A new fad to hit supermarkets and women's magazines is food "designed" especially for women. While it's true that women's nutritional needs change at different stages of their lives, are special foods really the best way to go?

These new gender-specific foods include cereals that are fortified with calcium, iron, folic acid, soy and antioxidants. Many "nutrition bars for women" are really just fortified candy bars. Herb drinks and yogurts have added "special ingredients" to combat yeast infections and other "female problems."

Public health experts advise that women can get all the nutrition they need from regular food. Their advice includes:

• Women don't need special oatmeal. Plain oatmeal will do just as much for you as "female" oatmeal, and it costs less.
• It has never been shown that eating any commercially available yogurt reduces yeast infections. While there's no harm in eating yogurt, there is no need for yogurt that's been specially formulated for women.
• The herbs in women's herb drinks have not been shown to help menopausal or menstrual symptoms.
• Fortified junk food is still junk food.

Nothing can take the place of a diet rich in fruits, whole grains, vegetables and nonfat or low-fat dairy products. If you need extra calcium, folic acid, iron or vitamins, take supplements - they are a practical, inexpensive solution.

Related information: Lifestyle changes - Manage weight - Eating well | Nutrition channel - Nutrition basics

Source:  UC Berkeley School of Public Health. A health bar of one's own? UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, March 2002;18(6):5.