Men's Health Month was this past June and was recognized with screenings, health fairs, and other health education activities. The goal was to heighten awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of diseases among men and boys.
The top causes of death among adult men in the United States are heart disease, stroke, cancer, and chronic lower respiratory disease, according to the Mayo Clinic and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). In addition, men die at higher rates than women from the top 10 causes of death. According to the CDC, in 1920, women lived, on average, one year longer than men. Now men, on average, die almost five years earlier than women.
Some of today's health concerns for males include heart health and prostate cancer as well as body composition and recovery in the sports nutrition area. Some of the Men's Health Products and ingredients that can play a role in men's nutrition include omega-3 fatty acids, lycopene, and lean protein. Here's a look at some of the health concerns that men have and the nutrients that may play beneficial roles in addressing these concerns.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men in the United States, resulting in approximately one in every four male deaths, according to the CDC. In addition, the 2013 overall rate of death attributable to cardiovascular disease was 222.9 per 100,000 Americans. The death rates were 269.8 males and 184.8 for females (Mozaffarian et al. 2016).
High blood pressure, high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and smoking are key risk factors for heart disease. Nutraceutical ingredients like antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and plant sterols can help with these factors. Nutritional ingredients, including soluble fiber, soy protein, and plant sterols, have FDA-approved health claims linking them to a potential reduced risk of coronary heart disease. In a review of different types of fiber, Viuda-Martos et al. (2010) reiterated that evidence suggests that the increased consumption of insoluble as well as soluble dietary fibers can directly impact the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by targeting risk factors such as elevated serum LDL cholesterol levels.
Plant sterols also have an effect on cholesterol. They are substances that occur in small amounts in plant-based foods, which have structures similar to cholesterol and can prevent cholesterol from being absorbed into the bloodstream. Cargill, Minneapolis, Minn. (cargill.com), offers CoroWise plant sterols. A daily intake of 2 g of plant sterols as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol is recognized to provide significant cholesterol-lowering benefits.
Grape seed extract has been shown to have benefits on hypertension and cholesterol. Polyphenolics, Madera, Calif. (polyphenolics.com), offers MegaNatural BP, a patented grape seed extract made from a special seed blend from unfermented varietal wine and juice grapes. Polyphenols are extracted from grape seeds using hot water. The extract is then purified, concentrated, and spray dried into powder. Robinson et al. (2012) demonstrated that both the systolic and diastolic blood pressures of the prehypertensive subjects in the study were significantly lower after treatment with 300 mg of grape seed extract.
A patented tomato seed extract, Fruitflow, from DSM, Parsippany, N.J. (dsm.com), has been shown to contribute to healthy blood flow. According to the company, 8 human trials showed that the consumption of Fruitflow helped maintain healthy platelet aggregation and improved blood flow. This happens within 1.5 hours and lasts for 12 to 18 hours.
Finally, omega-3 fatty acids are also recognized for their heart health benefits. Reported mechanisms of action include improved heart rhythms, improved heart rates, improved blood lipids, reduced blood clotting, and less inflammation.
Without doubt, men also need other products to care about other issues they may be easy to get, like Weight Loss Ingredients, Medicine and Health Raw Materials, Vitamins and Amino Acids, Peptides, Organic Protein, Plant Extracts, Nutrition Fortification and may other Cosmetic Raw Materials.
