Men or women both require essential nutrients to live healthily and happily. But we all know that bodies of men and women demand a different amount of nutrients.
A woman’s body goes through many stages—puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause. And all these stages demand some essential nutrients, especially for women.
In this article, we have listed essential vitamins that must be a top priority of women over other vitamins. Vitamins are essential nutrients critical for our body’s overall good functioning and health.
So, if you are a woman, here are the top 5 essential vitamins for you to consume daily. But if you are men then also read the article because vitamins do not discriminate and benefit all! So, let’s get started.
5 Essential vitamins for Women
Nowadays, women take care of their health regardless of their age or type of life. And why not? Women have always been at high risk of diseases, whether it is immunity deficient diseases or cancer.
The best vitamins that all women require to have a healthy body from brain to toes irrespective of age or physical life are the following:
1. Vitamin B9 (Folate/Folic Acid)
Vitamin B9 is an essential water-soluble vitamin (that does not get stored in our body and needs to be replenished daily) that women’s bodies require to function correctly.
Rich Sources of Vitamin B9:
- Broccoli
- Avocados
- Oranges
- Bananas
- Melons
- Leafy vegetables
- Brussels Sprouts
Benefits of Vitamin B9 for women
- Cell Development: It helps in the development of RBC and the repair of DNA and RNA. Also, it helps in the development of cells, further improving skin, hair, and nail growth.
- Reduce Stress: Vitamin B9 can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Many studies have shown that people who suffer from high stress and anxiety have a low level of folic acid.
- Pregnancy and Fatal Development: Vitamin B9 ensures rapid cell growth in embryos, fetuses, infants, and teens. Daily consumption of Vitamin B9 helps in the evolution of strong tissue during pregnancy.
Lack of Vitamin B9 in pregnant women can cause fetal abnormalities and medical conditions. So, overall, Vitamin B9 is essential for women to ensure a healthier pregnancy and fetal development.
Recommended Dosage: The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of Vitamin B9 for
- Men and women (19 above): 400 mcg
- Pregnant and Lactating Women: 600 mcg and 500 mcg, respectively
The maximum dosage for Vitamin B9 is 1000 mcg per day (only for supplements). However, excess intake of Vitamin B9 causes not many side effects.
2. Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin (that gets stored in fat cells) that our body needs to regulate calcium and phosphate levels. It is a vitamin that we obtain from sunshine, but there are sources as well:
- Eggs
- Fish
- Mushroom
- Milk
- Cheese
- Beef and calf liver
Benefits of Vitamin D for women
- Strengthen Bones: Women lose calcium in bones at a very early stage than men. Vitamin D facilitates healthy bones as it regulates the calcium absorption level.
- Improves Fertility in women: Vitamin D reduces the level of estrogen and progesterone hormones in women that are responsible for infertility. An adequate intake level of Vitamin D also reduces the risk of PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome).
- Lowers the risk of breast cancer by 30%
Vitamin D deficiency in women increases the risk of gestational diabetes, colon and breast cancer, preeclampsia in pregnant women.
Recommended Dosage: The recommended intake of Vitamin D for men and women (below 70) is 600 mcg and for above 70 years is 800 mcg.
3. Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, widely known for its ability to improve overall skin health. And God knows how much women are fond of their skin! So, I think I have made my point clear why vitamin C is essential for women.
Rich sources of Vitamin C:
- Citrus fruits like vegetables, strawberries, grapes, etc.
- Cauliflower
- Bell Peppers
- Broccoli
- Brussels Sprouts
Benefits of Vitamin C for women
- Promotes Skin Health: It acts as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging agent. It also boosts collagen production that helps to improve skin health.
- Reduces stress and hypertension: Stress and hypertension in women can affect the hormones of women. Regular consumption of Vitamin C helps to reduce stress and hypertension.
- Menstrual Flow Regulation: Vitamin C is also essential to regulate the menstrual flow by lowering the estrogen and progesterone levels.
- It can also reduce pregnancy-related complications.
Recommended Dosage: The RDA of Vitamin C for:
- Girls (13-15 years): 66 mg/day
- Girls (16-18 years): 68 mg/day
- Women: 65 mg/day
- Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women: 80 mg/day and 115 mg/day, respectively.
4. Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a well-known ingredient in the beauty industry. It acts as an antioxidant that protects us from free radicals. But it is more beyond than just a beauty vitamin.
Rich sources of Vitamin E
- Almonds
- Avocados
- Hazelnuts
- Peanuts
- Sunflower seeds
- Turnip greens
Benefits of Vitamin E for women
- Reduces PMS and Hot Flashes Pain: PMS (Pre-menstrual syndrome) is an excruciating period for women and so do hot flashes at the menopause stage. But Vitamin E helps reduce the pain in both periods.
- Extremely helpful for skin and hair health: Most beauty products made with natural ingredients include Vitamin E, which proved to be beneficial.
- It also helps in reducing stretch marks after pregnancy.
Recommended Dosage: The RDA of Vitamin E for men and women (above 14 years) is 15 mg, including pregnant women; for lactating women, the RDA of Vitamin E is 19 mg.
5. Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is an essential water-soluble vitamin that helps increase RBC production, supports building DNA structure, and improves female reproductive health and pregnancy.
Rich sources of Vitamin B12:
- Dairy Products
- Fish
- Poultry
- Meat
Benefits of Vitamin B12 for women
- Ensures women’s health during pregnancy: Vitamin B12 is responsible for women’s health during pregnancy. Lack of Vitamin B12 can cause frequent miscarriages and birth child defects.
- Keep blood and nerves healthy: Vitamin B12 helps increase RBC production, which keeps the blood healthy. Also, it is associated with keeping the nervous system happy!
Recommended Dosage: The RDA of Vitamin B12 for
- Adult women: 2.4 mcg
- Pregnant women: 2.6 mcg
- Lactating women: 2.8 mcg
Conclusion
Vitamins keep you healthy! Although all the vitamins mentioned above are essential for women, they are equally vital for men too! Every person should include rich sources of the vitamin in their diet regardless of gender, age, or activity.
Here we end our article; see you in the next one. Until then, eat full plate of vitamins and other nutrients as well and be healthy!
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