Women can't live without these five things

Women need to supplement a lot of nutrients throughout their lives. Each nutrient has its very important role. Let’s take a look at the main ones.

In fact, no matter which type of people they are, they need to pay attention to nourishment, but women pay more attention to this aspect. Women all want to be healthy, but this requires timely nutrition for the body. There are five major nutrients that women cannot do without in their lives, and women should understand them.

Iron: There is blood only where there is iron. Blood supplementation is an important part of women's health care, and blood supplementation is absolutely inseparable from iron supplementation. Sun Mengli, director of the Chinese Nutrition Society and chief nutritionist of the Nutrition Department of Peking University First Hospital, told reporters: "According to the recommendations of the Chinese Nutrition Society, women from adulthood to menopause need 20 mg of iron per day, 25-35 mg during pregnancy and lactation, and men only need 15 mg per day." The liver is the richest source of iron, and lean meat, pig blood, fungus, Chinese mustard, sesame, beans, kelp, seaweed, apricots, peaches, plums, etc. also contain relatively high levels of iron.

Calcium: The building block of bone health. "The calcium in the human body is mainly found in bones and teeth, accounting for about 99% of the total, and the remaining 1% is distributed in the blood, intercellular fluid and soft tissue." Sun Mengli said that calcium plays an important role in protecting women's bone health. According to the survey, the incidence of osteoporosis in Shanghai is 20.1% for men and 48.1% for women, among which 24.9% for men and 75.7% for women over 60 years old. "It can be seen that calcium supplementation should be a lifelong nutritional task for women. The average woman needs 800 mg of calcium per day, and this amount should be increased to 1,000 mg during pregnancy and lactation," said Sun Mengli. Among daily foods, those that are high in calcium include milk, cheese, eggs, soy products, kelp, seaweed, dried shrimps, sesame seeds, hawthorn, sea fish, and vegetables. When eating these calcium-rich foods, you should avoid eating too much phosphate, oxalic acid, and protein-rich foods to avoid affecting calcium absorption.

Folic acid: a nutrient during pregnancy. Folic acid belongs to the B vitamins and was first extracted from spinach leaves, hence the name "folic acid". It is an indispensable substance for cell proliferation and can also promote the secretion of milk. It is especially important for pregnant women or women after childbirth. Sun Mengli pointed out that adult women need 400 micrograms of folic acid every day, 600 micrograms during pregnancy and 500 micrograms during lactation. In addition to pregnant women, the elderly, alcoholics, and people taking anticonvulsants and birth control pills also need to supplement more folic acid than normal people. Folic acid is mainly found in dark green vegetables, such as spinach, broccoli, rapeseed, Chinese cabbage, etc.

Vitamin B6: Prevents gynecological diseases. Vitamin B6 is required for the metabolism of estrogen and corticosteroids in women, so taking it in moderation can prevent gynecological diseases. Some women may experience swelling of hands and feet, pain in knuckles, vomiting, etc. during pregnancy. These conditions can be improved by taking vitamin B6 under the guidance of a doctor. The recommended intake is 1.9 mg per day. Eating more natural, less processed foods can also help supplement vitamin B6.

Dietary fiber: the guardian of the intestines. Sun Mengli said that dietary fiber itself has no "nutrition". Its biggest function is to promote gastrointestinal motility, accelerate the metabolism of toxins in the body, and relieve constipation problems that plague many women. It is mainly found in foods such as whole wheat bread, potatoes, leeks, celery, and apples.