Essential vitamins for women at any age

Essential vitamins for women at any age. If you're a healthy woman, you probably know your nutritional needs change with every phase of life. If you are of childbearing age, you need an adequate intake of folic acid to prevent birth defects. If you have experienced menopause, you may need to increase your intake of calcium and vitamin D to keep bones strong. Vitamin A deficiency is when your body needs can lead to serious health problems.
What are the vitamins anyway?
Vitamins are essential chemicals that take part in all processes of your body. They do this by participating in the reactions within the cells. Each vitamin performs a specific function in the body, and no single food contains all the necessary vitamins. Except for vitamin D, the human body can not take vitamins. So you need to get the vitamins from the food we eat or from vitamin supplements.
At various stages of your life, your body's need for specific vitamins varies. When you do not get enough of a particular vitamin is necessary, we run the risk of serious health problems.
Many women know that eating five servings of fruits and vegetables every day is a good way to get their essential vitamins. Most women, however, do not eat lots of fruits and vegetables that are recommended. As a result, many women in each age group are at risk of vitamin deficiency.
Let's look at some essential vitamins for women. We explore what each vitamin does to enhance your health and what whole foods are good sources of this vitamin. We also examine what is necessary to prevent disease, as well as vitamins that are most important according to the specific stage of life.
As antioxidant vitamins to promote health?
Many foods have antioxidant properties. However, there are specific vitamins that are known as the antioxidant vitamins. They include vitamin A - retinol and carotenoids - vitamin C and vitamin E. These antioxidant vitamins seem to have a role in the cell body of the protection system. They do this by neutralizing highly reactive and unstable molecules called free radicals that your body produces.
Free radicals have been shown to disrupt and tear apart vital cell structures, such as cell membranes. Antioxidants bind these free radicals and take away their destructive power. Which may reduce the risk of chronic diseases and slow down the aging process. Some researchers also believe that antioxidants can help boost immune function when a system is under stress. Antioxidants are:
• The beta-carotene, which is found in apricots, carrots, melon and squash, is converted into vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A helps in building and strengthening of bones, flesh, skin and mucous membranes. Other compounds also have antioxidant carotenoids including alpha-carotene (found in carrots, cantaloupe and squash), gamma-carotene (found in apricots and tomatoes) and lycopene (found in tomatoes, watermelon, and guava).
Food sources of beta-carotene include apricots, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, cabbage, papaya, peach, pumpkin, peppers and spinach.
• Vitamin C, ascorbic acid, helps in wound healing and plays a role in the formation of red blood cells. Vitamin C also increases the levels of brain chemical norepinephrine. Norepinephrine is a neurotransmitter. Increases alertness and concentration increases. Studies show that when the body is under great stress, or during the aging process, ascorbic acid levels decline.
Food sources of vitamin C are broccoli, grapefruit and grapefruit juice, kiwi fruit, oranges, peppers, potatoes, strawberries and tomatoes.
• Vitamin E is also known as tocopherol. It plays a key role in the formation of red blood cells and maintaining cell membranes. Vitamin E may slow age-related changes in the body. Adults with intestinal malabsorption disorders may be deficient in vitamin E. But taking too much vitamin E per day increases the risk of bleeding.
Food sources of vitamin E include margarine, corn oil, cod liver oil, nuts, peanut butter, safflower oil, sunflower seeds and wheat germ. Essential vitamins for women at any age

source:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/essential-vitamins-for-women-at-every-age