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Women's Extra
Nutritional Needs
A woman's reproductive life - encompassing
menstruation, pregnancy, lactation and menopause
- means that her nutritional needs differ
greatly from those of a man. The popularity of
crash dieting has meant that nutritional
deficiencies are especially common amongst
younger women. Good nutrition means eating a
wide variety of foods every day, which isn't
possible on a restrictive diet.
Food and premenstrual
syndrome (PMS)
The interplay of hormones throughout a
woman's menstrual cycle impacts on her body and
state of mind. Energy intakes are generally
higher in the premenstrual phase than after
menstruation. Some women also experience food
cravings as their period approaches. Eating high
protein foods every few hours can often temper
the cravings or stop them altogether. This
should not be done at the expense of other food
groups, especially carbohydrates, which should
form the basis of the diet.
Fluid retention is common in the days leading up
to a period because certain hormones encourage
the body to hold salt, or sodium. The more
sodium held, the more fluid retained in the
tissues. Some research indicates that increasing
the intake of calcium-rich foods, such as dairy
products and leafy green vegetables, can ease
fluid retention. Other common symptoms of
premenstrual syndrome (PMS) include moodiness,
tiredness and constipation.
Foods that may help to
relieve the symptoms of PMS include:
Limiting refined sugar,
salt, red meat, animal fat, alcohol, caffeine
and tobacco may also help to ease symptoms.
There is some evidence that taking B group
vitamins during this time can help, particularly
vitamin B6. Light to moderate exercise, such as
a 30 minute brisk walk each day, has also been
shown to noticeably reduce symptoms of PMS.
Iron and anemia
Iron is a mineral that works in conjunction
with other substances to create haemoglobin, the
compound that carries oxygen in the blood. Women
and men metabolise iron from food at roughly the
same rate. However, while men need around 7mg of
iron in their daily diet, women need up to 16mg.
This is to make up for the amount of iron they
lose in their menstrual period, which averages
around 1mg or so lost for every day of bleeding.
Iron deficiency is the most common nutrient
deficiency that affects women. Insufficient iron
can lead to anaemia, with common symptoms
including tiredness and breathlessness. Iron
deficiency in pregnant women increases the risk
of prematurity, or delivering a low birth weight
baby, which can have a negative impact on the
short and long term health of the baby. Good
sources of iron include liver, red meat, egg
yolks, legumes, nuts and leafy green vegetables.
Iron absorption can be impaired by very high
fibre diets, alcohol and the tannic acid in tea.
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