It’s hard to deny that women have slightly different needs than men. This also applies to issues related to supplementation. The differences result, m.in from the different functioning of the endocrine system. What should women supplement? What vitamins for women are crucial during sports, pregnancy and menopause? What minerals should a woman take to maintain healthy skin, hair and nails?
What supplements should women take?
It is difficult to give an unambiguous answer to the above question. Which supplements women should take depends on their current needs, age and goal. Supplementation is used in specific cases. For example, a product with a formulation that clearly indicates beauty support will not be helpful in alleviating the signs of menopause.
It is also worth noting that dietary supplements should not be treated as “golden mean“. These are valuable additions to a varied diet, which work well for women on many levels. Among them are m.in:
- Slimming
- Menopause
- the period of planning offspring, pregnancy and breastfeeding
- sleep difficulties, psychophysical fatigue, exposure to stress
- Beauty support (maintaining healthy skin, hair or nails)
- support during exercise, regardless of whether the workouts are purely recreational or professional
What should pregnant women supplement?
During the planning period of offspring, as well as during pregnancy, it is necessary to guarantee the body an optimal supply of folic acid. This ingredient is responsible for the growth of maternal tissues and supports the proper production of blood during pregnancy. Folic acid deficiencies in pregnant women increase the risk of neural tube defects in the developing fetus, which can cause permanent disability or even lead to the death of the child.
In addition to folic acid, women should supplement their diet with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially DHA, during pregnancy. Docosahexaenoic acid supports the proper functioning of the brain and helps to maintain proper vision. Folic acid and DHA can be easily and quickly supplemented by supplementing regularly.
Which vitamins will be important for physically active women?
When considering how women should support their body during physical activity, one can without hesitation point to vitamin and mineral supplementation. Sport and the psychophysical effort associated with it require providing the body with these valuable ingredients that take part in many important processes in the body. Vitamins have an impact, m.in, on: reduction of fatigue (e.g. vitamin B6, vitamin C), proper muscle function (vitamin D), proper functioning of the nervous system (B vitamins) and immune system (vitamin C, D, B12), maintaining optimal energy metabolism (B vitamins) or protecting cells from oxidative stress (vitamin C, E).
In turn, what minerals should a woman take when doing sports? Above all:
- zinc (m.in. protection of cells against oxidative stress, proper functioning of the immune system, proper acid-base balance)
- magnesium (reduction of fatigue, proper energy metabolism, proper electrolyte balance)
- copper (proper functioning of the nervous and immune systems)
- calcium (normal blood clotting)
- iron (normal production of red blood cells and haemoglobin)
What supplements should menopausal women take?
First of all, preparations that will help alleviate the symptoms of menopause (irritability and fatigue). In addition, it is worth including ingredients in daily supplementation that will allow you to take care of strong bones, give you energy and make it easier to maintain your well-being.
Mainly ingredients that will help take care of healthy hair, skin and nails. So what vitamins will be important for women on a daily basis? First of all, B vitamins, specifically riboflavin, niacin, biotin, which have a beneficial effect on maintaining healthy skin. In addition, vitamins A, C and E may be valuable for the skin. Vitamin C, on the other hand, although mainly associated with immunity, helps in the proper production of collagen to ensure, m.in, proper functioning of the skin. In the case of minerals, zinc and selenium will be important for maintaining healthy skin. Copper also plays an important role, as it helps maintain proper pigmentation of the skin and hair.