Dietary requirements differ depending on gender

Gender plays an integral role in terms of choosing a diet which can boost longevity and improve fertility, scientists have discovered.

One of the first studies of its kind, conducted at the University of Sydney and Massey University, suggests that while diet is known to be a key influencing factor in aging and reproduction, different rules apply for both men and women.

Associate professor Rob Brooks, director of the Evolution and Ecology Research Centre at the University of New South Wales, explained: "When it comes to choosing the right diet, we need to look more closely to the individual, their sex and their reproductive stage in life.

"It may be, for example, that women in their child-bearing years need a different diet to those who are post-menopausal. It also underlines the important lesson that what we want to eat or, if you like, what we're programmed to eat, is not necessarily best for us."

The results showed that men live longer and are most fertile when fed a diet with more carbohydrates in proportion to protein, whereas women tend to benefit more from a diet of equal proportions.

Numerous studies have indicated the importance of diet during pregnancy, highlighting the different dietary needs of both sexes.