Female Friendly Foods

Female Friendly Foods

Women rule ... the natural marketplace, certainly. The vast majority of shoppers in the natural and organic products segment are women, and women’s special health needs—from hormonal-based issues to disease prevention—are the focus of increased product development and marketing efforts. The list of female friendly foods—designed for or marketed primarily to women—grows every year, offering the nutrients women need in the forms they love, from nutrition bars to cereals and drinks.

The lioness’s share of this category of female foods touts specific health benefits. Among the health challenges women face throughout their lives are pregnancy, menopause, osteoporosis and breast cancer, not to mention a predilection for weight management, beauty and stress/mood issues.

Women with child are no strangers to meticulous nutrition. Eating for her own health as well as the development and ongoing health of the infant, a pregnant woman has heightened nutrient requirements. “Nutrition is not one size fits all, and new moms and moms-to-be have very specific and important nutritional requirements,” said Meredith Lincoln, cofounder of NutraBella, which makes BellyBar. “Bellybar contains vitamins and minerals critical for women during this time, including folic acid, iron and calcium.” She noted the all-natural Bellybar is also rich in vegetarian omega-3 DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), which helps support fetal brain and vision development.

As a woman who had been through three pregnancies, Beth Vincent, president of Oh Mama!, came up with the idea for the product out of her own experience. She found it very difficult to eat all of the “good” pregnancy foods while pregnant, and she would crash, then need food instantaneously at inconvenient times (while traveling, or at the office). This often meant vending machines or fast-food restaurants. She tried packing fruit and vegetables in sandwich baggies, but this alternative wasn’t appetizing since the food didn’t keep very well. She asked around and found other pregnant women had the same dietary issue, so she developed a protein bar that serves as a tailored snack.

Because women often avoid fish during pregnancy, Oh Mama! bars contain DHA, as well as nutrients such as iron, folate, calcium, magnesium and iodine. Vincent explained, “Oh Mama! Bars were designed with the woman in mind who is taking a prenatal vitamin but doesn’t have time to cook the perfect pregnancy dinner each evening.”

Breyer’s, which markets Breyers Smart! Fruit on the Bottom and Breyers Light primarily to women, recently added Martek’s lifeDHA™ to the products, but not just for a woman’s unborn child. “Breyers Smart! Fruit on the Bottom contains DHA omega-3, an essential fatty acid to support brain, heart and eye health—three health concerns for women,” said John Becker, VP of marketing at Breyers Yogurt. “Both product lines are a great fit with the nutritional and dietary needs of women; they are each an excellent source of calcium, are low in fat and provide portion control for women on a diet.”

Folate is another women’s health ingredient much touted today by the media, advocacy groups and a chorus of health officials. This B vitamin helps prevent neural tube birth defects, making it a crucial micronutrient for fertile women. A Gallup poll supported by the March of Dimes reported only 29 percent of women of childbearing age are taking a daily multi containing folic acid, and only 19 percent of women know this nutrient helps prevent birth defects. Folate intake is also linked to incidence of heart disease and cancer, two important women’s health issues.

The effort to reverse this lack of awareness and intake has resulted in companies fortifying foods with healthy amounts of folate, among longer lists of vitamins and minerals. Kristel Cerna, brand director at Clif Bar Inc., said LUNA bars are designed specifically for women, containing folate as well as calcium, iron and vitamins A, C & E. “LUNA is dedicated to women’s health and wellness,” she said. “Considering that many women are often are too busy to eat healthy, LUNA nutrition bars are an ideal option for women on-the-go.”

At the culmination of a woman’s fertility are menopause and its discomforting symptoms, including hot flashes and night sweats. Postmenopausal women are also at higher risk of osteoporosis and other bone health problems, although these issues can haunt all adult women. Soy phytoestrogen isoflavones have long been used to address hot flushes during menopause, but ipriflavones from soy are also useful in rebuilding bones via influence on bone metabolism.

In addition to hormonal considerations, soy is also well-researched for improved heart and breast health, two issues important to women’s longevity. According to Genisoy, which markets Soy Nuts, recent research has suggested a half a cup of soy nuts a day may work as well as anti-hypertension medication.

The second most common cancer among women is breast cancer (lung cancer is first). In fact, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) reports more than 13 percent of females born in 2007 will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lives. While the hunt is still on for specific lifestyle measures that can significantly impact breast cancer, researchers are starting to warn that life events before the age of 20 can have a huge impact on future development of this mostly female cancer. They now say eating soyfoods as a child and teenager, especially before puberty, may help stave off breast cancer.

Mark Messina, Ph.D., adjunct professor in nutrition at Loma Linda University, former NCI researcher and expert on the role of soy in diets, reported: “In [our] study, Asian women in California who consumed higher amounts of soy between the ages of 5 and 11 were 58-percent less likely to develop breast cancer, as compared to women who consumed less soy during this period of their lives.”

For all its health benefits, many female foods incorporate soy as a primary ingredient. Zoe Foods offers cereals and bars containing soy, as well as essential fatty acids (EFAs). Tori Stuart, president of Zoe, noted soy is a complete source of lean protein.

Soy’s popularity might wax and wane over the years, but Maria Emmer-Aanes, director of marketing for Nature’s Path, said soy is still important and is particularly prized among older women.

ThinkProducts brands also offer soy-rich products popular with women. “As a woman trying to live a life of health and vitality while managing my weight and staying youthful, I have tried to ensure that all our brands are formulated to meet a woman’s special needs,” explained Lizanne Falsetto, CEO of thinkproducts. “In particular, thinkThin and the limited edition thinkThin Pink are rich in soy protein and sugar-free, to help support an active lifestyle while managing weight effectively.” She noted thinkThin Pink is a limited edition bar that has been created exclusively to raise awareness of, and funds for, breast cancer research, in partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The think line also includes thinkOrganic fruit and nut bars and thinkGreen superfoods bars, as well as newcomer think5 bar, which contains three cups of vegetables and two cups of fruits per serving.

Soy is not the only bone health ingredient in women-specific foods. Calcium and vitamin D are a well-known tag team fighting against osteoporosis. Michelle Traub, nutritionist and Web marketing coordinator with Thompson Brands, said the Adora Calcium chew product was designed primarily for women, because the risk for osteoporosis in women is high and calcium’s role in preventing the disease is very well established. “Adora is good for women because each piece provides 500 mg of calcium and 100 IU of vitamin D,” she said. “These nutrients work together and are critical for optimal bone health, especially if women are not getting enough of them in their diet—and studies show the majority of women do not get enough calcium through diet.” In fact, she noted compliance in taking calcium supplements is fairly poor because women don’t enjoy large pills or sticky chews. “Yet, women do love chocolate, so Adora seemed to be the perfect way to help them fulfill their calcium needs.”

Now women can wash these foods down with equally healthy functional beverages designed just for them. LUNA teamed up with The Republic of Tea to create the first line of organic, bottled Nutritional Iced Tea for Women. The drink is brewed from organic tea, has just 50 calories per 12-oz. bottle, is made with 70-percent organic ingredients and is all natural (no preservatives). The formulators also included folate to address birth defects, heart disease and dementia; calcium for strong bones and teeth; and vitamin D to help with calcium absorption as well as for its disease-fighting properties.

Another option is Emerald Balance chocolate drink mix, a functional whole food with high concentrations of silica, vitamins C and E plus detoxifying ingredients. “Although Emerald Balance is great for men and women, women find it especially great for their hair, skin and nails,” said Jan Lovejoy, founder and formulator of Emerald Balance. “When we feed our bodies whole food nutrition, our skin, hair and nails can reflect our state of health.” She explained silica is important in the creation of collagen and fibroblasts, in addition to its role in bone health and fighting diseases such as osteoporosis. Emerald Balance, which plays on the fact that many women crave chocolate, also contains antioxidants, which are beneficial to women, and omega-3s, which contribute to healthy skin, heart and brain, and curtail inflammation.

Using all their educational and scientific resources, women and manufacturers are coming together on a bevy of foods that specifically meet the increased nutritional needs relative to both general women’s health and the increasingly researched benefits for specific female health problems and disease trends. “Marketers and manufacturers must make sure they really understand the needs of today’s female consumer and provide products that meet those needs without compromise,” Becker stressed. “The natural products industry is an easy source of products and information for women that want to eat better and live healthier lives.”

Special Online Exclusive:  Reaching the Female Shopper.

Something Fishy? Salmon Boosts Breast Health

According to the most recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 181,646 women and 1,826 men were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003. Based on research from Harvard Medical School (Arch Intern Med. 2007;167:1050-1059), ocean-farmed salmon may be linked to the prevention of breast cancer due to the fish’s high vitamin D content—not to its omega-3 content that is well studied in heart disease and other areas of health research. They reported results show vitamin D-rich foods, such as ocean-farmed salmon, can help reduce breast cancer occurrence by as much as 35 percent. Arlene Riera-Daubon, executive director of Salmon of the Americas, called the results “exciting news that everybody—especially women—can easily put into practice.”

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