A well planned diet for women should supply both macronutrients, like proteins, carbohydrates, and fat, as well as micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals. Without vitamins and minerals, our bodies cannot synthesize new cells, build new tissues and produce the energy we need, regardless of how much carbohydrate, protein, fat and water we ingest everyday. Vitamins also serve as anti-oxidants, chelating heavy metals and attracting free radicals to detoxify our systems. Some help fight infection, clot blood, heal wounds, and strengthen bones. Others contribute to hormone production, stable cholesterol levels, conversion of food into energy and healthy cell regeneration.
Normally, we can obtain the vitamins to meet the Recommended Dietary Allowances from a balanced diet. Whole foods are the preferred source of important vitamins and minerals for your health. Never forget to add high vitamin vegetables and fruits, such as broccoli, oranges, strawberries, or spinach to your meals.
In a perfect world, you’d always eat right, but in the real world of busy schedules, fast food and processed food lead the monthly grocery list items, thus leading to deficiency diseases. Heavy menstrual periods, vegetarian diets, or just nixing top iron sources such as red meat can leave you too pooped to feel fit. Are you a vegetarian? Plant sources of iron are poorly absorbed, leaving you anemic. Hence taking a multivitamin supplement is a good insurance policy.
Not everything we swallow is absorbed by our bodies. Fat-soluble vitamins like A and D have the capacity to be stored in our bodies. Others, like vitamin C and some of the Bs, are water-soluble, which means they are eliminated in our urine and sweat and must be replenished regularly. Every essential nutrient has a vital task in our bodies. Moreover, each one usually works synergistically with one or several others. For example, vitamin E works more efficiently in the presence of vitamin C. Calcium has a much higher absorption rate when taken with magnesium. And zinc may assist a variety of other nutrients to bolster the immune system.
A diet rich in vitamin C may slow the progression of osteoarthritis, the most common joint disorder in older individuals. Osteoporosis affects a large percentage of older women, and this condition typically begins in a woman in her 30′s. A woman over 40 should consider supplementing her diet with calcium and magnesium along with vitamin D. Ultraviolet rays from sunlight trigger vitamin D synthesis in the skin. We can create 20,000 IU of vitamin D in just 20 minutes of sun exposure. Not only is vitamin D important for calcium absorption, it aids weight loss, strengthens bone, and protects against cancer and depression. The major biologic function of vitamin D is to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. Without vitamin D, bones can become thin, brittle, or misshapen.
For those of us who live in areas where sunshine is relatively rare round the year, it will be wise to go on a supplement of vitamin D. Vitamin K is often overlooked in regard to bone health, where it is very important. The body needs it to manufacture certain proteins that are necessary for bone formation. The best sources of vitamin K are leafy green vegetables.
Western diet that is high in sugar and fats may be substantially lacking in chromium, normally found in foods such as liver, whole grain cereals, meat, cheese, brewer’s yeast, molasses, mushrooms and egg yolk. Chromium is used in the treatment of: high cholesterol levels, diabetes, heart disease, depression and anxiety, and premenstrual syndrome related symptoms.
If you are pregnant and your hands and feet swell, Vitamin B6 may help you get rid of excess fluid. But you have to be careful, as this vitamin, found in potatoes, bananas, brown rice and avocados, can get lost in processing. Elderly people have trouble absorbing B vitamins. Many of these vitamins work synergistically with other B vitamins. If you like to take care of your brittle nails or want to prevent hair loss, you would benefit by taking biotin (B7 or vitamin H) supplements. Biotin aids in cell growth, in fatty acid production, in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins and in the utilization of other B-complex vitamins. Biotin works synergistically with vitamin B6, riboflavin and other B vitamins. It also helps to lower blood sugar levels. People with level 2 diabetes have significantly lower biotin levels. Biotin, found in brewer’s yeast, soy flour, cereals, egg yolks, milk, nuts and vegetables, is destroyed by food processing techniques such as canning.
Beta Carotene reduces risk from cancer, heart disease, aging, cataract etc and is provided by fruits and vegetables rich in carotenoids.
Magnesium can help to ease not only premenstrual syndrome, but also high blood pressure and kidney stones. Magnesium helps to turn food into energy, and also in transmitting electrical impulses across nerves and muscles. It is also vital for absorption of calcium. This vital mineral may be deficient in people with diabetes or in those who consume excess calcium or use diuretics indiscriminately.
If there is a lack of iron, vitamin B12 or folic acid (one of the B group of vitamins) anemia will develop. Most women in their reproductive years come up short on iron, used by the body to make hemoglobin. Iron, which is absorbed in the intestine, comes in two forms hee and nonheme. Heme is found in meat and is usually well absorbed by the body, whereas non-heme comes from plants and is poorly absorbed. If you are experiencing fatigue, split nails, sore tongue, cold hands and feet or vague gastrointestinal problems such as gas, belching or constipation, the reason can be attributed to lack of iron. Take iron tablets along with meal for better absorption. Have your doctor test hemoglobin, hematocrit, and serum ferritin, the storage form of iron.
Folic acid also prevents birth defects and may lower the risk of cancer. All women of reproductive age, women who have a drink a day or more and anyone who wants to lower her risk of colon cancer must have 400 mcg (600 mcg if you’re pregnant) of folic acid. Elderly people are particularly at risk of vitamin B12 deficiency, although it may also be present in the young women. Anemia due to a lack of vitamin B12 is called pernicious anemia. Vitamin B12 is essential for the nervous system, which is why a deficiency can also cause inflammation of the nerves (neuritis) and dementia (mental deterioration). A vegetarian or vegan diet can cause deficiency because vitamin B12 is only found in foods of animal origin, such as meat, fish, eggs and milk. It can also be caused by the inability of the small intestine to absorb vitamin B12.
A group of phytonutrients called bioflavenoids aids the immune system by protecting the cells of the body against environmental pollutants. Along the membrane of each cell there are microscopic parking spaces, called receptor sites. Pollutants, toxins, or germs can park here and gradually eat their way into the membrane of the cell, but when bioflavenoids fill up these empty spots there is no room for toxins to park. Bioflavenoids also reduce the cholesterol’s ability to form plaques in arteries and lessen the formation of microscopic clots inside arteries, which can lead to heart attack and stroke. A diet that contains a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, at least six servings per day, will help you get the bioflavenoids needed to help your immune system work in top form.
Selenium is a natural mineral that increases natural killer cells and mobilizes cancer-fighting cells. Best food sources of selenium are tuna, red snapper, lobster, shrimp, whole grains, vegetables, brown rice, egg yolks, cottage cheese, chicken (white meat), sunflower seeds, garlic, Brazil nuts, and lamb chops.
Essential fatty acids protect the body against damage from over-reactions to infection. When taking essential fatty acid supplements, such as flax or fish oils, take additional vitamin E, which acts together with essential fatty acids to boost the immune system. One way to get more omega-3 fatty acids in your diet is to add one to three teaspoons of flax oil to a fruit and yogurt smoothie.
By: Uma Shankari About the Author:
Uma Shankari is a Bangalore-based freelance journalist. She is passionate about writing. She writes regularly on development issues, health and fitness, yoga/meditation, life and relationships. She has developed a website devoted to Health & Fitness. Read some of her articles at Superfitzone [http://www.superfitzone.com].
