Top 10 Best Vitamins For Women

Today’s women are health-conscious and prefer to follow a healthy diet
plan. A healthy diet plan is one that includes the right combination of
vitamins. Women of every age, weight and activity level need to consume a
wide variety of vitamins to have optimal health and prevent different
types of health problems.

Vitamins are organic compounds that help different parts of the body
function properly. Each of the different vitamins performs a specific
function. A deficiency of needed vitamins can contribute to some serious
health problems. This is why it is essential to get vitamins from the
foods you eat or, if necessary, from vitamin supplements.

Here are the top 10 vitamins for women.

1. Vitamin A

Vitamin A contains antioxidant properties. Women of all ages need
vitamin A as it aids in building and strengthening bones, teeth, soft
tissue, skin and mucous membranes. Vitamin A also reduces the risk of
chronic illness, improves vision, slows down the aging process and
boosts the immune system.

Foods that are rich in vitamin A include carrots, cantaloupe, pumpkin,
apricots, tomatoes, watermelon, guava, broccoli, kale, papaya, peaches,
red peppers, spinach, eggs, liver, milk and fortified cereals.

2. Vitamin B2

Known as riboflavin, Vitamin B2 is essential for good health, normal
growth and metabolism. It helps boost energy and strengthen the immune
system, while reducing tingling and numbness, anxiety, stress and
fatigue.

A deficiency of vitamin B2 can affect metabolism and influence the
immune system and neural functions that can cause pale eyes and tongue, a
sore throat, mouth ulcers, cracks on the lips, dry hair, wrinkles and
itchy skin.

Some of the foods rich in vitamin B2 are organ meats, cheese, milk,
yogurt, leafy vegetables, yeast, eggs, cereals, whole grains, soybeans,
almonds, nuts and mushrooms.

3. Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6, also known as pyridoxine, is an essential vitamin required
for a healthy immune system. This particular vitamin also helps the body
produce hormones and brain chemicals, which in turn helps reduce
depression, heart disease and memory loss.

It can also help regulate your blood sugar level. Pregnant women can eat
foods with vitamin B6 to get rid of morning sickness. Lack of vitamin
B6 in the body can cause anemia.

Some of the best foods for a healthy dose of vitamin B6 are fortified
cereals, avocados, bananas, meats, beans, fish, oatmeal, nuts, seeds,
and dried fruits.

4. Vitamin B7

Vitamin B7, also known as biotin, is required for cell growth and
synthesis of fatty acids. This vitamin keeps the sweat glands, hair and
skin healthy. In fact, it promotes hair growth and helps treat brittle
nails. Also, vitamin B7 is required for bone growth and bone marrow and
helps maintain normal cholesterol levels.

Though a deficiency of vitamin B7 is very rare but it occurs then it can
cause brittle hair, rashes, abnormal heart functioning, lethargy,
anemia, and mild depression.

Some of the best food choices to get vitamin B7 are fish, sweet
potatoes, almonds, carrots, bananas, cantaloupe, yellow fruits, green
leafy vegetables, lentils, brown rice, peppers, egg yolks, soybeans,
oatmeal, milk, cheese, yogurt and nuts.

5. Vitamin B9

Vitamin B9, also known as folic acid, is essential for every woman as it
helps prevent heart disease, high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s,
depression, cancer and memory loss. It also enhances brain health and
cellular functioning and improves fertility and fetal development during
pregnancy.

A deficiency of vitamin B9 in pregnant women can cause neural tube defects in the baby, such as spina bifida.

Foods rich in vitamin B9 include dark leafy green vegetables, orange
juice, asparagus, melons, strawberries, fortified grains, legumes,
beans, nutritional yeast and eggs.

6. Vitamin B12

Another essential vitamin that every woman should eat is B12, which is
important for metabolism, normal cell division and protein synthesis.
This vitamin helps prevent heart disease, memory loss and anemia.

It also can be used to treat depression and help maintain healthy nerve
system and brain functioning. Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause
irritability, depression and confusion. It can also cause tongue and
mouth inflammation.

Some of the best food sources for vitamin B12 are cheese, eggs, fish, meat, milk, yogurt and fortified breakfast cereals.

7. Vitamin C

Known as an immunity booster, vitamin C has many health benefits for
women. It helps speed up the healing process, promotes tissue growth and
reduces the risk for certain kinds of cancer, heart disease and tissue
damage. It also plays a key role in the formation of red blood cells.

Some of the best vitamin C-rich foods are broccoli, grapefruits, kiwi,
oranges, peppers, potatoes, strawberries, sprouts and tomatoes.

8. Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that promotes the absorption of
calcium, which plays a key role in keeping the bones strong. Vitamin D
also reduces the risk of multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and
various types of cancer.

It can also help reduce pre-menstrual syndrome symptoms and protect your
eyesight. A deficiency of this vitamin may weaken your bones and
contribute to osteoporosis.

Short daily exposure to sunlight can give your body the required dose of
vitamin D. For most light-skinned people, an exposure of 10 to 15
minutes is sufficient to produce enough vitamin D for the body. In
addition, you can eat foods that are rich in vitamin D like fatty fish,
fortified milk, liver and eggs.

9. Vitamin E

Vitamin E contains anti-aging properties that fight cell damage and slow
down age-related changes in your body. This vitamin also helps prevent
heart disease, cataracts, memory loss and certain types of cancer.

Plus, vitamin E is essential for skin and hair. It is often included in hair and skin care products.

Foods that are rich in vitamin E include wheat germ, hazelnuts, almonds,
spinach, margarine, corn oil, cod liver oil, peanut butter, safflower
oil and sunflower seeds.

10. Vitamin K

Vitamin K plays a key role in promoting strong bones, maintaining normal
blood clotting and reducing the risk of various heart diseases. This
particular vitamin is also necessary for immune functioning and energy.

Some of the best food sources of vitamin K are whole grain food products, green leafy vegetables, soybean oil and fish oil.

To conclude, eating five servings of fruit and vegetables each day is a
good way to get all the essential vitamins. If you are not getting the
required dose of vitamins from various foods, you can take vitamin
supplements. But before taking any supplement, consult your doctor.