Every menstruating woman is in the stage of premenopause until menopause officially begins. All adult males and females are recommended to consume a mixture of vitamins contained within the five food groups. Healthy individuals can obtain these vitamins and minerals from food alone, however, women who have heavy menstrual cycles or medical conditions may need to take multivitamin supplements.
Premenopause
From the day you start puberty until your menstrual cycle ends, you are in the premenopause stage. During premensopause, you will still have a menstrual cycle and ovulate. Once your periods cease for 12 months consecutively, you will enter menopause. Between menopause and premenopause, you will begin perimenopause, which is the stage that causes your hormones to rise and fall irregularly, until estrogen declines enough to bring about menopause.
Nutrition Needs
Women in the stage of premenopause require a mix of water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins along with antioxidants and minerals, used to keep every function in the body running smoothly. The vast amount of vitamins and minerals you need, you can get through healthy eating, although you may also supplement your diet by taking a multivitamin.
Folic Acid and Premenopause
Since women in premenopause are able to become pregnant, WomensHealth.gov recommends taking at least 400 mcg of folic acid per day. Folic acid helps to prevent spinal deformities in the fetus during pregnancy. Some physicians recommend taking a supplement up to three months before trying to conceive. Folic acid supplements are sold separately and are contained in multivitamins such as prenatal vitamins.
Iron and Premenopause
Women who have heavy menstrual cycles may need to take a separate iron supplement to treat iron deficiency anemia. This condition occurs when there is large blood loss, which causes iron levels to decline. Iron is necessary to produce red blood cells and to transport oxygen throughout the blood. Your doctor may suggest you take an iron supplement or a prenatal vitamin that contains a higher amount of iron to treat the anemia.
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