Do you think you might be suffering from a vitamin or nutrient deficiency? If so, you should consider taking a dietary supplement. But, why should you take a dietary supplement? What benefits do they provide to women?
Check out this guide to learn about the benefits of dietary supplements for women.
What Is A Dietary Supplement?
Before we talk about the benefits of dietary supplements, we first need to answer the question, “What is a dietary supplement?”
A dietary supplement typically contains a combination of vitamins, minerals, herbs, and sometimes other botanicals. They come in a variety of forms, including capsules, powders, gummies, and tablets.
Each dietary supplement has a different combination of vitamins and minerals, so it’s important that you read the label to see what you’re working with. You should always aim to meet your vitamin and mineral needs through foods.
However, this isn’t always feasible for everyone. If you’re struggling to meet your requirements, supplements can be an easy and convenient way to make sure you’re meeting all of your nutritional needs.
Benefits Of Dietary Supplements
The benefits you reap from your dietary supplements will depend on what they contain. Let’s take a look at some of the top vitamins and minerals for women so you can learn about their benefits:
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is typically found in salmon, coldwater fish, fortified dairy products, and egg yolks. It helps prevent night blindness and it may even help prevent lung cancer.
Vitamin A also helps to promote healthy hair, skin, nails, glands, gums, teeth, and bones. If you feel like these areas of your body could be healthier, search for the best women’s multivitamin with vitamin A in it.
B Vitamins
Women need a range of B vitamins to stay healthy, with the most important ones being vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, and B12.
Vitamin B1, also known as thiamine, helps support the function of your nerves, brain, heart, and muscles. It’s typically found in green peas, whole grains, and different kinds of rice. Vitamin B2, also known as riboflavin, helps support the body’s antioxidant functions. It also helps you maintain your immunological system and nervous system.
Vitamin B3, also known as niacin, promotes healthy metabolism and converts food into energy. Pantothenic acid, otherwise known as vitamin B5, also helps to convert food into energy. Vitamin B6 supports the enzymes that are involved in the transportation of oxygen. And lastly, vitamin B12 helps keep your blood cells and neurons healthy.
As you can see, deficiency in B vitamins can have detrimental effects on your health. The right dietary supplement can help ensure that you’re getting all of the B vitamins you need. If you’re vegan, you should seriously think about taking a dietary supplement with B12 in it, as many vegans are lacking in this vitamin because it’s mostly found in meat and dairy.
Vitamin C
When most of us think of vitamin C, we think of orange juice or citrus foods. Women should aim to get at least 75 mg of vitamin C per day. If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, then you’ll want to aim for 120mg per day.
Vitamin C may lower your risk of heart disease, help manage high blood pressure, reduce blood uric acid levels, boost immunity, and prevent iron deficiency. According to the National Heart, Health, and Lung Institute, about 20% of women of childbearing age suffer from an iron deficiency.
Additionally, 50% of pregnant women suffer from iron deficiency, because they require greater amounts of it when pregnant to support their growing babies. Vitamin C helps the body absorb more iron, so if you’re suffering from anemia (a lack of iron), then a dietary supplement containing vitamin C may be the right choice for you.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D deficiency is actually an epidemic, with over 1 billion people worldwide not getting enough vitamin D. One of the best places to get vitamin D is from the sun. But, if you live in a cold climate and spend your days inside, getting your daily dose of vitamin D can be tough.
Additionally, vitamin D is found in a lot of fatty fish, so if you’re vegan or vegetarian, you may be lacking in this important nutrient. Luckily, the right dietary supplement can help ensure that you’re meeting your recommended dose for the day. Women should aim to get about 600 IU (international units) of vitamin D per day.
Calcium
Calcium helps our bodies build strong bones and teeth. It also helps with muscle contraction and relaxation, nerve impulse transmission, and blood clotting.
As women age, they’re at an increased risk of developing osteoporosis. In fact, 80% of osteoporosis sufferers are women. Additionally, about 1 in 2 women over the age of 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis.
If you’re not getting enough calcium through your diet, you should consider taking a dietary supplement with calcium to help keep your bones strong and prevent osteoporosis.
Zinc
Zinc is another very important mineral for women that’s found in many dietary supplements. Zinc helps to free vitamin A from liver storage, aids in wound healing and boosts the immune system.
It can also help you get better when you’re suffering from a cold.
Final Thought
Now that you know about the top benefits of dietary supplements, it’s time to start shopping for the right supplements for you. First, we suggest speaking to your doctor about the vitamins and minerals you may be lacking because of your diet and lifestyle. Then, they can help you choose the right supplement.
Be sure to check back in with our blog for more healthy living tips and tricks.
