4-Men.Org > Mens Health > Nutrition

Men's Nutritional Needs

Many times, the nutritional needs of men are overlooked since there is so much information about the health and nutrition of women, teens, and children.

This doesn’t mean that men’s nutritional needs should go unnoticed, because without a doubt, men have their own nutritional issues that need to be discusses in order for them to have a healthy lifestyle.

Importance of Exercise

Generally, men’s nutritional needs should be combined with an exercise plan that focuses on the areas of fitness that are appropriate to their age. This can mean cardio, weight training, strength training, and/or a combination of all three.

When men focus on the following areas of their nutrition they have a better chance of staying healthy for a long time:

• A diet that is high in vegetables, fruits, good protein.
• Low fat foods.
• Vitamin rich.
• Mineral rich.

Nutrition and Mental Health

Studies show that what men eat can significantly influence how they feel, and how they think. Maintaining mental health is important so that men can feel good about themselves, their relationships, their jobs, and all aspects of their lives.

When it comes to nutrition it’s important that men eat a healthy diet that consists of carbs, fats, and low calorie foods. Without a proper diet men will find that they are low on energy, have little interest in sex, and have trouble maintaining an energy level that they need to function normally and in optimal mental health.

Nutrition and Aging

As men age, they have some specific nutritional needs that need to be addressed. This is because as they age they become less active and their metabolic rate starts in decrease. This means that men to concentrate on some issues as they age that include:

• The amount and type of protein that they eat.
• The amount and type of Vitamins that they eat or get in a supplement form
• The amount and types of Minerals that they eat or get in a supplement form.
• Reducing the fat that they consume in one day.

Men's Nutrition Needs: Research

There is some explosive growth in alternative medicines (particularly herbs) that are capturing the attention of millions of men, particular in the western world. Some of these herbs include ginseng, gingko, and garlic. Acupuncture and reflexology are also becoming therapies-of-choice for solving men’s nutritional needs, particular for men experiencing hormonal and/or sexual challenges.

Despite these quite interesting and apparently positive alternative therapies that achieve men’s nutritional needs, men should not neglect the more “old fashioned” (as least in the west) vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin C, B (the full family of B vitamins), and minerals such as calcium and zinc. The USFDA provides daily reference intake amounts for virtually all vitamins and minerals, and supplements should be taken when these are not present in daily diet.

Drew Voight