitamin A for the day, it’s probably lying to you. You’re not quite there yet, and you could use a few more carrots to round out that vitamin intake for the day. The same applies to the balance of the macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbohydrates). Men need more protein and fat than women, simply because they need more of everything!
There are a few nutrients that studies have shown are needed in slightly different amounts, proportionally, for men and women. Women need to take in more iron than men due to the iron lost during menstruation. Women also need to take in more calcium, due to higher risk for osteoporosis. This is why some supplements (or even granola bars) geared toward women feature increased amount of both iron and calcium. On the other hand, men are encouraged to consume (proportionally) more fiber than women to reduce the likelihood of developing rectal cancer.
Many vitamins have differing levels of efficacy for men and women. For example Vitamin C is known to help with a plethora of issues, such as hair loss, cardiac disease, and cancer. However, the amount needed varies for both sexes. Sometimes, vitamins alone aren’t enough, and then different interventions are needed, such as Revivogen hair loss treatments.
At the end of the day, men and women are prone to different health issues, and this is the reason one diet does not fit all.
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