If you are a woman, you need to ensure that your body has the essential nutrition it needs to function properly and keep you healthy. Women need the same essential vitamins as men, but they need them in different amounts. Essential vitamins are found in the foods that you eat, and they should be consumed every day.
Essential Vitamins and Minerals
The essential vitamins are vitamins that you need to get through your diet because your body is not able to make them. Women need 13 essential vitamins and various macrominerals and trace minerals. The 13 vitamins include vitamin A, C, D, K, E and the eight B vitamins. The B vitamins are thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12 and folate. The minerals include calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, sulfur and small amounts of iron, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, cobalt, fluoride and selenium.
Daily Recommendations
The daily recommendations for women include 700 micrograms of vitamin A, 75 mg of vitamin C, 1,000 to 2,000 IU of vitamin D, 15 mg of vitamin E and 90 micrograms of vitamin K, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. The daily intake of the B vitamins is evolving and is likely to change over the next few years. The current daily recommended requirements are 1 to 1.1 mg of thiamine, 1 to 1.1 mg of riboflavin, 14 mg of niacin, 5 mg of pantothenic acid, 1.2 to 1.5 mg of B-6, 30 to 35 micrograms of biotin, 2.4 micrograms of B-12 and 400 micrograms of folate, with an additional 400 micrograms of folic acid from supplements or fortified foods. These levels vary based on age and whether or not you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Best Sources
Trying to keep track of the daily recommendations can get confusing. It is easier to eat foods that contain the essential vitamins and minerals that you need to be healthy. The best sources include natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, poultry, nuts and seeds. Avoid processed foods and fast foods, which are nutrient deficient. Vitamin A is found in many fruits and vegetables but occurs in high levels in carrots. Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits and in vegetables such as tomatoes and broccoli. Sources of vitamin E include vegetable oils, nuts, seeds and leafy greens. Vitamin K is naturally found in green vegetables and dark berries. Vitamin D occurs in egg yolks, saltwater fish and liver. Vitamin D can also be produced naturally by getting adequate sunshine each day; 10 minutes of sunshine each day is enough for your body to generate natural vitamin D. The B vitamins are found in leafy green vegetables, beans, peas and in proteins such as fish, poultry, meat, eggs and dairy products.
Considerations
Women and men have many of the same health problems, but they can affect women differently. To keep your body healthy, you need eat a balanced diet and consider taking a multivitamin and mineral supplement. The Harvard School of Public Health recommends taking a daily multivitamin in addition to eating a healthy diet. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you may need more of certain types of vitamins, and you should talk with your doctor about how much you should take.
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