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Learn MoreDigesting the Difference Between Men and Women
Can the future of nutrition be more personalized, even down to our biology? A new study from the Technion suggests it can.
Researchers in the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering recently discovered that men and women digest milk and plant-based milk alternatives differently — a breakthrough that could have far-reaching implications for nutrition science, food product development, and public health policy.
“The motivation for this research stemmed from the global shift toward plant-based diets and the rise of meat and dairy substitutes,” said Prof. Uri Lesmes, who led the study along with Ph.D. student Leehen Mashiah, lab manager Dr. Carmit Shani-Levi, and undergraduate student Eden Beck. “Given the growing consumption of these products, we wanted to understand whether men and women derive the same nutritional benefits from them, focusing specifically on milk and milk alternatives. While previous studies have examined digestion in the average adult, few have considered gender differences.”
To explore that question, the team developed a novel in vitro digestion model that simulates male and female gastrointestinal systems. The results were striking. In the male model, milk proteins were digested more efficiently. In the female model, oat-based plant milk proteins broke down more effectively.
The researchers suggest that this may reflect deep evolutionary roots. “These findings may align with our knowledge of hunter-gatherer societies — or more accurately, (male) hunter — (female) gatherer societies — where men typically provided animal-based foods and women plant-based ones,” the study notes. “Although food was shared within the community, it is likely that men consumed more animal-based products and thus evolved to digest such proteins more efficiently.”
Beyond protein breakdown, the study revealed meaningful differences in what’s produced during digestion. Men generated more antimicrobial peptides, or compounds that help fight pathogens. Women, on the other hand, showed higher levels of an osteoanabolic (bone-building) peptide. This is especially significant given that women over the age of 50 are far more likely to experience osteoporotic fractures than men.
In other words, for women, plant-based milks may offer unique — and previously underappreciated — health advantages.
In light of these findings, the researchers advocate for a more nuanced approach to nutrition and food design — one that takes gender-based digestive differences into account. “Food processing enabled the rise of modern humans. It’s time to harness research like this for the next phase in food engineering in the 21st century — one rooted in science, nutrition, and health,” said Prof. Lesmes.
The study was supported by the Israeli Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, and the Technion Food Engineering Research Fund. The findings were published in the journal Food Research International.