ABSTRACT
Chronic diseases including cancer, coronary heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis are the major cause of mortality all over the world. Many factors contribute to the risk of such chronic diseases including genetics, age, and environmental factors. Among the environmental factors, diet has emerged as one of the major contributing factors. High-calorie, high-fat, high-salt and -sugar, and low- ber diets are typically associated with the high risk of chronic diseases. Based on scienti c data, dietary guidelines now recommend increased consumption of plant-based nutrients for the prevention of chronic diseases. Although both males and females are equally at risk, certain diseases such as prostate disorders, testicular problems, and impotency related to the sperm, are unique to men. The incidence of certain other diseases tends to be higher in men due to their lifestyle habits and advancing age. Genetic makeup, environmental factors, and diet also in uence the incidence and patterns of human diseases in different regions of the world. Typically, infectious diseases were the main cause of mortality among the Asian, South American, and African population
6.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 123 6.2 Men’s Gender-Speci c Health Issues ........................................................... 126 6.3 Nutritional Requirements of Adult Men ....................................................... 127 6.4 Characteristics of Functional Foods to Meet Men’s Health
and Nutritional Needs ................................................................................... 127 6.5 Functional Ingredients and their Role in Diseases Related to Men ............. 127
6.5.1 Antioxidants ...................................................................................... 127 6.5.1.1 Carotenoids ........................................................................ 129 6.5.1.2 Polyphenols ........................................................................ 132
6.5.2 Phytosterols ....................................................................................... 134 6.5.3 Phytoestrogens .................................................................................. 135 6.5.4 Phytochemicals In uencing Phase I and II Metabolic Reactions .... 137 6.5.5 Probiotics and Prebiotics .................................................................. 138 6.5.6 Other Functional Ingredients of Recent Interest .............................. 139
6.6 Future Directions and Conclusions ............................................................... 140 References .............................................................................................................. 140
compared to the more industrialized Western and European population where chronic, metabolic diseases are more prevalent. However, such differences in human disease patterns are declining due to changes in lifestyle and dietary habits.
