Should men and women eat different breakfasts? Study suggests they should

New research from the University of Waterloo suggests that when it comes to breakfast, men and women may need to consider different approaches to make the most of their morning meals.

The study, which uses a mathematical model, indicates that men and women can benefit from different breakfast options to optimize metabolism and potentially help with weight control.

Researchers have found that men’s metabolism responds better to carbohydrate-rich breakfasts, such as oatmeal and grains, after fasting. In contrast, women are better served with high-fat breakfasts like omelets and avocados.

Lead author Stéphanie Abo, a PhD candidate in Applied Mathematics, emphasized the importance of understanding how food choices can impact health and energy levels.

“Lifestyle is a big factor in our overall health,” Abo said in a press release. “We live busy lives, so it’s important to understand how seemingly inconsequential decisions, like what to eat for breakfast, can affect our health and energy levels. Whether you’re trying to lose weight, maintain weight, or just maintain energy, it’s important to understand the impact of your diet on your metabolism.

The study addresses a gap in research into sex differences in fat metabolism, with co-author Anita Layton noting that women, despite having more body fat on average, tend to burn more fat during fasting than men. the men.

“We often have less investigative data on women’s bodies than on men’s bodies,” she said in the statement. “By building mathematical models based on the data we have, we can test many hypotheses quickly and tweak experiments in ways that would be impractical with humans.”

The researchers plan to enhance the model to include factors such as age, weight and menstrual cycle stages for a more personalized approach to nutrition.