It may be hard to believe that there are 26 essential vitamins and minerals to choose from but it's true!
There are few – if any! – women who could say menstrual symptoms have never impacted them.
These can range from mild annoyances to crippling side-effects that inhibit your ability to do daily tasks well.
At KeyForHer.com, we don’t believe any woman should have to suffer in silence. And we know that when it comes to tackling pain, cramps, bloating, fatigue, and mood, the right essential vitamins and minerals are paramount.
But while maintaining a balanced diet is undoubtedly a big step in the right direction, our bodies don’t always get what they need solely from what we’re consuming.
Below is a list of 26 essential vitamins and minerals that you should be getting adequate amounts of daily.
Remember that KeyForHer.com has lots more information and support. Come and be part of the community!
26 Essential vitamins and minerals:
1) Vitamin A
Function: helping your body's natural defence against illness and infection work properly and keeping skin healthy.
Sources: Milk, cheese, eggs and oily fish. Are you a veggie? You should ensure you’re getting plenty of beta-carotene – your body can convert this into Vitamin A. Sources of beta-carotene include green leafy veg like spinach and yellow fruits like apricots and mango.
2) Vitamin B1
Function: it allows the body to break down and release energy from food and keeps the nervous system healthy. B1 cannot be stored in the body, so you need it in your diet every day.
Sources: peas, bananas, oranges, nuts, and wholegrain bread.
3) Vitamin B2
Function: it keeps skin, eyes and the nervous system healthy and allows the body to release energy from food.
Sources: milk, eggs, fortified breakfast cereals, mushrooms, and plain yoghurt.
4) Vitamin B3
Function: it helps the body release energy from food and keeps the nervous system and skin healthy. B3 cannot be stored in the body, so you need it in your diet every day.
Sources: meat, fish, wheat flour, eggs
5) Vitamin B6
Function: it allows the body to use and store energy from protein and carbohydrates in food. It helps the body form haemoglobin to carry oxygen around the body.
Sources: pork, poultry, peanuts, soya beans, oats, bananas, and milk.
6) Vitamin B12
Function: it helps the body make red blood cells and keeps the nervous system healthy. It releases energy from food. It allows the body to use folate.
Sources: meat, fish, milk, cheese, eggs. As Vitamin B12 is not found in fruit and veg, vegetarians and vegans need to take supplements.
7) Vitamin C
Function: An important vitamin! It helps to protect cells and keep them healthy. It also maintains healthy skin, blood vessels, bones and cartilage and helps with wound healing.
Sources: Found in lots of fruit and veg including citrus fruit, peppers, strawberries, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and potatoes.
8) Vitamin D3
Function: The body creates vitamin D from direct sunlight on the skin outdoors. In Ireland, especially between October and early March, we often do not make enough vitamin D from sunlight.
Sources: vitamin D is found in a small number of foods such as oily fish, red meat, liver, and egg yolks.
9) Vitamin E
Function: a group of compounds found in a wide variety of foods, it is a powerful antioxidant and helps protect cells from the damage caused by free radicals.
Sources: Plant oils – such as rapeseed, sunflower, and olive oil. Nuts and seeds, and wheat germ.
10) Vitamin K2
Function: The vitamin K group is needed for blood clotting and helping wounds to heal. There's also evidence vitamin K may help keep bones healthy.
Sources: green leafy veg, vegetable oils, cereal grains. Small amounts can also be found in meat and dairy.
11) Folate
Function: We cannot synthesise folate, and the body only stores minimal amounts of it. Therefore Folate deficiency is common. Not everyone can metabolise standard folic acid from food or supplements, which is why Quatrefoloic is particularly beneficial. Quatrefoloic is included in KeyForHer products.
Sources: Folate is present in dark green leafy vegetables, fruit, nuts, beans, seafood, eggs, dairy and meat. Spinach, liver, asparagus, and brussels sprouts are among the foods with the highest levels. However, a high-quality supplement may be necessary because of its unstable nature.
12) Biotin
Function: biotin is needed in small amounts to help the body make fatty acids and is great for hair growth.
Source: Biotin is found in many foods, but only at very low levels.
13) Magnesium
Function: It turns the food we eat into energy and makes sure the parathyroid glands, which produce hormones important for bone health, work normally.
Source: Spinach, nuts, wholemeal bread.
14) Zinc
Function: making new cells and enzymes. Processing carbohydrates, fat and protein in food and it also aids wound healing.
Sources: meat, shellfish, cheese, bread, and wheatgerm.
15) Copper
Function: to produce red and white blood cells. It triggers the release of iron to form haemoglobin, the substance that carries oxygen around the body. It's also important for infant growth, brain development, the immune system, and strong bones.
Sources: Nuts, shellfish, offal.
16) Manganese
Function: manganese helps make and activate enzymes in the body.
Sources: various foods, including bread, nuts, breakfast cereals (especially wholegrain), and green veg.
17) Selenium
Function: selenium helps the immune system work properly and enables reproduction. It also prevents damage to cells and tissues.
Sources: brazil nuts, fish, meat, eggs.
18) Molybdenum
Function: molybdenum helps make and activate some of the enzymes that help with repairing and making genetic material. (it’s a funny one, it’s pronounced mol-lib-denum)
Sources: a wide variety of foods, especially potatoes and carrots.
19) Iodine
Function: can improve thyroid function, potentially increasing energy and decreasing weight gain. Iodine contributes to normal cognitive function and the nervous system.
Sources: seaweed, fish, shellfish, dairy, eggs, chicken.
20) Potassium
Function: Potassium is a mineral that helps control the balance of fluids in the body and helps the heart muscle work properly.
Sources: Bananas, broccoli, parsnips, brussels sprouts, beans and pulses, nuts and seeds, fish, beef, chicken.
21) Boron
Function: boron helps your body metabolise vital vitamins and minerals has an essential role in bone health. It can also affect estrogen and testosterone levels.
Sources: kale, apples, spinach, coffee, dried beans, milk, potatoes, raisins, nuts.
22) Iron
Function: iron is important for making red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body. A lack of iron can lead to iron-deficiency anaemia.
Sources: Red meat, beans, nuts, dried fruit, fortified breakfast cereals, and soybean flour.
23) Piperine
Function: piperine is an alkaloid present in black pepper. Piperine has several health benefits, especially for fighting inflammatory diseases. It also helps relieve nausea, headaches, and poor digestion. You can increase the effectiveness of piperine by consuming it with a source of fat (avocado, egg yolk, nut butter and nuts, fish), allowing it to be absorbed into the bloodstream.
24) Resveratrol
Function: a plant compound that acts as an antioxidant. It protects brain function and lowers blood pressure.
Sources: red wine, grapes, some berries, and peanuts.
25) Malic Acid
Function: It is thought to help with sleep, fatigue, mood, and skin conditions.
Sources: A natural substance found in fruits and vegetables, especially apples, apricots, blackberries, cherries, grapes, peaches, pears, and plums.
26) Tyrosine
Function: An essential component for a healthy brain. It aids in the production of important brain chemicals called neurotransmitters, including epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine. It can help to alleviate stress.
Sources: Tyrosine is found in soy products, chicken, turkey, fish, peanuts, almonds, avocados, bananas, milk, cheese, yoghurt, beans, and seeds.
That is all 26 vitamins and minerals you'll need to help you each day and they're all in the Essential blend tablet in Key Menstrual Cycle.
Our dual formula contains one other tablet, the Remedy Blend which contains herbal and botanicals to naturally help keep period and menstrual cycle symptoms like PMS, Cravings, Cramps, Fatigue, Bloating, Fluid Retention etc at bay!
For 10% off your first order of any Key product including Key Menstrual Cycle, Key Peri + Menopause and Key Collagen, use discount code KEY10
