Although the best source of nutrients comes from a healthy and balanced diet, it is not always easy for women to eat the right amount of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fatty acids daily.
Even if you have a healthy diet, it is essential to supplement some nutrients to improve the performance of your physical and mental health. Discover the most important supplements for women’s health.
1. Vitamin D
The vitamin D contributes to many body functions, from bone strength to the health of the immune system. However, probably one of the most important effects of vitamin D for women is their cardiovascular function. Low levels of vitamin D are more likely to cause strokes, heart attacks, heart failure and hypertension.
It is not easy to maintain sufficient levels of vitamin D with our modern lifestyle (receiving sunlight 20 minutes a day). That is why supplementation is essential. The best levels of vitamin D to have the benefits must be 50 to 70 ng / ml. To reach these levels, supplementation should be 20,000 to 40,000 IU per week, depending on your current levels.
2. Curcumin
The curcumin is known for its powerful anti-inflammatory property. This is particularly important for women, as as their estrogen levels decrease, they are more susceptible to problems caused by inflammation. Chronic inflammation is associated with diseases such as cancer, diabetes, arthritis, heart failure, osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s disease.
Curcumin is a component of the spice known as turmeric or turmeric. However, the curcumin content in saffron is only about 3% of its weight. Therefore, it is difficult to reach effective levels of anti-inflammatory content simply by adding saffron to food. So it is necessary to supplement curcumin. The recommended amount of curcumin extract is 500 mg. It should be consumed with pepper and a fat source for a better absorption of the organism.
3. Omega 3
Fish oil is a potent source of omega-3 fatty acids , which can also reduce inflammation. Omega-3 is associated with an improvement in mood and memory, in addition to lower risks of depression and dementia. Research has shown that all of these benefits come from two specific types of omega-3 – EPA and DHA. The amount of DHA contained in the fish is very small, even if we eat fish daily (not to mention that unfortunately most of our fish are intoxicated with mercury).
Then supplementation comes in. When choosing a fish oil, be sure to choose sources that have been tested and are proven to have no mercury or other toxic components. A good omega 3 supplement should contain 400 mg of EPA and 1000 mg of DHA.
