The Best Vitamins and Supplements for Women
Overview
Vitamins and supplements play a major role in women’s health and should be taken to ensure proper health. Most women do not get all the nutrients that their
bodies need from diet alone Scottsdale and Phoenix, AZ areas. While it is advisable to eat a variety of healthful foods, it can be difficult to ensure complete nutrition just from food. Taking a multi-vitamin is one way to consume the vitamins required for optimal health. Some women choose to take individual vitamins instead of or in addition to their daily multi-vitamin. Certain vitamins are important for all women, especially those of child-bearing age.
Folic Acid
Women of childbearing age should take a supplement with 400 mcg of folic acid, or folate, each day. Folic acid helps to prevent neural tube birth defects. Examples of these birth defects include spina bifida and anencephaly. Since the neural tube develops early in pregnancy, it is important to take this vitamin before a woman even realizes she is pregnant.Multivitamins for Women Get a Vitamin Profile Personalized For Your Unique Nutritional Needs!
Calcium
Women should take calcium to help build bone mass in their early years, lessening the chance that they will be affected by osteoporosis, which is a loss of bone density. Women under the age of 24 should take 1,200 mg of calcium daily. Once a woman is 25, she can safely reduce her intake of calcium to 800 mg per day.
Iron
Each month, a woman loses some iron through menstruation. Supplementing with 15 mg of iron per day can help women avoid iron deficiency anemia, a condition that can cause paleness, headaches, and fatigue. Iron can be taken in supplement form or through foods such as meat, fish, peas, beans, and spinach. Taking excessive amounts of iron can be harmful, so women should seek medical advice before taking more than 15 mg of iron supplements per day.
Vitamin D
Studies have shown Vitamin D to be helpful in protecting women against colon and breast cancer. There is some evidence that Vitamin D supplementation can raise immune system function, preventing colds and influenza. Vitamin D also can regulate the levels of calcium in the human body. Women should consume a minimum of 400 IU of this vitamin per day. Women, who are obese or who have dark skin, should talk to their doctors about taking more than the minimum recommended amount. Good sources include sunlight, dairy products and Vitamin D3 supplements.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that can help prevent some cancers, coronary heart disease, strokes, hypertension and cataracts. Vitamin C deficiency can lead to rickets, a disease that causes bleeding, bruising, hair loss, loose teeth and joint pain. Women should consume 75 mg of Vitamin C per day. Women who smoke need more Vitamin C, and should consume 110 mg per day. Good dietary sources of Vitamin C include citrus fruits, strawberries, red peppers and broccoli. Natural and synthetic Vitamin C supplements are also available.
Folic Acid
2,500 IU (50% DV), 20% as beta-carotene. The 100% DV of 5,000 IU is too much for women with relatively healthy diets, which is why One-A-Day Women’s cut that amount in half. Most multis pack in too much A — typical doses range from 3,500 to 5,000 IU — and some provide even more. Part of One-A-Day’s vitamin A comes from beta-carotene, a compound that converts to A in the body, which is shown to be safer than straight-up A.
B Vitamins
(B6, B12, riboflavin, thiamin, and niacin) (100% DV for all except for 50% DV for niacin). Bs are in plenty of foods, especially vitamin-spiked cereals, so there’s no need for more. (PMS relief claims aren’t supported by research.)
Vitamin E
30 IU (100% DV). There’s no evidence you need more than what’s found here: Research has failed to prove that extra E protects against cardiovascular disease or cancer.
Vitamin K
25 mcg (31% DV). Vitamin K works with vitamin D and calcium to build bones, yet some multis leave K out altogether because it can interfere with blood-thinning drugs like coumadin that are used to treat heart disease. Women with healthy hearts, on the other hand, should probably add a supplement that contains about 100 mcg. WH pick: Puritan’s Pride All Natural Vitamin K (100 mcg). Take it with your vitamin D pill at dinner. The fat in your food will boost absorption.
Magnesium
50 mg (13% DV). Most women don’t get enough of this mineral that protects against heart disease, diabetes, and colon cancer — and multis, including One-A-Day Women’s, don’t provide much either. Aim to get to 320 mg a day with the help of another supplement. Take it with a meal — magnesium on an empty stomach can make you queasy.
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