8 Supplements That All Women Need ...

Calcium is a vital supplement for women for bone health and to prevent osteoporosis. As we get older, our bone mass tends to decrease and weaken and require more calcium. You can get calcium through dairy products but in case you didn’t get any dairy today or are lactose intolerant, women under 50 should aim for a supplement that contains around 500mg of calcium. Women over 50 should take about 800-1000mg of calcium in addition to eating calcium rich food.

I know, it sounds gross but it really isn’t. Fish oil is an essential supplement for women since it contains fats that our bodies can’t produce, its ability to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, enhance cognitive function and its anti-inflammatory properties. Many women avoid eating fish due to previous studies that showed that many types of fish contained mercury. So if you don’t eat fish often or avoid it, take around 1 gram per day. Avoid this supplement if you’re allergic to fish.

Have you ever tried to donate blood and were told your iron is too low? Iron is an important supplement for women for overall health but it can get tricky. Lacking iron can lead to fatigue, anemia and decreased immunity, where excessive levels of iron can lead to illness or even death. For women 19-50, the recommended amount of iron is 18 mg per day and women over 51 require 8. Consult your doctor to see if you should take a multivitamin with iron or a separate iron supplement.

We see a lot of cosmetics with CoQ10, but what is it?! It’s actually a substance that resembles a vitamin and can be naturally found in your body. CoQ10 is an antioxidant and helps with premature aging, maintaining heart health and boosting energy. Aim to take around 30-100 mg with food to help with absorption and reap the benefits of this awesome supplement for women!

This vital supplement for women might not sound as familiar as the others but it’s just as important. Lutein is another antioxidant that supports eye health as well as healthy tissues and help protect the skin. You can find Lutein in green, leafy veggies and fruits but for those who don’t get enough through food, take 6-10 mg with food.

We’re all encouraged to wear sunscreen everyday to prevent premature aging but doing so prevents us from getting vitamin D from being out in the sun naturally. When you don’t have vitamin D in your body, your body isn’t able to use calcium and it also helps prevents certain cancers so aim to take 1,000mg of this key supplement for women for optimal health.

This vitamin is another common ingredient in lotions and beauty products that is a fundamental supplement for women. This supplement helps with the development of red blood cells, decelerates changes in the body related to aging and maintains cell membranes. Women over the age of 15 should aim to take 15 mg of this supplement per day or get it from foods like sunflower seeds and wheat germ.

There are a variety of B Vitamins that are important for women’s health including B1, riboflavin B2, niacin B3, pantothenic acid B5 pyridoxine B6, cobalamin B12 and biotin. All B vitamins are crucial for us to produce energy to keep up with all that we do on a daily basis and Biotin is often recommended for healthy hair and nails. B Complex Vitamin is also key in lowering cholesterol, heart health, immune function and more. The amount of recommended B complex varies so check with your doctor on the proper amount for you.

Vitamins are essential for good health and as hard as we try, we don’t always get our recommended daily allowance through food. There are many vitamins that are essential supplements for women so use this guide to get you started and discuss what vitamins would best suit you with your physician.

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