Today’s urban women have to face more tribes & tribulations than ever as they battle home and work & yet manage to strike a distinct balance between the two. But in this daily journey, nutrition requirements take a back seat as they face deficiencies of many macro & micronutrients which are necessary for a healthy life. There can be many reasons why today’s urban women develop these nutritional deficiencies which include erratic diets, hectic schedules, other family members & other chores getting more priority or even just a pure lack of knowledge about which nutrients should be included in a healthy woman’s diet.
Some of these common deficiencies that urban women face & how to tackle them
are enlisted below :
– Iron Deficiency :
Iron is the largest component of RBCs that binds itself with Haemoglobin to transport oxygen to the cells. While iron is a trace element,
it is common in urban women especially during menstruation & generally more frequent in vegetarian women. This deficiency can cause anaemia, fatigue, dizziness, headaches & can even affect immunity & brain functionality.
Common sources of iron for women include red meat, shellfish & for vegetarians, it includes rajma, dals, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, leafy vegetables & cashews. While non-vegetarian sources provide the most bioavailable iron, plant sources are more difficult to break down to be absorbed. This makes iron deficiency more prevalent in vegetarian women. Women should also add Vitamin C to their diet along with Iron as it enhances iron absorption.
– Protein Deficiency :
Protein is an important macronutrient & often called the building block of life. It is responsible for building & rebuilding muscles, building immunity, developing hair, skin & nails. Protein intake is also required for the development & secretion of hormones which result in increased productivity & holistic wellness. It also plays a vital role in weight management & makes women feel fresh energetic throughout the day. An average urban adult woman requires daily 1gm of protein & as many as 80% of Indians consume less than this daily protein requirement, as per an IMRB survey. This proportion goes even high for vegetarians & women.
While pulses, legumes, soy chunks, nuts, seeds & grains provide protein, they are said to be sources of incomplete protein. Sources of complete protein include egg whites, milk, chicken, fish, red meat & whey proteins. There are several whey protein supplements available in the market including Her-Be-Her range of protein supplements by Proburst which are designed especially for women. This range includes Her-Be-Her Active Woman for the active women of today & Her-Be-Her PCOS which is a special protein supplement for women having PCOS condition which is more prevalent in today’s urban women.
– Calcium Deficiency :
Calcium mineralises bones & teeth. It aids in neurotransmission, muscle contraction, intracellular signalling & plays a role in preventing PCOS in women. While it is the most abundant mineral in the body, its deficiency causes an increased risk of osteoporosis in women. The main dietary sources of calcium include dairy foods, almonds, beans & leafy vegetables. Apart from dietary sources, it is also preferred that urban women also consume calcium supplements many of which are available over the counter.
– Vitamin D Deficiency :
Unlike other vitamins, Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin which is called the sunshine vitamin as early morning sunshine plays an important role in Vitamin D synthesis action in the body. Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones, healthy hair, healthy hormone levels & even aids fertility. Lack of Vitamin D causes muscle weakness, bone loss & also causes calcium deficiency which increases the risk of fractures & bone injuries.
Dietary sources of Vitamin D are extremely skewed towards non-vegetarians as they include fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines & egg yolks which make it essential for vegetarian women to rely on external Vitamin D & D3 supplements.
– Vitamin B12 Deficiency :
Vitamin B12 is required for proper neurological function and it aids the formation of RBCs in the blood. While deficiency of Vitamin B12 can be caused due to inadequate intake, it can also be caused due to inability to absorb Vitamin B12 in the body due to intrinsic factors like women on acid-blocker medication & women with inflammation in the small bowel. Even worse off than Vitamin D, Vitamin B12 is only found in natural form in animal products like salmon, lamb & eggs. Vegetarians & vegans only have the option to rely on external Vitamin B12 supplements to meet their nutritional requirements.
Thus, urban women, who contribute shoulder in today’s world do face an increased risk of lack of well-being due to lack of nutritional elements in their diet or non-consumption of nutritional supplements. While a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle can meet most of the nutritional requirements, for other nutritional deficits, they have to rely on supplements which are where Proburst comes to their rescue with its range of nutritional supplements especially with products designed especially for women of today.

You can buy Proburst products at your nearest retailer or even online at www.proburst.com. Call now on 7807080000 or email info@proburst.com.