Women's nutrition

You've probably heard of the link between calcium and osteoporosis. Your skeletal system holds the vast majority of calcium in your body. Calcium strengthens bones and promotes the functioning of nearly every body cell. When dietary calcium is insufficient, the body is forced to get calcium in other ways.

With all the fad diets coming in and out of style, a woman's true nutritional needs may be overlooked. Women have different nutritional needs than men, and this should be reflected in their diet. In general, women need fewer calories than men, depending on their weight and physical activity levels. In addition to the special nutritional needs of pregnancy and lactation, women need to take care to avoid iron deficiency anemia and osteoporosis.

Calcium is a key component of healthy bones and strong bone mass, and it is a factor in the reduction of bone diseases such as osteoporosis, a disease of the skeletal system that leads to bone fractures in the wrist, hip, and spinal bones.