A Complete Women's Guide to Vitamins and Minerals

We all know that vitamins and minerals play an important role in our body but many of us fail to meet our daily vitamin requirements. This is why many women have resorted to supplements when they see that their diets are failing to meet the requirements. ​I wrote this guide as a one-stop-shop for all your vitamin information needs. You'll learn what essential vitamins our body needs, their role within our body and how to get more of these vitamins.

Related: Get the BEST Prices for Quality Vitamins​

Essential Vitamins for Women 20 - 40 Years​

All vitamins and minerals play their role in the body's function but here is a list of vitamins that are essential for women between the ages of 20 and 40:

• Vitamin A: Supports good vision health
• Vitamin B6: boosts immune system, helps to regular your mood and sleep
• Vitamin B12: Helps regulate your metabolism and maintains a healthy nervous system. Required for proper function and development of the brain, nerves, and blood cells.
• Vitamin C: Great for the immune system, protects eyes, helps with heart health and prenatal health. Also fights against wrinkles
• Calcium: Essential for health bones and teeth. Helps with weight management and fights against PMS
• Vitamin D3: Aids in bones health, fights against cronic illnesses, helps with weight loss
• Vitamin E: Helps to lower your risk of heart disease and cancer. Can reduce hot flashes and support health skin
• Folic Acid: Helps to reduce the risk of birth defects
• Iron: Helps boost energy levels, aids in oxygen flow in the body and works to support a health immune system
• Magnesium: Supports all the body's organs
• Omega-3: good for healthy heart, bones, skin and hair. Also helps with fertility

Essential Vitamins and Minerals​

Are you getting all the vitamins and minerals your body needs to thrive? Here is a alphabetical vitamin and mineral guide for your reference. ​

Vitamin A​

Benefits: Vitamin A is also known as Retinol. It's important for a healthy vision and deficiency can cause night blindness. Vitamin A is also good for your eyes, teeth, and skin. It's essential for the reproductive system, good bone health, and a strong immune system. Vitamin A helps keep tissues and skin health while also acting a a antioxidant.

Recommended Daily Dose: 700mg​

Sources: Carrots, Green leafy veggies, sweet potatoes, beef, eggs, shrimp, fish, cheese, squash, spinach, mangos​

Vitamin B

Benefits: Vitamin B is also known as Vitamin B Complex. The list of vitamin B includes: B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9 & B12. Vitamin B is good for improving immune function, helping with iron absorption, and essential in the energy production process. It's also good for your vision as well as skin and hair health.

Vitamin B1: Helps your body turn carbs into energy and improves nervous system health. Promotes healthy muscles, skin, brain, and hair. Sources include: Black beans, Sunflower seeds, Lentils, Tuna​, ham, soy milk, watermelon, and acorn squah

Vitamin B2: Improves your complexion, helps the body break down fat, protein, and carbs. Helps to convert food into energy. Promotes health blood, brain, skin, and hair. Sources: Oatmeal, Leafy greens, milk, chicken​, and whole & enriched grains

Vitamin B3: Works to maintain a healthy nervous system and improves digestion. Also converts food into energy. Promotes healthy skin, blood cells, and brain. Sources: meat, poultry, potatoes, peanuts, mushrooms, and fish

Vitamin B5: Helps convert food into energy. Also helps your body create lipids, hemoflobin, steriod hormones, and neurotransmitters. Sources: Mushrooms, avocados, whole gains, chicken, tomato, broccoli​

Vitamin B6: Helps with metabolism and fights infection. Vitamin B6 lowers homocysteine levels and lowers your risk of heart disease. It also help the body make red blood cells that improve cognitive function and immune function. Recommended daily dose is 1.3mg. Best Sources: beans, fish, chicken, meat, tofu, potatoes

Vitamin B12: Helps improve nervous system function and red blood cell formation. Lowers your risk of heart disease, assists in the creation of new cells. Also works to break down fatty and amino acids. Vitamin B12 protects nerve cells and encourage normal growth. Recommended dose is 2.4 daily. Sources: Fish, chicken, red meat, milk, eggs. cheese and fortified soy milk

Related: Learn how you can get your essential vitamins in your daily cup of coffee!​

Biotin

Benefits: Biotin promotes healthy bones and hair. It helps your body convert food into energy. Biotin also helps your body make and break down some fatty acids. Biotin is needed for energy, metabolism, hair, skin, and nails. ​

Vitamin C

Benefits: Another name for vitamin C is Ascorbic acid. It is important for the growth and maintenance of all body tissues and for healing wounds. Good for strengthening blood vessels, skin elasticity, antioxidant function, and iron absorption. Vitamin C also increases your metabolism and prevents infections. It lowers your risk of stomach cancer, mouth cancer, and breast cancer. Deficiency in vitamin C can cause Scurvey.

Recommended Daily Dose: 75mg

Sources: Citrus fruits, Berries, tomatos, spinach, peppers, broccoli, papaya , mango, kiwi, brussels sprouts, strawberries

Choline

Benefits: Choline helps to metabolize and transport fats. It also makes and releases acetylcholine, which promotes activity in the nerves and brain. Good sources include: milk, eggs, peanuts​

Calcium

Benefits: Calcium helps to build and maintain strong bones. It also aids in proper heart, muscle, and nerve function. Calcium is also needed for muscle contraction, nerve signaling, and heart rate regulation.

Recommended Daily Dose: 1000mg

Sources: yogurt, dark leafy greens, fruit

Vitamin D

Benefits: Vitamin D can also be referred to as Calciferol. ​It's important for maintaining healthy and strong bones and teeth. It also makes your body better at using calcium. Other than bone growth, it also reduces inflammation. Another benefit is that is fights against depression and boosts weight management. Deficiency causes Rickets

Recommended Daily Dose: 15 mcg ​

Sources: the sun, salmon, egg yolk, cheese, ​milk, fatty fish

Vitamin E

Benefits: Another name for this vitamin is Tocopherol. It is important in providing immunity. Vitamin E boosts the immune system, improves blood flow, and promotes tissue repair. Also provides good protection form free radicals and flushes toxins form the body. Vitamin E protects cells from harmful molecules. Helps to prevent Alzheimer's disease. Deficiency causes nerve damage​

Recommended Daily Dose: 15mg​

Sources: spinach, papayas, sunflower seeds, almond, olives​, whole grains, leafy greens, nuts

Folic Acid

Benefits: Folic acid helps to produce new, healthy cells. It also lowers your risk of cancer and improves pregnancy health. Lowers your risk of heart disease and colon cancer

Recommended Daily Dose: 400mg

Sources: turnip greens, beans, broccoli, lentils, asparagus​, dark leafy veggies, fruit nuts, and dairy

Iron

Benefits: Iron builds muscle naturally, aids in red blood cell formation, transportation of oxygen, muscle function and supports a healthy immune system. Iron boosts energy levels as well.

Recommended Daily Dose: 18mg

Sources: red meat, lentils, beans

Vitamin K

Benefits: This vitamin is also known as Phylloquinone. It is important for blood clotting and bone health. Also helps prevent hip fractures. Deficiency causes Hemorrhagic diseases. ​

Recommended Daily Dose: 90mg​

Sources: Kale, Spinach, romaine lettuce, broccoli, brussels sprouts​, cabbage, collard greens, eggs, milk

Magnesium

Benefits: This one helps keep the heart healthy, reduces migraines, supports healthy bones, and fights depression. It also reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes and relieves symptoms of PMS as well as lowering your risk for certain cancers. Magnesium supports all organs in the body.

Recommended Daily Dose: 400mg​

Sources: dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, fish, beans, whole grains, avocados, yogurt, bananas, dried fruit, dark chocolate

Omega-3

Benefits: Needed for health heart, bones, hair, and skin. Also helps with fertility.

Recommended Daily Dose: 250-500 mg

Sources: flaxseed oil, fish oil, chia seeds, walnuts, fish roe (eggs), fatty fish, seafood, soybeans, and spinach.

Potassium

Benefits: Potassium helps keep your heart beating. It also reduces the risk of many diseases and helps muscles function properly. Helps with electrolytes, muscle contraction, and nerve signals. ​

Recommended Daily Dose: ​5,100 milligrams

Sources: sweet potato, spinach, bananas.​

Take the Vitamin Quiz to determine which vitamins and minerals you should be taking!

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