A healthy diet can benefit a man's health in myriad ways. The health benefits of a proper diet for men range from boosting their testosterone levels to helping them get rid of cholesterol problems before they can get out of control.
Features
Making positive changes in your diet can help you prevent cardiac problems in the long run. For example, a 2003 "New England Journal of Medicine" study demonstrated how a low-carb diet seems to positively affect "good" (HDL) cholesterol while lowering "bad" (LDL) cholesterol in men. After one year of the study, men who continued to eat a low-carb diet had an increase of HDL of as much as 18 percent (compared to a 3 percent increase in the control group).
Function
A low-carb diet in particular can also help men keep their blood pressure in balance. This is because higher insulin (sugar) levels correlate with blood pressure increases in your body. Because insulin is generally produced as a response to high carbohydrate intake, a low-carb diet can keep your insulin steady, which allows your blood pressure to stay in a healthy range.
Benefits
In addition to affecting your cardiac health and blood pressure, eating a healthy diet can also benefit your sex drive, feelings of well-being and energy levels. You can actually have some control over your testosterone level by eating a diet that provides you enough dietary fat. Make sure to eat a combination of fats to increase your sex drive, including natural fats (from nuts, seeds, avocados and coconuts), oils (macademia nut, fish, flax, coconut and olive) and animal fats.
Considerations
It is important to consider the fact that your estrogen levels will increase as your testosterone levels drop. This is a condition that can lead to you having gynecomastia (having what is commonly called "male breasts"). To avoid this, you should consume food that helps balance your estrogen metabolism. A few servings of foods like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts can help keep your estrogen levels in check.
Tips
While you do not need to start an ultra-low carbohydrate diet such as Atkins, you can benefit from limiting the amount of carbohydrates you consume to those from fruits and vegetables. Round out your diet by eating plenty of the healthy fats mentioned above and lean protein choices to exert some control over your hormone levels, health and waistline as you grow older.
References
- Samaha, Frederick, M.D.; New England Journal of Medicine; Weight Loss on Low Carb Diet; 2003
- ThinkMuscle.com: The Effects of Diet on Testosterone
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