Top 10 Vitamins for Women's Health

Another name for vitamin A is retinol. Vitamin A is vital for the development of our bones and teeth.

The need for vitamin A increases during breastfeeding, in order to meet the needs of the new mom's own body as well as the baby’s body.

The vitamin A we get from supplements and food is in the form of an antioxidant called beta carotene. This beta carotene is processed in the body to form vitamin A.

The body gets vitamin A in the form of preformed and provitamin A which is turned into retinal and retinoic acid. These two active forms of vitamin A help in the maintenance of the eyes, heart, lungs, and kidneys.

Food sources: Animal sources like meat, fish oil, whole milk and egg yolk provide preformed vitamin A whereas plant-based food like spinach, amaranth, pumpkins, squash, and carrots contain provitamin A.

Daily requirement: On a daily basis, a woman must have 600 mcg of vitamin A normally. The demand increases to 950 mcg while breastfeeding. Just 100 grams of carrots a day are enough to get the recommended daily dose of this vitamin.

Vitamin B2 is also known as riboflavin. We need it to break down food for energy in the body.

There are certain coenzymes in riboflavin which breakdown carbohydrates for energy. Vitamin B2 also helps in the metabolism of fats and proteins.

We also need vitamin B2 to absorb any medicines we take.

Vitamin B2 is required in higher amounts during pregnancy and lactation as it is necessary for the baby's development. Vitamin B deficiency, especially the deficiency of vitamin B2, B6 and B12, during pregnancy has also been linked to problems like placental abruption, stillbirth, very low birth weight (baby weighs less than 2.5 kilograms), premature labour and a higher risk of preeclampsia.

Food sources: Cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, kale, broccoli and Brussels sprouts are rich sources of riboflavin. To reap their maximum benefits, do not cook but steam the vegetables. Other sources of vitamin B2 are chicken, meat, liver, pork, dairy products, nuts and seeds, asparagus and mushrooms.

Daily requirement: On a daily basis, a woman must have 1.1 mg of the vitamin B2. The demand increases to 1.4mg during pregnancy and 1.6mg during lactation.

Vitamin B6 is also known as pyridoxine. Pyridoxine helps the brain to communicate with the other body parts by accelerating the movement of the chemical messenger of the brain (serotonin). Vitamin B6 is known to manage the symptoms of morning sickness which are seen during the early stages of pregnancy. Vitamin B6 is also essential for the development of baby’s nervous system and brain.

Food sources: Food items like chickpeas, chicken breast, tuna, tofu, avocado, brown rice, dairy products, potato, spinach, and whole-grain cereals are rich in vitamin B6.

Daily requirement: On a daily basis, a woman must have 1.3-1.5mg of vitamin B6. The demand increases to 1.9mg during pregnancy and 2mg during lactation.

Around one cup of chickpeas can give you 1.1mg of vitamin B6 whereas 84gms of grilled chicken breast will give you 0.5mg of vitamin B6.

Vitamin B7 is also known as biotin. Biotin metabolizes fats and carbohydrates and converts them into energy. Vitamin B7 helps in maintaining good nails, hair and skin. Biotin is necessary for the growth and development of the embryo in the expecting mom’s uterus. It also helps in the proper functioning of the liver and the nervous system.

Food sources: Plant sources like sweet potato, wheat bran, cereals, mushrooms, cauliflower and beans contain vitamin B7 in them. Animal sources of vitamin B7 are liver, eggs, milk and cheddar cheese. Nuts and seeds like peanuts, sunflower seeds and almonds are also rich sources of vitamin B7.

Daily requirement: On a daily basis, a woman must have 30 mcg vitamin B7. The demand increases to 35 mcg during lactation. One large whole cooked egg provides you around 10 mcg of biotin whereas 84 gms of cooked liver contains 30.8 mcg of biotin in it.

Vitamin B9 is also known as folate. Folate is the naturally occurring vitamin whereas folic acid is the manmade form of vitamin B9. Vitamin B9 helps in metabolizing fats and proteins in the body for energy.

It helps in clearing out high levels of homocysteine which is an amino acid that leads to the development of various diseases in the body, including heart disease.

Intake of vitamin B9 during pregnancy reduces the chances of preeclampsia in a woman. It also helps in maintaining the placenta and prevents the occurrence of neural tube defects like spina bifida in the baby.  

Food sources: Food items like mushrooms, broccoli, spinach, lettuce, avocados, beans, lentils, egg yolk, asparagus, beetroot and liver are rich in folate.

Daily requirement: On a daily basis, a woman must have 400 mcg of vitamin B9. The demand increases to 600 mcg during pregnancy and 500mcg during lactation. A cup of cooked spinach contains around 200 mcg of folate.

Vitamin B12 is one of the sources of energy production in the body. It maintains all the functions of the body and the brain. It increases the synthesis of red blood cells. Intake of vitamin B12 during pregnancy prevents neural tube defects in the baby. Vitamin B12 lowers stress levels and mood swings during pregnancy.

B vitamins are also essential for maintaining hormonal balance in women.

Food sources: Animal sources like fish, meat, egg, and dairy products like cheese, milk, yoghurt are rich sources of vitamin B12.

Daily requirement: On a daily basis, a woman must have 2.4 mcg of vitamin B12. The demand increases to 2.6 mcg during pregnancy and 2.8 mcg during lactation.

Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid. Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant and it helps in boosting immunity. Vitamin C also helps in better absorption of iron in the body, thus preventing anaemia. Vitamin C also helps prevent tissue damage.

Food sources: Citrus fruits and vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, bean sprouts, cauliflower, red and green peppers, green chillies, potatoes and peas are all rich in vitamin C. 

Daily requirement: On a daily basis, a woman must have 75 mg of vitamin C. The demand increases to 85 mg during pregnancy and 120 mg during lactation. About 125 grams of oranges a day would give you the required amount of vitamin C.

Vitamin D is the key nutrient that helps in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus in the body which makes the bones and teeth strong. Without vitamin D, calcium would get flushed out of the body. The vitamin present in the body gets activated when the skin is exposed to sunlight.

Food sources: Vitamin D is activated in the body when the skin is exposed to sunlight. The food sources of vitamin D include cod liver oil, milk, fatty fish (like mackerel, salmon, trout, tuna), egg yolk and mushrooms.

Daily requirement: On a daily basis, a woman must have 5-15 mcg of vitamin D. During pregnancy, the demand stays 5 mcg per day along with sun exposure. Just a spoonful of cod liver oil along with exposure to sunlight would help you meet your daily requirement.

Vitamin E is a nutrient which helps in the proper functioning of multiple organs. It improves the immune system and increases the production of red blood cells. The antioxidant property of vitamin E promotes the healing of skin which has suffered damage due to UV exposure. It also helps in reducing the signs of ageing (wrinkles, fine lines and blemishes).

There has been some research on the effects of vitamin E on preventing as well as fighting cancer. Though more research needs to be done on this, scientists at the American Association for Cancer Research say that it is better to get vitamin E from dietary sources than from supplements.

Food sources: Vitamin E is naturally found in vegetable oil, nuts, spinach, coconut, maize (corn), olives, soybean, wheat germ, sunflower and fortified cereals. Other sources of vitamin E are animal fats, eggs, fish and pulses.

Daily requirement: On a daily basis, a woman should have 15 mg of vitamin E.

Vitamin K is responsible for the clotting of blood and management of bones by regulating blood calcium levels. It is necessary for pregnant women as the blood needs to clot normally after the delivery.

Food sources: The rich sources of vitamin K are green leafy vegetables, soybean oil, olive oil, peanut, corn and sunflower seeds.

Daily requirement: On a daily basis, a woman must have 55 mcg of vitamin K. The dosage remains the same during pregnancy and lactation.