Why Men Should Eat Oatmeal and Women Should Grab Avocados for Breakfast—Science Explains

A recent study has highlighted how men and women benefit from different types of breakfasts for optimal energy and metabolic health. Published in Computers in Biology and Medicine, the research suggests that men may benefit from carbohydrate-rich breakfasts while women thrive on meals higher in fats.

Metabolism involves a series of complex chemical reactions that convert nutrients into energy, promoting growth and recovery from cellular damage.

Since women go through more complex life stages, such as pregnancy and breastfeeding, there are differences in metabolism between the sexes. However, more research has historically focused on men’s health, leaving the metabolic differences between men and women less studied.

In response, a research team from the University of Waterloo in Canada has used mathematical models to simulate the effects of various meal types on men’s and women’s metabolism.

The team has noted that consuming foods suited to one’s metabolism can aid in weight loss and maintenance, and they have focused on how men and women process fats differently.

Even without sufficient clinical data, researchers can use mathematical models to predict how specific diets might impact women’s health. Men primarily rely on carbohydrates for energy, but women depend more on lipid (fatty acid) metabolism.

The computer model analysis revealed that women store more fat than men but also burn it faster to generate energy. The researchers hypothesized that these differences in fat metabolism between the sexes may be due to variations in liver and fat tissue.

Women’s livers convert more glycerol through gluconeogenesis than men’s, and they can store more glycogen, which reduces glycogenolysis.

Consequently, women tend to have lower arterial glucose levels, which promotes the oxidation of free fatty acids in other organs and tissues, leading to an overall increase in fat metabolism. In other words, while women store more fat, they also burn fat more efficiently during exercise and metabolize it more effectively after fasting.

Experts now suggest that men focus on breakfasts high in carbohydrates and fiber—such as oatmeal or yogurt with berries—while women might benefit more from breakfasts rich in unsaturated fats, like avocado toast or a vegetable omelet.

The research team anticipated that using mathematical models would allow for personalized meal recommendations based on gender, enhancing metabolic health and preventing complications like post-meal hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia.