Supplements and the health of women
What does good health depend on? Optimal health depends on many internal and external factors. In the female body, as in the body of anyone, it is important to know and understand the signs of our body and to keep responsible daily care habits such as a balanced diet and regular physical exercise.
According to the Welfare of Women Report by Gedeon Richter, the main health concerns of women are focused on menstruation, contraception and weight control. After the age of 45, women are more worried about menopause, libido loss, insomnia, osteoporosis, stress and urinary incontinence.
Overall, a healthy lifestyle helps women cope with their day-to-day lives in good health. In most cases, food supplements will help women to deal with situations such as a lack of energy, premature ageing of the skin or weight control, among many others.
Essential vitamins for women
Many factors affect daily wellbeing and energy consumption. Stress, regular physical activity or external factors such as season or temperature changes may affect our body, causing a feeling of weakness and asthenia.
In order to keep a good healthy condition, as well as a balanced diet, we may use natural ingredients that provide the body with extra energy, such as propolis, royal jelly or pollen. Others such as vitamin B6 and mushrooms like reishi, which help the natural defences of the body, may also be used.
Supplements for women over 45 or 50
Premenstrual syndrome
Premenstrual syndrome is one of the problems that affects the routine of a woman in her working life. It has a number of physical and psychological symptoms that are experienced a few days before a menstrual period starts, and usually stop a couple of hours after the period has started. Some tips are to check your diet, stay active and use food supplements.
Evening primrose oil is a natural ally widely used for premenstrual syndrome and associated symptoms.
Menopause
The first signs of the onset of menopause, which involves both physical and emotional changes and symptoms, begin around the age of 45. During this stage it is especially important to take care of nutrition, through our diet and sometimes with the support of nutritional supplements with active ingredients that provide us with the appropriate nutrients.
Sleep disorders, hot flushes, increased abdominal fat, mood swings, irritability, stress or dry skin are some of the most common symptoms of menopause.
Urinary health
Both in older and younger women, urinary discomfort is common. In this case, natural ingredients such as cranberry can be used, whose high concentration of proanthocyanidins (PAC) makes it useful for the health of the urinary tract.
Tired legs
The feeling of tired legs is a common discomfort for many women because the return circulation of blood to the heart is slower. Some ingredients of vegetable origin, such as arnica oil, are very good to help relieve this sensation, using it to massage the legs to activate the blood circulation.
Bone and joint wellness
Looking after the health of our bones and joints becomes more important over the years, especially in maintaining optimal bone mass.
The structure of the bone mass is fundamental for the bones to maintain their firmness and hardness, as opposed to demanding situations where we could suffer from bone fractures. To help counteract these situations, a balanced diet and the intake of ingredients and minerals such as calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, zinc and copper will help balance the density and quality of the bone.
Beauty from the inside
The skin, the largest organ of the human body, is another one that suffers the most from the effect of the passing of the years, both in women and men. Wrinkles, expression lines, spots, loss of moisture and firmness, etc. appear. Skin care depends on both external care and the nutrients we provide to our body through our diet.
Ingredients such as collagen, hyaluronic acid, minerals such as magnesium or zinc, or vitamins such as vitamin C, A, or the B complex, can be found as nutricosmetic supplements with skin care properties, and also for hair or nails.
Supplements for weight control
Weight control, or just losing fat or weight, is one of the most common concerns among adult women who want to maintain an optimal line. Of course, taking care of your diet and keeping a healthy diet, as well as practicing physical exercise, are the main guidelines to follow, which may sometimes be accompanied by supplements to burn fat or lose weight based on active ingredients of vegetable origin.
Thus, you can find supplements with: Glucomannan, which helps to control weight, Fucus vesiculosus, Garnicia and Carob, which are known to reduce hunger and increase satiety, and Artichoke, which helps to maintain normal liver and gastrointestinal function.
L-Carnitine is another ingredient found in many weight control supplements, due to its role in the metabolism of energy in the body and in the transport of fatty acids.
Sports supplements for women
Sports supplements help both to train the body for physical activity and to provide the nutrients and minerals needed to maintain and recover energy lost during exercise. In addition to thinking about sports performance and recovery, many female athletes may need multifunctional care of their bones, joints, muscles and cartilage.
Vitamins and minerals
The supply of collagen, calcium, magnesium, iron, hyaluronic acid or vitamins such as B6, C and B2 are important for the functional maintenance of bones, cartilage, muscles and joints in an optimal condition.
Serum protein
Protein, which may be found in many protein supplements, is essential for muscle mass gain, as well as contributing to the recovery after training.
Branched Amino Acids or BCAAs
BCAAs are amino acids that are largely present in the muscles. They are responsible for the formation of proteins, so taking them for strength exercises can benefit both women and men.
CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid)
The main contribution of CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) is to be involved in the metabolic processes of fatty acids, especially in the muscles, helping to improve body composition.
Supplements for women during pregnancy
Both during pregnancy and before conception, care and nutrition, as well as a healthy lifestyle, are key to the future mother and the proper development of the fetus.
There are some nutrients, vitamins and natural ingredients that are good during this period. It’s a good idea to check with your health care professional, gynaecologist or midwife before taking any supplements.
Folic acid, Omega 3 and other vitamin and mineral supplements
Other essential nutrients recommended for women during pregnancy are folic acid, Omega 3 and iron.
Folic acid (vitamin B9) increases folate levels in pregnant women which reduces the risk of developing neural tube abnormalities in the fetus.
Omega 3-DHA is a supplement which has been shown to be important for the development of the brain and vision of the fetus.
Iron is essential because it helps with cognitive function, the normal formation of red blood cells and haemoglobin, the transport of oxygen within the body and normal cognitive function in the development of children, among other benefits. A high iron intake together with a balanced diet will help in situations of anaemia that are so common during pregnancy.
