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HERBAL CONNECTION HEALTH NEWS
Key Nutrients for Women
WHAT THE RIGHT MULTIVITAMIN CAN DO FOR YOU
Mid-life women have different health concerns than women in their 20s or 30s. And they have very different needs than their male counterparts. If you are a woman in mid-life, you should select a multivitamin that corresponds to your needs. Your formula should include nutrients that will:
* Balance your hormones
* Provide powerful anti-aging protection for your skin, eyes, heart, and other major systems
* Strengthen and protect your bones
* Support and promote breast health
* Enhance energy and stamina
* Combat the effects of stress
* Enhance your immune system
* Maintain proper pH balance
I have found that four groups of nutrients address these concerns when taken in the right combination and at the proper dosages. They are antioxidants, B vitamins, essential fatty acids, and alkaline minerals.
ANTIOXIDANTS: THE ANTI-AGERS
Antioxidants are the "anti-agers" of the vitamin group. They work to neutralize the effects of free radicals, highly reactive molecules capable of damaging healthy cells and their DNA.
Free radical damage has long been believed to be a risk factor of many of the degenerative processes that accompany aging, including heart disease, memory loss, wrinkles, and cancer.
Antioxidants protect you from general "wear and tear," and if damage has already occurred, these same antioxidants can help repair it.
They can minimize the fatigue that results from excess stress, while enhancing the production of hormones that regulate the stress reaction.
You should supplement with these key antioxidants: beta-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E.
Beta-carotene is abundant in many fruits and vegetables. It is a precursor to vitamin A, and your liver can convert it when necessary. It helps protect cell membranes and DNA, can boost your immune system, improves the health of your skin, and supports breast health.
Vitamin C helps prevent the oxidation of "bad" low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, thereby protecting you from clogged arteries, heart attacks, and strokes. Vitamin C also lowers blood pressure, increases "good" high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and helps maintain vitamin E levels. And because it bolsters the immune system, it can shorten the severity and course of viral infections. Vitamin C is also needed for healthy collagen production, and can lower your risk of age-related eye diseases such as cataracts and glaucoma.
Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that works to prevent cell damage and strengthen the immune system and its response to attack. If your diet is high in saturated fats, vitamin E can keep blood cells from becoming sticky and clumping together. Vitamin E also helps to relieve menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, and those of benign breast disease.
B-VITAMINS: THE ANTI-STRESSORS
The B vitamins are often referred to as the anti-stress vitamins because they help combat the effects of stress and help regulate mood. But these vitamins are also terrific in supporting cardiovascular and bone health in older women, and play a critical role in the conversion of carbohydrates into energy
There are actually eleven B vitamins, but three--vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and folic acid--are particularly helpful. These vitamins can prevent heart disease by lowering homocysteine levels, which in turn protects the arteries and blood-vessel walls. Similarly, they help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Vitamins B6 and B12 also support your adrenal system and are necessary for the proper functioning of the brain and nervous system, while folic acid is excellent for promoting cervical health.
ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS
Essential fatty acids (EFAs), including alpha linolenic (an omega-3) and linoleic (an omega-6), are not produced by your body, yet are vital to your overall health. So it is essential that you get EFAs through your diet or supplementation.
EFAs enhance normal function of the brain, eyes, inner ear, adrenal glands, and reproductive system. Plus, the membrane structures of the cells throughout your body require EFAs to keep them healthy and elastic.
EFAs are also required for the production of series 1 and 3 prostaglandins, potent hormone-like substances with a wide range of health benefits. These anti-inflammatory agents help regulate blood pressure, the breakdown of fat and cholesterol in our blood, heart rate, blood clotting, and your immune system's response to injury and infection.
They also balance series 2 prostaglandins, which contribute to many ailments including rheumatoid arthritis, migraine headaches, and muscle cramps.
Omega-3 fatty acids substantially lower your risk of heart disease by lowering LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, preventing blood platelets from becoming sticky, and lowering blood pressure. They also promote bone health, heart health, and breast health. Important omega-3s are DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), usually from fish oil, and alpha linolenic acid, usually from vegetable sources such as flax seed oil. Your multivitamin should include 300 mg of DHA and 200 mg of EPA.
There are three notable omega-6 fatty acids: linoleic acid (LA), arachidonic acid (AA), and gamma linolenic acid (GLA). Most women get enough LA and AA in their diets, and while there are a variety of enzymes capable of converting LA into GLA, there are also many things that can prevent this process from occurring, including stress, poor nutrition, alcohol, and aging. Therefore to incur the benefits of GLA, such as reducing depression and lowering the risk of rheumatoid arthritis and atherosclerosis, make sure your multivitamin contains 25 to 100 mg of GLA as borage or black currant seed oil.
MINERALS FOR BONES
Minerals help prevent osteoporosis, mood disorders, and brittle hair and nails. Minerals also play a role in supporting the adrenal function, which in turn regulates stress and gives you energy. Calcium, magnesium, and potassium are particularly helpful because they are alkalinizing. This is important to mid-life women because they tend to be acidic. When you maintain the proper pH balance, your cells can absorb the greatest amount of nutrients, which preserves their healthy state.
Your bones serve as a reservoir of these highly important alkaline minerals, which are released to help neutralize the acids in your body. If your body is overly acidic, your bones must contribute their minerals to restore your pH balance. This can deplete your bones, leaving them brittle and weak.
Calcium is known most commonly for its role in preventing osteoporosis but its effects on your health are much more comprehensive. Calcium can help reduce blood-fat levels, and is crucial in maintaining the electrolyte balance necessary for muscle contraction.
Calcium should be taken with magnesium in a 2:1 ratio, because Calcium and magnesium require each other for proper absorption.
Magnesium is also important for bone health. In addition to preventing bone loss, it plays an important role in the creation of new bone. It also promotes muscle relaxation, regulates the production and use of insulin, and can be used to prevent and treat heart disease.
Potassium is needed to regulate water balance in your cells, pH balance, blood pressure, and neuromuscular function.
A WORD ABOUT IRON
A good multinutrient should not contain iron because the need for iron varies greatly from woman to woman. If you are iron deficient, it's better to take iron separately. However, this is rarely the case once you stop menstruating. In fact, if you are postmenopausal and supplement with iron, iron toxicity could become a health concern for you. If you aren't losing blood through menstruation, 10 mg of iron a day is plenty.
NARROWING THE OPTIONS
Supplementation makes good health sense. There's no time like the present to start supplementing. There are a lot of formulas on the market today, in varying prices, and it's hard to know which one is right for you. Always remember that you get what you pay for.
With that said, let me recommend Goldshield Elite's Gold Pack. Gold Pack combines 9 of our most popular products to give you the highest quality multi-vitamin we can offer. It has all the nutrients and vitamins mentioned above. Click here to learn more about Gold Pack
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Take Care,
Pamela Reynolds
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