In addition, the RDAs for a number of vitamins and micronutrients, such as vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, folate, and beta-carotene, may not be adequate to prevent chronic illness. For example, recent studies have found that the RDA for folate may need to be doubled for women as well as men. The FDA has said that a well-balanced diet will usually meet women's allowances for vitamins and minerals. However, for good health, women need to pay special attention to two minerals, calcium and iron. Low calcium intake appears to be one important factor in the development of osteoporosis, a disease in which bone density decreases and leads to weak bones.
Women have a greater risk than men of developing osteoporosis.
Therefore, particularly during adolescence and early adulthood, women should increase their food sources of calcium. According to one FDA spokesperson, the most important time to get a sufficient amount of calcium is while bone growth and consolidation are occurring, a period that continues until approximately age 30 to 35. The idea is, if you can build a maximum peak of calcium deposits early on, this may delay fractures that occur later in life. For women 25 and older, the allowance drops to 800 milligrams, but that is still a significant amount, says Stephenson. A. Dairy products are powerhouses of calcium, but they needn t be high-fat.