Why women should eat carotenoid-rich foods

Leslie Beck, a Toronto-based nutritionist in private practice, is Medcan’s director of food and nutrition. Follow her on Twitter @LeslieBeckRD

The recommendations for a healthy diet are the same for men and women. Eat fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy proteins, and limit sodium, added sugars, and saturated fat.

As far as the individual nutrients are concerned, however, the daily requirement is not always the same due to different sex hormones.

For example, menstruating women need more iron than men. And with the loss of estrogen that occurs with menopause, a woman’s daily need for calcium increases to prevent osteoporosis.

According to University of Georgia researchers, there’s another dietary component that women need to be proactive about: carotenoids. This is especially true when it comes to protecting against cognitive decline and vision loss. Here’s why and how to consume more of it.

Gender differences in eye and brain health

While women tend to live longer than men, they are more susceptible to diseases and conditions that, while not always life-threatening, are debilitating. Cataracts, macular degeneration and dementia, for example, affect women more frequently and earlier than men.

The research report, published June 11 in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience, finds that women account for 70 percent of all cases of dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s dementia and age-related macular degeneration.

Reasons include hormonal differences, genetic variations and/or differences in the development of inflammation and oxidative stress. Oxidative stress occurs in the body when there is an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants. If left unchecked, free radicals can damage cells and tissues.

Carotenoids: focus on lutein

In the new review, the researchers claim that higher rates of neurodegenerative disease in women could be reduced by a diet high in carotenoids, phytochemicals that have potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Carotenoids in our diet include beta-carotene (e.g. carrots, sweet potatoes, mango, spinach), lutein and zeaxanthin (e.g. spinach, kale, Swiss chard), lycopene (e.g. tomato sauce, tomato juice, watermelon). ) and beta-carotene. Cryptoxanthin (e.g. pumpkin, papaya, red pepper).

Lutein and zeaxanthin are the only carotenoids found in the eye; They are concentrated in the macula, the central part of the retina that controls fine detail vision. Here they protect the eye tissue from the light-induced production of free radicals. Lutein and zeaxanthin are also the primary carotenoids found in the brain.

Many studies have linked higher intakes of lutein and zeaxanthin to a lower risk of macular degeneration and cataracts. Studies conducted on children, young adults, older adults, and adults with cognitive impairment all suggest that increased intake of lutein and zeaxanthin improves brain function.

What is the recommended daily allowance for lutein?

Unlike vitamins and minerals, there are no official recommended daily allowances for phytochemicals, including carotenoids. However, evidence from observational research suggests that a daily intake of 3 to 5 mg of lutein and zeaxanthin protects against early, moderate and advanced age-related macular degeneration.

A 2020 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a total daily intake of 25 mg of carotenoids was associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease in older adults. High intakes of lutein and zeaxanthin were particularly protective.

Interestingly, the latest research suggests that women need more carotenoids than men to protect themselves from disease. One reason has to do with how they are stored in the body.

Carotenoids, which are fat-soluble, are stored in adipose tissue. On average, women have more body fat than men. Studies have shown that women have higher levels of lutein and zeaxanthin in their adipose tissue than men, despite similar intake and blood levels of lutein and zeaxanthin.

These stores are useful during pregnancy and breastfeeding. However, according to the researchers, this also means less lutein and zeaxanthin are available to the eye and brain, putting women at greater risk of degenerative problems later on.

They conclude that “given the high likelihood of help and low likelihood of harm, targeting women’s lutein and zeaxanthin intake is a wise strategy.”

What are the best dietary sources of lutein?

Exceptional sources of lutein and zeaxanthin are cooked leafy greens, including spinach (15 mg per half cup), kale (12.5 mg), Swiss chard (9.5 mg), cabbage (9 mg), dandelion (5 mg), and mustard greens ( 4 mg). This vegetable also supplies a decent amount of beta-carotene.

Other sources of lutein and zeaxanthin include summer and winter squash, green peas, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli. Thanks to their fat content, egg yolks and avocados are cheap, highly bioavailable sources of lutein and zeaxanthin.

Make sure you add some fat to your meal (e.g. two teaspoons of oil) to optimize carotenoid absorption.

Register for the weekly health and wellness newsletter with the latest news and advice.