Super Foods for Men and Women
By Maureen Callahan






One in five women have a history of painful urinary tract infections. "I had
three in one year," says Patty Buxton*, a Colorado middle-school teacher.
Reading that cranberry juice may help prevent these infections, Buxton went
on a regimen a year ago, and since then she's been infection-free. She
thinks cranberry juice did the trick.

Cranberry juice isn't the only food that offers protection from specific
illnesses. Here's a list of disease-fighting foods for men and women.

Foods for Men

1. Tomato Sauce. Men who eat a lot of tomatoes, tomato sauce, or pizza
smothered with the stuff may be giving themselves a hedge against prostate
cancer. So say researchers at Harvard, who studied the eating habits of more
than 47,000 male health professionals. They found that men who ate tomato
sauce two to four times per week had a 35 percent lower risk of developing
prostate cancer than men who ate none. A carotenoid called lycopene, which
tomatoes contain in abundance, appeared to be responsible. But scientists
were puzzled: tomato juice didn't seem to have a protective effect. Other
research showed why. For best absorption, lycopene should be cooked with
some kind of fat. So pizza may be just what the doctor ordered.

2. Oysters. Myth has it that oysters are the food of love. Science may
agree. Just two to three oysters deliver a full day's supply of zinc, a
mineral critical for normal functioning of the male reproductive system.
Scientists are divided over reports that sperm counts have declined over the
last 50 years and that environmental factors are to blame. Nutritional
deficiencies do seem to be the cause of certain cases of low testosterone.
Getting adequate zinc is sometimes the answer (11 mg per day is recommended
for men; more than 40 mg can pose risks). In one trial, 22 men with low
testosterone levels and sperm counts were given zinc every day for 45 to 50
days. Testosterone levels and sperm counts rose.

3. Broccoli. A recent Harvard study finds that cruciferous vegetables, like
broccoli, may protect against bladder cancer. It's one of the most common
cancers in this country, and affects two to three times as many men as
women. Scientists analyzed the diets of nearly 50,000 men and discovered
that those who ate five servings or more per week of cruciferous veggies
were half as likely to develop bladder cancer over a ten-year period as men
who rarely ate them. And broccoli and cabbage were singled out as the most
protective foods.

4. Peanut Butter. If you want a healthy heart, spread your morning toast
with peanut butter. Heart disease is the leading killer of men and women,
but men fall victim at an earlier age. Researchers from Pennsylvania State
University compared the cholesterol-lowering effect of the American Heart
Association's Step II Diet with a higher-fat diet based on peanuts. The AHA
plan included more carbohydrates. The peanut regimen was 36 percent fat.
After 24 days both diets lowered "bad" LDL cholesterol. But the peanut plan
also caused a drop in blood fats called triglycerides and did not decrease
HDL, the "good" cholesterol. The AHA diet raised levels of triglycerides and
lowered levels of HDL.

"Peanut butter is a little higher in fat," says Penny Kris-Etherton, Ph.D.,
the lead author of the Penn State study. "But it's the type that's good for
you -- monounsaturated fat." Researchers have predicted that the peanut diet
could reduce heart-disease risk even more than could the AHA diet. Just
don't go nutty plastering on the tasty spread, since it is high in calories.

5. Watermelon. Until the age of 55, more men suffer from high blood pressure
than do women. Research suggests that foods rich in potassium can reduce the
risk of high blood pressure and stroke. The evidence is so convincing that
the Food and Drug Administration recently allowed food labels to bear a
health claim about the connection between potassium-rich foods and blood
pressure. "There isn't a dietary requirement for potassium," says Kathleen
Cappellano, nutrition-information manager at Tufts University in Boston.
"But a good goal is about 2000 milligrams or more a day." Watermelon, a rich
source of this mineral, has more potassium -- 664 mg -- in one large slice
than the amount found in a banana or a cup of orange juice. So cut yourself
another slice and enjoy the taste of summer.

Foods for Women

1. Papaya. This tropical fruit packs about twice the vitamin C of an orange.
Add it to your arsenal against gallbladder disease, which afflicts twice as
many women as men.

After analyzing the blood of over 13,000 people, scientists from the
University of California, San Francisco, found that women who had lower
levels of vitamin C were more likely to have gallbladder illnesses. One
medium papaya (about ten ounces), with its 188 mg of vitamin C and a mere
119 calories, is a refreshing source of the vitamin. The once exotic fruit
now can be found in most supermarkets.

2. Flaxseed. Bakers use this nutty-flavored seed mainly to add flavor and
fiber. But scientists see the tiny reddish-brown seed, rich in estrogenlike
compounds called lignans, as a potential weapon against breast cancer. An
exciting report at last year's San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium showed
that adding flaxseed to the diet of women with breast cancer effectively
slowed tumor growth. You can flavor your muffins with flaxseed, but the
easiest way to get the beneficial lignans is to sprinkle a few tablespoons
of ground flaxseed on your morning cereal. Look for the seeds in health food
stores or in supermarkets on the flour aisle. They're easy to grind in a
blender or coffee grinder. But get seeds -- there are no lignans in the oil.

3. Tofu. Foods high in soy protein can lower cholesterol and may minimize
menopausal hot flashes and strengthen bone. Isoflavones, plant chemicals in
soybeans that have a structure similar to estrogen, may be the reason.
Though animal studies form the bulk of the evidence, a human study found
that 90 mg of isoflavones was beneficial to bone (specifically the spine).
And two other studies suggest that 50 to 76 mg of isoflavones a day may
offer some relief from hot flashes. A half-cup of tofu contains about 25 to
35 mg of isoflavones.

4. Buffalo Meat. Due largely to menstruation, women tend to be anemic more
than men. And low iron levels in blood can cause severe fatigue. To get a
good dose of iron, try bison. Bison, or buffalo, meat is lean and has what
diet-conscious women want -- lots of iron and less fat than most cuts of
beef. "The iron content is about 3 milligrams in a 3 1/2-ounce uncooked
portion," says Marty Marchello, Ph.D., at North Dakota State University.
"That portion contains less than 3 grams of fat." Buffalo meat can help
boost energy and lower weight. And you don't have to have a home on the
range to get some bison anymore. You can pick it up at many supermarkets
across the United States, or through mail order or on the Internet.

5. Collard Greens. This humble vegetable may help fight osteoporosis, which
afflicts many women late in life. In addition to getting adequate amounts of
calcium and vitamin D, some studies suggest that vitamin K may have a
bone-protective effect as well. Based on data from one of the largest
studies of women, the Nurses' Health Study, researchers discovered that
women who ate enough vitamin K-rich foods (at least 109 micrograms of the
vitamin daily) were 30 percent less likely to suffer a hip fracture during
ten years of follow-up than women who ate less. Researchers point out that
dark-green leafy vegetables -- Brussels sprouts, spinach, broccoli -- are
all good sources of the vitamin. But collard greens, with about 375
micrograms per half-cup, are among the best.

There you have it: five great foods for women and for men that can keep both
of you well fed and healthy too.

*Name changed to protect privacy.