When it comes to the essential nutrients and minerals required by the body, most people would lack even meeting the daily requirement levels. Men and women both may lack in many of the vitamins required for proper functioning of the body. However, women are found to be typically more deficient in the essential vitamin and mineral requirements due to their tendencies of dieting. Researches show that women have more propensity of jumping on to the dietary or vitamin supplements as they cut down on food for maintaining the picture perfect body shape and weight.
Vitamins: What Are They And Why Is It Needed?
Vitamins are chemicals that are required for specific functionality of the body. Without the essential vitamins the body cannot function properly leading to various deficiencies. In case the deficiencies are too much, one can suffer from serious health problems. Thus, to avoid such conditions vitamins should be present in everyday diet at a desired quantity depending on the age of the woman.
Essential Vitamins For Women
- Vitamin A: It is one of most found vitamins in many foods. It has various usefulness ranging from good vision, good functioning of the immune system, and reproductive system to proper functioning of the lungs, heart, kidneys, etc. in other words the whole body.
Foods which are rich in vitamin A are as follows:
- Animal meat and liver
- Fish like eel, tuna, salmon, herring, oyster, etc
- Colorful vegetables and green leafy vegetables like carrot, beetroot, broccoli, squash, etc
- Fruits such as pumpkin, watermelon, cantaloupe, mangoes, apricots
- Cereals
- Dairy products like milk, cheese, butter, cottage cheese, etc.
- Vitamin B: Vitamin B is a group of 8 vitamins: Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9 and B12 are essential for the metabolism process of the body, to keep up the muscle toned and for the proper functioning of brain.
The foods containing vitamin B are:
- Cereals
- Whole grains
- Beans
- Asparagus
- Eggs
- Chicken breast
- Low fat yogurt.
- Vitamin C: This vitamin is very well known for its magical effect to prevent cold. It also improves your immune system and digestive system, prevents heart diseases, eye problems, prenatal complications and the most important is reducing weight.
Food those are rich in Vitamin C:
- All citrus fruits, and fruits like papaya, strawberry, pineapple, guava, grape, kiwi
- Vegetables like broccoli, spinach, cabbage, chili pepper, potatoes and tomatoes
- Animal sources like calf liver, beef liver, cow and goat milk.
- Vitamin D: This is the only vitamin which could be produced by the body when exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D is a wonder drug as it has varied usefulness. It helps in the absorption of iron, calcium, phosphate, zinc, magnesium, and potassium. It is also known for reducing the risk of breast cancer and prevents diabetes and ovarian cancer. Not to mention its effectiveness in keeping the bones strong and healthy. Foods which contain Vitamin D are milk and dairy products, fish like salmon and oyster. However, the best source is early morning exposure to sunlight. If you want the bones to be stronger, wear a hat, put on some sunscreen and take a sun bath.
- Vitamin E: Known for its benefits of giving a glowing skin, this vitamin also helps in red blood cell production and preventing the cell membrane from damage. Vitamin E helps in preventing age-related skin problems. The food sources are Wheat germ oil, sunflower and safflower oil, almond oil, nuts like hazelnut and almond, green leafy vegetables such as spinach and lettuce, fruits and vegetables like potatoes, broccoli, pumpkin, kiwi, sweet potato, avocado, and mango, dairy product like butter while animal source include egg yolk.
- Vitamin K: Though it is not considered to be a very essential vitamin, it plays a major role in normal blood clotting. Vitamin K also stimulates in maintaining a strong bone density and prevents loss of bone in osteoporosis patients. Having Vitamin K deficiencies can severely impair blood coagulation and make you bleed constantly. Food sources include spinach, mustard greens and turnip greens, broccoli, parsley, cabbage and asparagus, fruits such as kiwi, avocados, and grapes, animal sources like chicken leg and liver, salmon, low-fat beef, dairy product like milk and cheese.
Daily Doses Of Vitamin Required For Healthy Living In Woman
Although you get the vitamins from the food you eat, yet there are specific intake quantities required for a woman’s body at different stages of life. Deficiencies in these quantities for a long time could lead to various diseases and disorders. However, it needs to be kept in mind that the upper limit should not be crossed. Below is the list of the requirements per day:
Dietary Supplements For Vitamin Deficient Women
If you are a woman and in case you are deficient in any of these essential vitamins or your daily diet doesn’t meet the daily requirements, then there are plenty of dietary supplements available in the market. One can opt individual vitamin capsules or the easiest way is to take a multivitamin capsule which would include all the above mentioned vitamins.
Dangers of Exceeding The Upper Limit Intake of Vitamins
Vitamins are very essential for the body’s normal functioning and a deficiency in one could lead to health problems. However, the most important thing to be kept in mind is not to exceed the upper limit for any vitamin. Excess of any vitamin can also lead to serious health complications. Excess of vitamin K can cause thrombosis, spontaneous coagulation of blood which can lead to death if not controlled.
Thus, the key to good health is optimum levels of all essential vitamins but within the upper limits.
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