6 nutrients women need most

As a woman goes through life, her risk for developing certain health problems escalates.  Women wisely choosing foods supporting their unique needs in protecting them from diseases such as heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, breast cancer, and high blood pressure can go a long way in keeping them healthy.

All nutrients the human body requires are important for women but let’s take a look at six stand outs providing women that nutritional edge:

1.  Calcium

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body with over 99% of it found in our bones and teeth. It is has important roles in making bones and teeth strong, maintaining blood pressure, for blood clotting, muscle contraction and regulating our heartbeat. 

After the age of 35, both men and women start losing calcium from their bones.  But menopause triggers a rapid increase in the rate of bone loss for women putting them at risk of developing the brittle bone disease of osteoporosis making them more susceptible to breaking a bone. An adequate intake of calcium can help prevent or reduce bone loss and, in older women, reduce the risk of fractures. 

Each day, women between the ages of 19 and 50 (including women who are pregnant and breastfeeding) need 1,000 milligrams a day of calcium, according to the Institute of Medicine.  Women over the age of 50 need 1,200 milligrams a day. 

The best source of absorbable calcium is from food sources of this mineral.  Dairy foods provide the most calcium which is more absorbable than plant sources of calcium.  Dairy sources include milk, cottage cheese, cheese, and yogurt.  But many women do not get enough through diet alone.  In that case, women should take a calcium supplement. 

2.  Iron

The mineral iron has three main functions in the body – to assist in transporting and storing oxygen, assist in energy production and cell respiration, and to boost the immune system helping to produce white blood cells to fight bacteria.

Many women are iron deficient, depleting their energy levels and causing fatigue.  A woman’s menstrual cycle is one culprit for iron deficiency.  Women lose about one quarter of a cup of blood each month during her period further depleting a woman’s stores of iron. 

Other causes of iron deficiency in women can be a diet low in iron, low in vitamin C (vitamin C helps improve iron absorption), strict vegetarianism, women who are endurance athletes, or women who frequently diet restricting food intake. 

Before the age of 50, women need 18 milligrams of iron a day.  After menopause, women’s iron needs drops to only 8 milligrams a day, the same as a man’s.

Food sources rich in iron include red meat, pork and poultry, seafood, beans, dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, dried fruit such as raisins and apricots, iron-fortified cereals, breads and pastas, and peas.  Some women may need an iron supplement if their iron levels fall too low. 

3.  Folate or folic acid

Folate and folic acid are forms of a water-soluble B vitamin.  Folate is what occurs naturally in food sources of it and folic acid is the synthetic form of this vitamin found in fortified foods and supplements.  This B vitamin is necessary acting as part of a coenzyme needed for new cell synthesis.

All women of childbearing age should consume 400 micrograms of this B vitamin daily as folate helps protect against birth defects called neural tube defects, which include spina bifida. 

Folate and folic acid can also help reduce the risk of high blood pressure and anemia in women .

Rich food sources of folate include dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, asparagus, broccoli, citrus fruits, orange juice, beans, avocados, okra and Brussel sprouts.  A basic, one-a-day type vitamin containing 400 mcg of folic acid can also help fill in any gaps if a woman is falling short on her food intake of folate. 

4.  Vitamin D

Many of us are vitamin D deficient and for women that spells trouble in the form of developing brittle bones or worse, osteoporosis.  Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, which helps keep aging bones strong. 

There are three ways of getting vitamin D: exposing skin to sunlight, from vitamin D rich foods, and from vitamin D supplements.

Unfortunately, as a woman ages, her skin has less ability to make vitamin D in response to sunlight exposure.  But they can boost their intake by consuming foods containing the sunshine vitamin such as drinking milk, low-fat yogurts, cheese, vitamin  D-fortified orange juice, or eggs. 

5.  Omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are a form of polyunsaturated fat.  This healthy fat is associated with slowing down the growth of plaque buildup in the arteries helping lower blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association.

It is recommended that everyone should eat fish – particularly fatty fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, or trout – at least twice a week.  Using olive oil (a monounsaturated fat) in cooking is another excellent method for obtaining omega-3 fatty acids.

Research has shown that omega-3 fatty acids can increase HDL or good cholesterol while decreasing LDL or bad cholesterol.  For women who do not like to eat fish,  several studies have found that fish oil supplements – about 1 to 4 grams a day – reduced triglyceride levels by 20 to 50 percent. 

6.  Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is essential for maintaining healthy nerve cells, helps in the production of DNA and RNA, and works closely with folate to make red blood cells.  This nutrient is unique in that it is only found naturally in foods of animal origin such as beef, poultry, fish, eggs, cheese, and milk.  However, there are foods fortified with vitamin B12 such as breakfast cereals, plant-based milks like soy or almond, and some soy products. 

There are certain times in a woman’s life when she could fall short on getting in adequate vitamin B12 – pregnancy, if she is a vegan and as she ages.  Pregnant women may not be consuming enough foods rich in B12, vegans need to be careful in making sure they are choosing foods fortified with B12 and or use a supplement.  When a woman is older, having a mild deficiency of B12 is not uncommon.  This can be due to less production of stomach acid which the body needs to absorb B12. Continuing a diet abundant in both animal sources of B12 and foods fortified with it or taking a B12 supplement can help lessen the possibility of a deficiency.