OPTIMISING WOMEN’S HEALTH

OPTIMISING WOMEN’S HEALTH.
Women’s health issues, while similar to men’s health issues in most areas, differ in a few specific ways. Some of the health issues for women concern subjects such as premenstrual syndrome, pre-conception care and pregnancy, menopause, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.
To help you take a proactive approach to your health, we examine these women’s health issues and show you how using high quality vitamins and supplements can assist.
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS).
PMS affects approximately 75% of women, and is characterised by more than 150 symptoms, ranging from mood swings to weight gain and acne. The symptoms of PMS vary from woman to woman and cycle to cycle. For some women, PMS symptoms may be mild or moderate, and for others, they may be more severe. Hormonal imbalance and liver dysfunction may contribute to PMS symptoms.

Like vitamins, essential fatty acids cannot be synthesised by the body and are an essential nutrient your body needs to function. Gamma-linolenic acid is an omega 6 essential fatty acid, our bodies use in the production of prostaglandins, which control the way we feel and the health of every cell. GLA is required in relatively large amounts in the diet to support wellbeing and women’s health, especially during the menstrual cycle. Both Evening Primrose Oil and Borage Oil are excellent sources of Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA).
Why supplement with GLA?
Science is now confirming the value of herbs that generations of women have believed in for pain relief of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS). 70% – 90% of women experience physical or emotional symptoms before the start of menstruation – this is known as PMS and can manifest as emotional symptoms such as mood swings, irritability, anger, depression and anxiety. Women’s health is also affected in physical symptoms such as breast swelling and tenderness, fluid retention (swollen feet and hands, bloated stomach), food cravings, headache, nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, acne, fatigue, joint or muscle pains, sleeping difficulties, weight gain and difficulty concentrating and remembering.
Evening Primrose Oil (EPO) contains the essential fatty acids gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and linoleic acid (LA), vital components in the structure of every cell in the body. These essential fatty acids are converted into substances called prostaglandins, which regulate many cell functions.
Gamma-linolenic acid, an omega 6 essential fatty acid, has been used by Naturopathic physicians regularly to reduce cramping pain and other symptoms associated with premenstrual syndrome and for temporary relief of arthritic pain. Studies show that women with PMS have relatively higher than normal blood level of linoleic acid (LA) and lower than normal levels of GLA, hence inhibiting GLA from performing it’s anti-inflammatory actions in the body and impacting negatively on women’s health.
Who can benefit from a Evening Primrose Supplement?
Anyone who:
-    Wants relief from pre-menstrual symptoms and support for wellbeing during the monthly cycle.
-    Wants relief from physical PMS symptoms .
-    Wants temporary relief of arthritic pain.
-    Anyone whose lifestyle factors include excess saturated fats in the diet, ongoing high stress levels, alcohol consumption and smoking because these all affect the GLA metabolism, leading to the need for dietary supplementation.
If you would like FREE information about these outstanding supplements please contact us using the Leave a Comment field at bottom of the page.

Women’s Health and Pregnancy.
Research has shown that it is beneficial to start supplementing three months prior to conceiving. In particular, nutrients such as folic acid are recommended to reduce the risk of neural tube defects including spina bifida. An early symptom of pregnancy is fatigue, so it’s important to ensure that your energy levels are adequate prior to falling pregnant. Our recommended women’s health supplement taken as part of a preconception program, can help reduce the risk of nutritional deficiencies with mum and baby.
A vitamin/mineral/phytonutrient supplement contains essential nutrients which are often missing in a typical diet today, as a result of lifestyle and due to inadequate eating habits like consuming processed foods. Other impacts include smoking, drinking alcohol, skipping meals and pollution to name a few.
Why supplement with a Multivitamin – Multimineral?
Even if you try to eat 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day you may not always succeed. The Journal of the American Medical Association has acknowledged that a daily multivitamin supplement is one way to ensure adequate amounts of important vitamins and recognises the link between vitamins and the reduced risk of chronic diseases.
Who can benefit from a multivitamin, multimineral, phytonutrient supplement?
Anyone who:
-    Needs more energy.
-    Has n inadequate diet, skips meals, eats less than 3 servings of fruit and 5 servings of vegetables per day.
-    Has greater nutritional needs because of lifestyle or life stage demands such as sports people, busy adults and the elderly.
-    Eats highly processed foods, smokes or drinks alcohol.
-    Wants to support cardiovascular health.
-    Is pregnant and wants to reduce the risk of having a child with neural tube defects (NTD).
This superior supplement helps your body to:
-    Support healthy eyes.
-    Strengthen bones and teeth.
-    Sustain healthy thyroid function.
-    Support a healthy heart by helping to maintain healthy cholesterol levels with crucial nutrients like vitamin B, vitamin E, and folic acid.
-    Reduce the duration and severity of symptoms of colds, flu and hay fever.
-    Fortify the immune system.
-    Support energy production and nerve function.
-    Control metabolism of glucose, carbohydrate, protein and fat.
-    Assist in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.
-    Relieve nerve tension and stress.
-    Maintain normal healthy blood.
This outstanding supplement contains:
Contains a wide range of Antioxidants including vitamin C, vitamin E, Beta carotene and bioflavonoids , which are antioxidants and synergistically complement each other in scavenging damaging free radicals in the body.
Vitamin E is important for the stability of cell membranes, by protecting fatty acids from oxidation by free radicals; and essential antioxidant during energy production.
B Vitamins help provide; energy, relieve nervous tension, stress and mild anxiety. They play an important role in the production of red blood cells, B vitamins also help to maintain a healthy nervous system.
-    Vitamin B1 is necessary for normal metabolism of carbohydrates and neurological function, and is essential in the production of energy.
-    Vitamin B2 enhances the cells ability to use oxygen; contributes to normal structure of mucous membranes such as mouth, eyes and intestines and is also involved in energy production.
-    Vitamin B3 helps with the metabolism of carbohydrates, and also contributes to normal structure of mucous membranes.
-    Vitamin B6 is essential for energy, is required for normal metabolism of protein, and increases stamina.
-    Vitamin B12 increases energy. It is necessary for normal cell division, function of the neurological system and contributes to maintenance of normal blood homocysteine levels.
-    Vitamin B5, Pantothenic  Acid is a potent antioxidant, it is necessary for fat metabolism , and increases stamina.

Folic Acid helps maintain a healthy heart by helping to lower elevated Homocysteine levels, it improves the elasticity of blood vessels, and lowers the risk of Neural Tube Birth Defects by approximately 70% if taken daily for one month before conception and during pregnancy.
Biotin contributes to normal fat metabolism and is closely involved in energy production.
Calcium strengthens bones in both children and adults and may help in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, it is also involved in muscle activity, nerve activity and bone metabolism. Calcium can be helpful for women during pregnancy, lactation and menopause.
If you would like FREE information about these outstanding supplements please contact us using the Leave a Comment field at bottom of the page.

Women’s Health and Menopause.

Women’s health can also be improved using these supplements during menopause. As with menstruation, some women can complete this transition relatively symptom free; for others it can represent an emotional challenging and debilitating time. Menopause occurs when a woman stops ovulating and her monthly period ceases. Most women reach menopause between the ages of 45 and 55, with the average age around 50. However, about oner per cent of women experience menopause before the age of 40.The transition time leading up to complete termination of menses is called perimenopause;  this phase can last up to four years, and is characterised by irregular menstrual cycles and gradual increases of menopausal symptoms. The symptoms and experience associated with menopause are unique for each woman. According to medical experts, approximately 20% of women will have no noticable changes other than their periods stopping, 70% will consider the changes a mild to moderate nuisance and 10% find the symptoms of menopause severely distressing. The cause of menopause is the lack of production of oestrogen by the ovaries. Some of the symptoms include irregular and/or absent menses, hot flushes, and urinary tract atrophy. Skin changes include loss of skin tone/integrity leading to wrinkles. Weight gain is another symptom.

Supplement with Black Cohosh to alleviate symptoms of menopause.
Black Cohosh  helps to relieve the discomfort of menopause symptoms including hot flushes, heart palpitations, nervousness, irritability, sleep disturbance, mood swings and perspiration. Black Cohosh’s medicinal properties are attributed to the active constituents triterpene, heterosides and isoflavones that are found to produce oestrogenic actions to promote hormonal balance. These water soluble constituents influence the circulation through the nervous system and blood  vessels making Black Cohosh a nerve and muscle relaxant to alleviate general restlessness during menopause. Black Cohosh is backed by clinical research studies supporting its safety and effectiveness in relieving menopause symptoms and the general well being for women’s health.
If you would like FREE information about these outstanding supplements please contact us using the Leave a Comment field at bottom of the page.
Women’s Health and Osteoporosis.
Menopause can also increase a woman’s risk of osteoporosis, a condition which affects the bones making them brittle and leads to bones that can easily fracture. Other contributing factors include excessive caffeine, soft drink, and/or alcohol, smoking, lack of exercise, low protein diets, and a lack of calcium intake.
There are things we can do to slow the causes of osteoporosis and we should start today. The recommended intake for adults is 1000mg per day and 1500mg for women after menopause. Vitamin D is important as it increases calcium absorption and plays a role in regulating calcium levels in the blood stream. Magnesium also plays an integral part in bone health as 64 per cent of the body’s magnesium is concentrated in the bones.
Calcium is a prerequisite for healthy bones, teeth and overall body function. Unfortunately your body cannot produce it, which is why you must introduce calcium into your daily intake. Rich sources of calcium include dairy products, tofu, sardines and salmon. Moderate sources of calcium include sesame seeds, nuts, and dark green vegetables like spinach, broccoli, and bok choy. Rich sources of Vitamin D can be found in cod liver oil, oily fish, eggs, liver and cheese.  Taking a high quality vitamin and mineral supplement can provide you with all of these bone protecting nutrients. You can increase your protection even more with a Calcium Magnesium supplement.

Why supplement with Calcium and Magnesium?
Calcium and Magnesium are both integral minerals for bone health. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. 98% of the body’s calcium is concentrated in the bones. It is essential for maintaining structural formation of strong healthy bones and teeth. Calcium is also needed for a number of other functions, including cell division, important biochemical activities and plays a regulatory role in blood coagulation (ie. clotting), muscle contraction and nerve function. Calcium also activates certain enzymes and assists in transporting nutrients through cell membranes.
64% of the body’s Magnesium is also concentrated in the bones and is an essential part of many enzyme systems. Both minerals are required for normal muscle and nerve activity. If the body doesn’t get enough Calcium and/or Magnesium, from the diet, it takes it from the bones and muscles to perform these functions. Calcium taken from the bones, leads to weak, brittle bones and poor posture which can lead to osteoporosis.
Research indicates that supplementing with Calcium alone can hinder the actions of Magnesium and vice versa. A combination of Calcium and Magnesium supplies the two minerals together for a balanced approach to supplementation and improved women’s health.
If you would like FREE information about these outstanding supplements please contact us using the Leave a Comment field at bottom of the page.