Part 5 of 7 - Is Vitamin Supplementation Necessary for Women?

December 11, 2019 by The Complete Nutra Team

VITAMINS WOMEN NEED

Like children, senior citizens, and men, women havespecialized needs in their vitamin intake. Vitamins should be taken that helpthem not only to stay healthy, but alsoto help balance out their natural menstrual cycles. Many people would be amazedto know how greatly vitamins and herbal supplements can help with the femalereproductive system, from relieving pre-menstrual symptoms to increasing sexdrives, right down to helping with conception.

Extra Amounts Women Need

Women need a lot of the same daily vitamins astheir male counterparts. There are four vitamins and two minerals that womenneed especially. Vitamin E, Vitamin K, and Magnesium are three of the vitaminsthat are especially needed in women. In addition to these three vitamins, it isimportant for breastfeeding women to also take zinc each day. Calcium and Iron are two very importantminerals that women should remember to consume daily as well.

Women’s Multivitamins

Some women try to take individual vitamins eachday, while others prefer to get their daily requirements by taking one simplepill. For these women, specialized women’s vitamins are the way to go. Women can also talk to their doctor to see ifany prescription or over-the-counter vitamins are recommended.

For females who are trying to become pregnant, arepregnant, or are nursing, specialized prenatal vitamins are both recommendedand encouraged. These are available both with a prescription andover-the-counter. Prescription vitamins often come with the added bonus of beingcovered by insurance. Prenatal vitamins are an important part of making sureyour baby develops in a healthy way. Women carrying babies who are depleted ofvitamins have a much higher risks of having babies born with health problems –for instance, Spina Bifida is a devastating life-long disability caused bypregnant mothers not getting enough folic acid.

Do not be fooled into thinking one brand of vitaminis better than another simply because it costs more money, as this is notalways the case. Always remember to keep in mind what types of vitamins andminerals your multivitamin should have in it, and compare that to theingredients listed on the bottle. Pay special attention to the amount of eachvitamin and mineral listed on the bottle, and compare that to what is therecommended daily dose.

Vitamins To Increase The Sex Drive

There are a number of vitamins and herbalsupplements that women can take to increase their sex drive. Aphrodisiacs arefound quite readily throughout nature, both in herbal, vitamin, and mineralform. The vast amounts of these supplements that are available should be ableto cover most any problem a woman may have in the bedroom. While medications todeal with the female libido are around and available, they are not nearly aswell researched as the male versions. In many ways, women are better offfinding natural ways to deal with their desires, or lack thereof.

Vitamin A is often used in conjunction with the female libido. The vitamin contributes to the production of estrogen, and therefore helps a woman feel a little more sexually driven. Daily doses of vitamin A are said to really increase a woman’s sex drive.

Vitamin B, a hormone and not truly a vitamin, works by increasing levels of arousal. This happens because Vitamin A makes the body more sensitive to touch and other sensations, due to its affecting the nervous system.

Vitamin C is great for women who want to increase their sex drive and their fertility. Vitamin C also decreases the likelihood of women getting sick, and healthy women are much more likely to have a full sex drive.

L-Arginine is an amino acid that has major affects to the libido of a woman, and her partner as well. An L-Arginine supplement can be as effective for women as prescription drugs and is widely encouraged throughout the globe.

Women’sHerbal Supplements

There are some herbs that are beneficial to bothgenders in terms of the health of their reproductive systems. Most are beneficial to both men and women.Herbal supplements that have positive effects on women include ginseng, fo-ti,Damiana, Tongkat Ali, and Maca.

Ginseng serves as a natural aphrodisiac and in fact, is one of the best selling herbs on the market. This herb is also credited with giving increased brain function and concentration. Ginseng is quite safe and effective, but of course should only be taken within its recommended dosages.

Fo-ti is a Chinese herb that has been used for centuries to increase a woman’s libido. While this supplement is also used for men, it seems to have more profound effects on women than on their partners.

Damiana is another herb that is known to be a wonderfully successful aphrodisiac. This plant has been used in Mexico for years for this very purpose, and in more recent years has made its way to other countries for the same reason.

Tongkat Ali is an herb known for increasing libido in both men and women. This herb comes from Malaysian countries and in its own region is actually more popular than prescription medications!

Maca dates back to ancient civilization. It is credited to increased physical strength as well as a heightened libido. Maca has been taken for many years as a way of naturally boosting an individual’s sex drive.

VITAMINS AND SUPPLEMENTS WOMEN SHOULD AVOID

Herbs Women Should Avoid

Some herbs area not healthy for a woman to take,especially if she is nursing, pregnant, or thinks she may become pregnant soon.While herbs are all natural, they are not all healthy, and some of them can bequite harmful. It’s important to thoroughly research any herb or supplementbefore taking it to insure that it will have only the most positive effects onyour health.

Herbs that should be avoided by women at all costinclude Black cohosh, blue cohosh, pennyroyal, ginger, dong quai, licorice (yesladies, this does include the candy!) and fenugreek. These herbal supplementshave a variety of side effects that can be devastating to the woman’s body,especially a pregnant woman.

Black cohosh is occasionally used under the direction of an experienced herbalist, doctor, or midwife, in order to encourage contractions and labor toward the end of a pregnancy. If it is taken any earlier than this in any amount, can cause a miscarriage.

Blue cohosh, like its brother herb, should also never be taken in an quantity during pregnancy, for fear of causing contractions which could lead to early labor and miscarriage.

Pennyroyal is an herb that can cause hemorrhaging and death in a pregnant woman. Like Cohosh, it can also cause contractions and in fact, was even given throughout history in large doses to women in order to make them abort.

Ginger is a great herb to alleviate nausea and flu like symptoms, however during pregnancy can actually case birth defects to the unborn child much like the use of drugs can. Ginger should be avoided both during pregnancy, and during conception.

Dong quai is yet another herb that can cause premature uterine contractions along with birth defects, and therefore should be avoided prior to conception as well as throughout pregnancy.

Licorice and its black candy (the red varieties do not contain actual licorice) can be very aggravating for those trying to conceive. Licorice decreases the likelihood of conception and also increases blood pressure.

Fenugreek is in line with the above mentioned herbs. This herb also causes uterine contraction during pregnancy which can easily lead to miscarriages and should be strictly avoided in pregnant women.

Other Supplements Women Should Avoid

Herbs are not the only supplements that should attimes be avoided by women. Some supplements should be avoided at all times bywomen while other supplements only need to be avoided before and duringpregnancy and while breastfeeding. Some of the more common supplements thatwomen should avoid include, but are not limited to, vitamin A, vitamin D, and alfalfa.

Vitamin A is an important part of health, but when more than 10,000 IU of this nutrient is taken daily by a pregnant women, it can severely increase the rate and likelihood of birth defects. Please consult a doctor if you are pregnant or nursing and you think your daily intake of vitamin A is greater than 10,000 IU.

For the same reason, vitamin D should not fall outside of the guidelines of 400-1,000 IU each day. Anything lower than 400 IU can cause the pregnant mother to be unhealthy, but anything over 1,000 IU a day creates a chance to cause birth defects.

Women who are presently taking birth control pills, blood thinners, aspirin, Warfarin, Heparin, or potassium should not take alfalfa supplements. The risks and complications with alfalfa combined with any of the above mentioned substances can be quite severe including severe bleeding. Birth control is also much less affective when alfalfa is taken and there is an increased risk of pregnancy.

It is quite important for any woman who is thinkingof taking any type of vitamin or other supplement to speak with their doctorbefore taking it, especially if they are breastfeeding, pregnant, or trying tobecome pregnant. Precaution certainly outweighs trying to correct whateverproblems could be caused by taking the wrong thing.

Stay Tuned For Part 5 Where You Will Learn About Vitamins & Food

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. CompleteNutra products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please discuss all specific medical conditions and advice with your healthcare provider.