Women's Unique Vitamin and Mineral Requirements
Hi, my friends,
Senior Editor Madonna Leon here at WHR. As a mother of three, I am writing about issues related to vitamins, nutrition, and balanced diets.
Every vitamin and mineral is essential for optimal health. Vitamins and minerals frequently function in tandem in the body. It is optimal to obtain vitamins and minerals from a wide variety of foods from all food categories. Create a nutritious plate by including fruits, vegetables, dairy, grains, and a variety of protein foods.
We need to nourish our bodies with vitamins and minerals, especially as women. Each vitamin and mineral helps our bodies in different ways and is necessary for optimal health. Because of the unique ways in which our bodies work, women require higher amounts of certain nutrients than men do.
Agenda
- What vitamins are especially critical for women?
- What minerals are especially critical for women?
- When should I take a vitamin or mineral supplement?
What vitamins are especially critical for women?
In general, there are three vitamins that women should prioritize based on different circumstances.
1. Vitamin D
Why vitamin D is important for women?
- Vitamin D decreases cellular inflammation.
- Vitamin D helps your immune system combat pathogens that can cause illness.
- Vitamin D combined with calcium promotes bone health and prevents osteoporosis.
- Women who are postmenopausal
- Women who are obese
- Have undergone gastric bypass (weight loss) surgery.
- Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin; the gut must absorb it. If you have IBS (inflammatory bowel disease) or any other disease that makes it difficult for the intestine to absorb fat, you should not take vitamin D supplements.
- You receive little sunlight (you reside in the north of the country or you are housebound).
- Black, Hispanic, or Asian-American: as stated in the peer-reviewed article published in the BMC Public Health journal, because melanin absorbs and scatters UVR-B, vitamin D production is strongly dependent on melanin content in the skin, resulting in a less effective conversion of 7-dehydrocholesterol to previtamin D3. As a result, dark-skinned people will have slower vitamin D synthesis than light-skinned people.
- Foods fortified with vitamins and minerals (low-fat or fat-free milk, some brands of orange juice, cereals, soy drinks, and yogurt)
- Fish (salmon, tuna)
2. Vitamin B12
Why vitamin B12 is important for women?
- Facilitates proper function of neurons (nerve cells).
- Promotes the production of RBCs in the body.
- Age 50 or older: We lose the ability to absorb vitamin B12 as we get older, so taking a supplement or eating fortified foods can help.
- Pregnant: Your unborn child's development relies heavily on your intake of vitamin B12. Your baby's birth weight and health could suffer without it.
- Vegetarian: Since animal products are the main source of vitamin B12, supplementation may be necessary. If you are planning on exclusively breastfeeding your infant, it is important to discuss the possibility of supplementation with your doctor or nurse.
- Eggs
- Fat-free or low-fat milk
- Poultry
- Seafood (clams)
- Fish (sardines, flounder, herring)
- Blue cheese
- Liver
- Nutritional yeast
- Foods with vitamin B12 added (some cereals, fortified soy beverages, and veggie burgers)
3. Vitamin B9 (also known as folic acid or folate)
Why vitamin B9 is important for women?
- Neural tube defects are a type of birth abnormality that can occur in the first three months of pregnancy. Folic acid can help avoid these defects.
- Folic acid helps to prevent births that are premature and those with a low birth weight.
- Folic acid assists your body in producing blood cells as well as DNA for new cells.
- Every day, women who are pregnant or who have the potential to become pregnant need to consume between 400 and 800 mcg of folic acid through either dietary supplements (the majority of prenatal vitamins contain this amount) or foods that have been fortified, such as many breakfast cereals.
- Even if you do not intend to become pregnant in the near future, it is critical to ensure that you consume an adequate amount of folic acid because around 45% of all pregnancies that occur in the United States are unplanned.
- Oranges and pure orange juice.
- Nuts: nuts are tasty little packages that contain healthful unsaturated fats, protein, fiber, and additional nutrients. Check out this article from Harvard Health Publishing about a quick-start guide to nuts and seeds.
- Beans: beans have a high fiber content and are high in folate. Free-download this study done by North Dakota State University: All About Beans Nutrition, Health Benefits, Preparation and Use in Menus.
- Poultry: poultry meat consumption as part of a vegetable-rich diet has been linked to a lower risk of developing overweight and obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes mellitus, as stated in this peer-reviewed article published on Food & Nutrition Research.
- Liver: The liver is high in protein, iron, zinc, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin A, and folate. Check out this comprehensive research article from the University of Wollongong to understand more. Liver is an exceptional source of folate, whereas lean meat tissue has low folate levels.
- Whole grains: whole grain kernels are made up of three parts: bran, germ, and endosperm. Each part contains nutrients that promote wellness. Read this simple article from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health about the facts about whole grains.
- Cereals with added folic acid
What minerals are especially critical for women?
Basically, there are two minerals that women should prioritize.
1. Iron
Why iron is important for women?
- Some hormones and connective tissue in the body can't be produced without iron.
- Iron helps the body produce strong oxygen-carrying blood cells.
- Women who are expecting a child: In order to produce enough blood for their growing infants, pregnant women need a higher iron intake.
- Any and all women who experience menstruation: Periods are associated with iron loss.
- It’s critical to know that getting enough iron from food alone is a problem for many women, especially pregnant women. This may increase your risk of developing iron-deficiency anemia. Because of this disease, the heart must pump harder, delivering more oxygen to the body's tissues. Symptoms of anemia include fatigue, weakness, and lightheadedness.
- The daily iron requirements for the rest of your life are: (1) From 19-50 years old: 18 mg; (2) Pregnancy-Safe Dose: 27 mg; (3) Over the age of 51: 8 mg.
- Lean red meats
- Chicken
- Liver
- Spinach
- Tofu
- Seafood
- Beans
- Dark chocolate
- Cereals/breads with iron added
2. Calcium
Why calcium is important for women?
- Calcium aids in the protection and building of strong bones, as well as the prevention of osteoporosis. Because your bones contain calcium, if you don't get enough calcium from meals, your body will extract calcium from them, making them weak and easily fractured.
- Calcium improves communication between the brain and muscles.
- Girls between the ages of 9 and 18 require 1,300 milligrams (mg) of calcium per day. During this period, bones absorb calcium and form strong bones for adulthood and later life.
- Adult women require 1,000 mg of calcium every day.
- After menopause, you need 1,200 mg of calcium per day to halt bone loss caused by aging.
- Low-fat or fat-free yogurt
- Cheese
- Milk
- Foods with calcium added (some soy beverages, 100% orange juice, tofu, and cereals; canned salmon; and dark green leafy vegetables)
When should I take a vitamin or mineral supplement?
A well-balanced diet should supply you with all the vitamins and minerals your body requires. However, supplements may be necessary for the following five categories of women:
1. Vegetarians: Some vitamins are more readily available in animal food than in plant ones. Vitamin B12, for instance, is only present in animal products (such eggs and dairy) and nowhere in plants. Vitamins B2 (riboflavin), B12, and D may be difficult for vegans to receive through food alone.
2. Women past menopause: Hormonal shifts after menopause cause women to lose bone density more rapidly than males. Calcium and vitamin D are two nutrients that many women do not receive enough of. Osteoporosis can be avoided with the help of calcium, vitamin D, and weight-bearing activity. The accompanying data suggests that women may also want vitamin B12 supplements.
3. Pregnant or potentially pregnant women: Taking a supplement is the best way to make sure you get enough folic acid every day to reduce your risk of developing neural tube defects like spina bifida. Make sure the supplement you're considering includes 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid or more by checking the label.
4. Women who struggle to maintain a healthy diet because of a busy lifestyle: It's not always easy to fit healthy food preparation into a busy schedule that includes work, family, and other commitments. The typical American diet is rich in calories, sugar, sodium, and harmful fats, but eating out and depending on convenience foods can change that.
5. Women who are prone to emotional eating: Comfort foods heavy in sugar, salt, and fat are often sought out in times of stress, worry, and depression. When you eat when you're feeling down or stressed out, it can set off a vicious cycle of overeating, guilt, and humiliation.
Okay, I think we've covered everything for now. I'll see you all soon, my dear buddies.
We wish you a pleasant reading experience. If you sign up for our newsletter, we'll make sure to keep you updated on any new developments in the realm of women's health.
Yours,
Madonna
WHR: Women Health Review
