Everyone knows how important vitamins are. Most medical experts recommend getting the vitamins straight from their natural sources and only using vitamin supplements when necessary. However, not everyone has the same needs when it comes to vitamins. Women have specific needs that should be met in order to stay healthy and strong.
Who do women need vitamins?
Women today live differently that fifty years ago. Today they are emancipated, they work, raise children and take care of their home all at the same time. They no longer live in large family communities where they could receive help from many family members, and the burden they carry has certain effects on their health.
In addition, women usually do not have the time to go to local farmer’s markets where they could purchase fresh and toxin-free foods. Instead, they pop to the local supermarket and buy products that are industrially manufactured and that often do not contain all the nutrients they should. Then, at work, they only have time for a quick lunch that usually means fast food, and everyone knows that fast food, in most cases, has little or no nutritional value.
In order to stay healthy despite of all that, women should take additional vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.
Vitamins for women
An average meal usually contains all the important macronutrients- carbohydrates, fats and proteins, but unfortunately it is the micronutrients that are often lacking. Those micronutrients should be taken through supplements, usually in form of multivitamins.
In order to stay healthy and to prevent cancer and osteoporosis, every woman should take enough antioxidants, minerals, alpha-lipoic acid, folic acid and vitamins. Heart disease can be prevented by taking enough essential fatty acids, namely omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These can be found in foods like fish, but many women take them in form of supplements too.
As for the minerals, magnesium and calcium are particularly important. Calcium, as everyone knows, is vital for proper bone development and bone health, and it is best if it is taken together with vitamin D3.
Women who are pregnant or are planning on getting pregnant should make sure they take enough folic acid or folate, also known as vitamin B9. The deficiency of this vitamin can be very dangerous because it may cause birth defects in the baby, especially neural tube defects. Folic acid is also very important for women in menopause.
It is always better to consult a doctor before buying vitamins and other supplements. This is because the doctor will know which ones are the most important for the woman in question and he or she will also recommend brands that are trusted and safe.
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