What Vitamins Should Women Take?

There are too many vitamins out there on the racks and suddenly, you are lost on what to buy as you are flooded with the sight of various colorful labels promising you perfect health. If this scenario sounds familiar, chances are, you are not alone. Many of us are just confused with thousands of choices out there on how to achieve optimum health in the most natural and safe way that our money can buy.

Women have various physical and psychological needs at every stage of their lives and it must be addressed to properly. From puberty, pregnancy, to menopause, women indeed need all the help from the right nutrients that will ease their way through these ordeals. The problem is knowing which really works on what age, and what program must one follow to support one’s health.

Vitamins give the body essential chemicals at a cellular level, making each organ function properly. Women can get essential vitamins by taking 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables from the healthy food pyramid chart. In reality, this is not met and vitamin deficiencies arise. It is important to know that not all vitamins are the same for each woman, and that one must consider her age and hormones before buying one. A woman at her 30s has various nutrient needs than a woman at her 50s.

Here’s a List of Vitamins Women Need to Have:

1. Vitamin D

More often called as the Sunshine Vitamin, your body can’t produce it and for this, you need to get a supplement. Vitamin D helps strengthen your bones and teeth. Research shows that it can work great against PMS, colon cancer, and rheumatoid arthritis. This vitamin also helps in better calcium and phosphorus absorption which is great in fighting osteoporosis.

2. Vitamin A

Not only great for vision, Vitamin A is great in boosting the immune system with its anti-oxidant powers. Beta-Carotene should make at least 20% of this, which can be found in many carotenoid fruits and vegetables like carrots, apricots, pumpkins, and tomatoes.

3. Vitamin B

Women need this vitamin to keep the balance in their hormones. Not only is it great against nerve disorders, but it is also great for the brains and immune system. At a later stage in life, this vitamin can help protect against heart diseases.

4. Vitamin C

Ascorbic acid plays an important role in healing, from the inside to the outside, from the red blood cells to skin wounds. Vitamin C is great for making one cope with stress and boost one’s immunity against the aging process.

5. Vitamin E

Pure, topical vitamin E can help diminish facial wrinkles and fine lines with a few drops in the evening before going to bed. This is a very important antioxidant for women, which helps promote healthy skin, hair, and nails.

6. Vitamin K

This vitamin helps in the blood’s clotting abilities, which is essential for bone formation and prevention of heart diseases. Older women will surely benefit from Vitamin K and find them abundantly in green, leafy vegetables like broccoli and spinach.

7. Iron & Folate

Iron helps form healthy red blood cells which can help fight iron deficiency or anemia, and folate helps prevent birth defects in women’s pregnancy. Folic acid prevents neural or spinal cord defects in the first 28 days of a woman’s pregnancy. You can get breads and cereals fortified with folate, or get this vitamin from asparagus, cantaloupes, citrus fruits, legumes, eggs, and beans.

There is no way that we can get all these essential vitamins from the foods we eat daily, specially with so many nutrient-deficient, processed foods that proliferate the market today. It is important to consult your physician to know the safe, recommended daily dosage that’s right for your age. Know the right units to take and always choose supplements that are safe, natural, and effective. Love Your Vitamins!

Dr. Oz gives you a no-fuss guide on what supplements to take in his video: