Women have clearly defined nutritional needs that change as they age and pass through various cycles. Women’s health can suffer through following low-calorie or “fad” diets to lose weight and because of the stress of trying to juggle, in many cases, a family, a job, and a home. Women can become deficient in a number of vitamins and minerals during this time and would be well advised to add a health supplement to their diet.

Women who take the contraceptive pill will require different supplements than women who are experiencing the menopause. Breast-feeding and pregnant women both have massive nutritional requirements, and menstruating women are different again.

Women’s Health - Menstrual Problems

• Vitamin B6 and Magnesium can help with period pains in womens health. Try Magnesium OK by Wassen.which contains these two nutrients. This one-a-day supplement can also help with PMT.
• Evening primrose oil and fish oil, can reduce womens health period problems, including heavy periods and cramping.
• Agnus castus will help to balance the hormones. Try it in tincture form (A.Vogel).
• Iron (5mg daily – more if you tend to lose a lot of blood) and zinc (15mg) will help in cases of heavy menstrual periods.

Women’s Health – Premenstrual Syndrome

Premenstrual syndrome relates to a whole host of physical and emotional symptoms that occur between ovulation and menstruation. Physical symptoms include fluid retention, tender breasts, poor skin, and headaches. Women may also become weepy and depressed. PMS is believed to be primarily caused by a hormonal imbalance in the body.

• Evening primrose oil has been very effective in alleviating premenstrual breast tenderness, edema, and eczema. Take three to four 1gm capsules per day for at least four months.
• Vitamin B complex will help with nervous tension and should be taken at 50 to 100mg per day.
• Magnesium will help with insomnia and palpitations.
• Chromium may help with symptoms related to blood sugar.
• Agnus Castus for womens health will help to balance hormones.

Women’s Health – Pregnancy

Common complaints during this period of time include anemia, constipation, cramps, varicose veins, vaginal thrush, stretchmarks, and nausea and vomiting

• Insure that you get plenty of iron (see your physician for dosages), to prevent and treat anaemia. Take vitamin C(500mg per day) with iron to aid absorption.
• Folic acid (400mcgg per day) is necessary during pregnancy for the healthy development of the foetus.
• An increase in dietary fibre will help to prevent constipation.
• Eat plenty of foods rich in calcium to prevent cramp.
• Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s) are vital for growth and development of the baby, particularly for the brain and nervous system. Adequate intakes of EFA’s in the newborn appear to influence vision and intelligence.
• Vitamins C and E and bioflavonoids, zinc, and brewer’s yeast will help to heal damaged blood vessels causing varicose veins.
• Insure you have plenty of vitamins EC, zinc, silica, and pantothenic acid, which can help to prevent stretchmarks. Vitamin E oil can be applied neat to areas that are likely to become stretched, including the abdomen and perineum.

Womens Health – The Menopause

The menopause marks the end of a woman’s reproductive years and may be accompanied by many uncomfortable emotional and physical symptoms. These include hot flushes, headaches, heavy periods, irritability and mood swings and pain during intercourse, mostly as a result of vaginal dryness. Hormonal changes (a decrease in oestrogen and prostesterone) in the body are the cause of most of these complaints.

• Agnus Castus herb (about 25 drops of tincture, three times daily) will balance the hormones and help to relieve the womens health symptoms of the menopause.
• Take magnesium (Magnesium Citrate or Chelate) and vitamin B complex for anxiety and irritability associated with womens health in menopause.
• Linseed oil, Evening Primrose, Vitamin B-complex (50mg daily), and Zinc (15mg daily) can be taken for skin problems