Anyone who has ever looked through the vitamin aisle at their local drug store has seen that label. A certain supplement is labeled as “formulated for women.” Or “made for men.” If you go a step further and inspect these labels, you’ll find some differences.
Vitamins labeled for women tend to contain higher amounts of certain nutrients. This includes iron, folic acid, biotin, and more. Vitamins labeled for men contain higher amounts of other nutrients, such as pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) and magnesium.
It’s not just a vitamin bottle. There are many differences in nutritional recommendations.
For example, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suggests that moderately active men between the ages of 31 and 35 should consume 2,600 calories a day. Moderately active women in the same age group are recommended to consume 2,000 calories.
but why? Is your gender assigned at birth the key to knowing exactly which nutrients you need and in how much to stay healthy?
Almost none, says registered dietitian Selene Zawahri Krasna, RD, LD. “For some people, gender can be used as one of several factors to consider, but it doesn’t necessarily reflect an individual’s nutritional needs accurately. It’s not that cut and dry. There are many things to consider.”
Zawahri Krasna explains what gender assigned at birth has to do with nutrition and shares advice for making sure you’re getting the right nutrition. you.
Differences in nutrition between men and women
Some nutritional recommendations change based on assigned gender. Consider the following Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for several important nutrients.
vitamin A
- Men ages 19 to 50: 900 micrograms (mcg).
- Women aged 19 to 50: 700 μg.
magnesium
- Men ages 19 to 30: 400 milligrams (mg).
- Women aged 19-30: 310 mg.
iron
- Men aged 19-50: 8 mg.
- Women aged 19-50: 18 mg.
potassium
- Men ages 19 to 50: 3,400 mg.
- Women ages 19 to 50: 2,600 mg.
And the list goes on. A large number of nutrients in our diet have different RDAs depending on the sex we were assigned at birth.
Zawahri Krasna agrees that national recommendations are a good starting point for building a healthy diet. However, they are not necessarily hard and fast rules that guarantee what is best for everyone.
Part of the reason is that these numbers are based on scientific understanding at the population level. It is not tailored to each individual.
But what does that mean?
“Nutrition recommendations are based on scientific studies of large populations and are categorized based on sex assigned at birth, age group, and whether pregnant or breastfeeding,” Zawahri・Mr. Krasna explains.
“These research results boil down to reasonable recommendations based on the big picture of what works for those groups. Not necessarily every man needs X and Every woman needs a Y. This is a general recommendation based on what we know to be true for these groups. ”
That’s a good starting point. But gender isn’t the only consideration when building a healthy, personalized diet. Zawahri Krasna shares some advice on why certain people have different nutritional needs than others.
muscle mass
Different nutritional recommendations based on assigned gender are based, in part, on the criterion that men tend to be more muscular in nature than women. Overall, men’s bodies tend to have more muscle mass than women’s bodies. Although this is a natural biological norm, there are many exceptions to this rule.
And when it comes to metabolism, muscles are important.
“When you have more muscle, your body is able to convert food into energy at a faster rate,” says Zawahri-Krasna.
This is true regardless of assigned gender. Your body composition is based on a variety of factors. The gender assigned at birth makes a difference when it comes to the hormones your body makes. But so is your lifestyle and genetic predisposition to a certain body type. Not to mention, any health conditions you have will affect how your body breaks down food into fuel.
Regardless of gender, muscles burn more calories even at rest. Therefore, people with more muscle mass may need more calories and other nutrients than national recommendations.
menopause
Hormones such as estrogen play a major role in how a woman’s body produces and metabolizes nutrients. And when you enter menopause, your estrogen levels drop. This can make them more vulnerable to certain health conditions.
“After menopause, women are at higher risk for diseases such as osteoporosis because estrogen helps keep bones strong and healthy,” says Zawahri-Krasna.
One of the reasons some nutritional changes are recommended for women over 50 is due to changes in estrogen.
Consider the recommended calcium intake below.
- Men ages 19 to 70: 1,000 mg.
- Women ages 19 to 50: 1,000 mg.
- Women ages 51 to 70: 1,200 mg.
health goals
Your health goals will affect what you should eat.
For example, if you want to lose weight, you’ll likely need to increase your protein and fiber intake beyond the standard recommendations based on your sex assigned at birth. That’s because protein and fiber help you stay fuller longer. By doing so, you can suppress your appetite and limit unnecessary eating.
health conditions and medicines
Your health conditions and the medications you take can also affect the amount of certain nutrients in your diet.
For example, if you take blood-thinning drugs such as warfarin (Coumadin®), your health care provider may recommend that you keep your vitamin K intake constant. This is because vitamin K can increase the risk of blood clots while taking warfarin.
Alternatively, if you are obese (BMI over 30), you may be advised to take a higher dose of vitamin D supplements than is normally recommended.
transgender community
Recognize that, at least for now, nutritional recommendations reflect scientists’ best knowledge for people assigned male at birth (AMAB) and for people assigned female at birth (AFAB). is important.
So while we know that “men” between the ages of 19 and 30 need 34 grams of fiber in their diet, and “women” of that age need 28 grams, “men” actually is based on research with cisgender men. and “Women” is based on research on cisgender women. This is true for any of her RDA values.
“There are some very small studies on the nutritional needs of people undergoing gender reassignment treatment, but they are small and have not been replicated in larger studies,” Zawahri-Krasna added. “It’s a good idea to talk to your health care team about proper nutrition, especially if you’re taking medications.”
Conclusion: What does it mean? you?
So how can you make sure your eating habits are on track if it’s not easy to look up your age and gender in a table to determine your exact nutritional needs?
“Eating a balanced diet is important,” advises Zawahri Krasna. “If your diet is centered around fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and unsaturated fats, you can be pretty sure you’re getting the nutrients your body needs.”
In other words, most of us don’t need to focus so much on the exact grams and micrograms of this and our assigned gender roles when getting proper nutrition. Your best bet for getting the nutrients to keep your body healthy and satisfied is something like the Mediterranean diet.
And if you have specific questions about your health and nutritional needs based on your body’s needs, working with a registered dietitian can help you find strategies to keep you at your best. .
