Although women tend to live longer than men, they also have more health conditions.
Likewise, while women tend to have more robust immune systems than men, they also account for 80% of autoimmune conditions.
Many neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and age-related macular degeneration, are more common in women than men.
Some research suggests that these differences may arise from different levels of exposure to oxidative stress both from lifestyle factors and internal factors such as endocrine differences.
If this is the case, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory elements in the diet may be a benign way to reduce oxidative and inflammatory stress and thereby improve health.
Recently, researchers reviewed studies that examined the effects of diet on autoimmune conditions in women.
They found that intake of pigmented carotenoids may be important in preventing visual and cognitive loss.
The review was published in Nutritional Neuroscience.
“This review builds on decades of previous work conclusively showing that a diet high in fruits and vegetables—many of which contain carotenoids, responsible for some of the vibrant colors of fruits and vegetables—is associated with healthy aging and longevity, and a lower risk. of chronic disease,” said Amy Keller Ph.D., assistant professor in the department of endocrinology, metabolism and diabetes at the University of Colorado Denver, not involved in the review.
“The reasons why this is so are probably multifactorial, but possible reasons why carotenoids are beneficial are due to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity,” she added.
When asked how pigmented carotenoids like L and Z could improve health, University of Georgia Behavioral and Brain Sciences Faculty Professor Billy Hammond, one of the study’s authors, told Medical News Today:
“The old adage that you are what you eat is literally true. What you eat affects the composition of your brain and the chemicals called neurotransmitters and hormones involved in its functioning.”
He explained that the brain is made up of around 60% fat, which makes it particularly vulnerable to oxidative stress. To counteract potential damage, our brains typically contain lipid-soluble antioxidants from foods like eggs and leafy greens to protect the brain. Problems arise as modern diets tend to contain less of these antioxidants than necessary.
While carotenoids consumed from food may improve health outcomes, research suggests that supplemental versions of these nutrients may not produce the same effect. This is because individual nutrients may not affect the body in the same way as when consumed as part of a fruit or vegetable.
With this in mind, Wendy L. Bennett, MD., associate professor at the School of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University, not involved in the study, told MNT:
“Taking vitamin E or beta-carotene supplements will not prevent or delay the onset of AMD. The same probably applies to vitamin C and the multivitamin (Centrum Silver), [as found in a clinical trial].”
“There is no evidence for other antioxidant supplements, such as lutein and zeaxanthin. Vitamin supplements may have harmful effects, and clear evidence of benefit is needed before they can be recommended,” she added.
The researchers concluded that given the high likelihood of helping and low likelihood of harm, approaches targeting L and Z intake in women may be beneficial.
When asked about the study’s limitations, Dr. Keller noted that future work should elucidate the mechanisms underlying the clinical outcomes noted in this review.
Dr. Hammond added that it is very challenging to relate a single supply like vitamin E to a complex endpoint that develops over a lifetime. He added:
“Most degenerative diseases, such as dementia, are as complex as aging itself and involve many exposures that only mean a little at a given time, but a lot when accumulated over 50 years. For example, imagine that a given dietary component reduces risk by one percent a year. [That may seem small, however] one percent a year for 70 years means a reduction in risk of around 30%, which is huge.”
However, Dr Bennett noted that the researchers did not conduct original research, meaning their synthesis and summary of evidence may be subject to bias.
When asked what other nutrients may have a protective effect on women’s health, Dr. Keller said:
“In addition to carotenoids, flavonoids are also responsible for the colors of fruits and vegetables. Our team is studying the potential of a flavonoid, (-)-epicatechin, which is found in commonly consumed foods such as chocolate and tea. This compound improves vascular health in our studies. As women lose protection against cardiovascular risk after menopause, supporting their vascular health through nutrients with targeted bioactivity may help support women’s health during the aging phase.”
Dr Hammond added that general lifestyle factors such as exercising more and eating a healthy diet are also key to improving health. He said: “It is common to think of individual components of diet-like medicines or ‘one pill for all ills’. While supplementation is sometimes a good strategy, optimizing your diet is your best first approach.”
