Introduction
The role of women has changed considerably over the last 100 years - For example 42% of the workforce are women. Surveys show that 54% of working women aged 18-59 years are responsible for children under the age of 12 years.
During those 100 years a woman's life expectancy has increased from 51 to 81 years. For women cancer is now the number one cause of death, having recently overtaken heart disease.
Women live longer than men and therefore experience more disability due to their longer life expectancy. Women also consume more health services than men.
Health surveys show that the most common ailments for women are headaches and the common cold.
Biologically a woman's role is vastly different to a man's. Menarche, the onset of menstruation, begins as young as 10-12 years. The reproductive life cycle continues until the onset of menopause at 50-55 years.
Reproductive Health
The female reproductive system includes the ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, vagina and the breasts. The healthy, balanced functioning of this system is largely governed by the action of the female reproductive hormones, oestrogen and progesterone. Oestrogen promotes the development and maintenance of female reproductive structures, especially the lining of the uterus. Oestrogen is also essential for the development of female sexual characteristics, such as the breasts. Progesterone works with oestrogen to prepare the lining of the uterus for the implantation of an egg. It also prepares the breast for milk production. The Menstrual Cycle - Each month a surge in the production of the hormone oestrogen stimulates the release of an egg from one of the two ovaries.
The right and left ovaries usually alternate in the release of an egg every month. This egg passes along the fallopian tube, where it may be fertilised. The egg moves to the uterus where, if fertilised, it attaches to the lining and gestation occurs for the next nine months of pregnancy. If the egg is not fertilised, the lining of the uterus (endometrium), breaks down and is shed in a monthly cycle commonly known as menstruation or the period.
The hormone oestrogen is higher during the first two weeks of the menstrual cycle, then, once the level has peaked at around day 14, the levels of oestrogen diminish. The level of progesterone is highest during the second two weeks of the menstrual cycle.
The menstrual cycle ceases naturally at menopause, which strictly speaking, is the day of the last period. In actual fact we view menopause as a time of transition. Menopause is also induced if there is a surgical removal of all or part of the uterus and / or ovaries.
Special Nutritional Needs
Women's nutritional needs differ to men's primarily due to the requirements of the reproductive cycle. For example the recommended dietary intake of iron for women is 12-16mg per day, which for men it is only 7mg daily. In addition, pregnant women need more iron (up to about 36mg daily). Older women need less iron - after menopause a woman's need for iron are the same as a man's.
Prior to conception and especially during the first trimester of pregnancy the B group vitamin folic acid is needed in double the quantity than that required for a man. Calcium is also required in larger amounts during pregnancy and lactation; after menopause the RDI for calcium is still higher (by 200mg) than that for a man.
Lifestyle creates special needs - smoking, stress, prescribed drugs, intense physical exercise all create the need for additional amounts of nutrition.
Preventative Health Care
The cornerstones of preventative health are: a nutritious diet; a healthy level of exercise (not excessive); adequate sleep and relaxation; and sunshine this last being important for the immune system and production of vitamin D.
A healthy diet should provide adequate amounts of antioxidant vitamins and minerals. Antioxidants help protect the body from damage caused by excessive amounts of free radicals. Free radicals are formed as a normal by-product of consuming essential oxygen.
They can be generated by many environmental factors such as pollution, sun radiation, cigarette smoke and alcohol. Drugs can increase oxidative damage, as can some food preservatives such as sulphur dioxide and nitmosamine- forming nitrites (typically found in cured or pickled meats). Chlorine in treated water and excess fats in the diet also generate potentially harmful free radicals.
Some free radicals are used by the immune system to kill cancer cells and viruses, however, it is the unchecked free radicals that are dangerous and can cause damage to, or even destroy, healthy cells. This could lead to disease or death of the cell, increasing the risk of cancer, heart disease, and degenerative diseases and reducing the length and quality of life.
Lifestyle factors clearly influence free radical formation, and supplementing with antioxidant nutrients can provide the nutrient balance that the body needs.
