Optimizing Women's Health through Nutrition PDF

Preface

Sex-based nutrition is a new and exciting area of health research. While it is widely known that women and men have biological and physiological differences throughout the life cycle, most studies have not considered how these differences affect susceptibility to diseases and metabolic responses to dietary treatments. Without question, there is a need to understand these differences so as to optimize health among women.

The overall aim of Optimizing Women's Health through Nutrition is to expand our knowledge regarding sex-based nutrition and medicine. This aim is achieved by first describing recent research on biological and physiological differences among men and women, and how these differences translate into varying disease trends between sexes (Chapters 1 and 2). The subsequent chapters describe the nutritional needs of women during the life cycle, particularly during adolescence, pregnancy and lactation, premenopause, and menopause and midlife stages (Chapters 3 through 6). Section III focuses on recent research into each of the common major diseases or conditions that specifically affect the health of women, with emphasis on the role of nutrition in disease risk reduction as well as management and treatment of the disease (Chapters 7 through 18). In selecting the diseases and conditions to be covered in this section, greater focus was given to those in which women are more vulnerable or have a higher incidence than do men. Section IV identifies areas for future research. Strategic areas of investigation are discussed for researchers and health professionals involved with disease prevention and treatment in women, for government regulators involved in setting public health policy, and for the food industry involved in developing novel foods targeted specifically for prevention or treatment of diseases in women to enhance women's health (Chapter 19).

Optimizing Women's Health through Nutrition is a research-based, extensively referenced book, which includes the most recently published, cutting edge work that will guide and stimulate more work, and ultimately lead to more effective nutritional strategies for women's health. The contributors are internationally recognized leaders in the field.

We thank the authors for generously sharing their expertise and time despite their very busy schedules.We thank Randy Brehm and Jill Jurgensen for their support and editorial assistance at Taylor & Francis. We thank our loving families who are always supportive and patient as we pursue our research endeavors.