If you are not eating a healthy diet, the first thing you need to do is make necessary improvements for your nutritional needs. Women can also benefit from taking a good multivitamin with iron. Many women of reproductive age are slightly anemic, meaning they have a lower red blood count than they should because of their menstrual cycle every month. This can cause a loss of iron every month.

Women can have a higher blood count when they replace loss of iron by taking a multivitamin supplement with iron. Another benefit from taking such a supplement it can also cause them to have less tiredness and more energy.

Women who have tender breast can find a vitamin E supplement helpful. Women have found taking up to 1,000 IU (international units) per day have relief with this problem. But taking this much of the vitamin some women have found side effects such as becoming irritable, bloated, or having oily skin. Women who have reduced their intake to 400 IU find they still find relief from breast discomfort without the side effects.

Women who suffer from premenstrual syndrome have found vitamin B6 beneficial.

Women over the age of thirty five need to take extra calcium every day. Women from the age of thirty five until menopause need 1,000 mg of calcium every day. 1,500 mg per day is needed after menopause. Women who take estrogen after menopause only need 1,000 mg per day because of the effects of estrogen on their bodies they will not require the extra calcium.

The Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that taking prenatal vitamins for six weeks or longer before getting pregnant offered some protection against neural tube defects in the baby. The key element seems to be folic acid.

Most obstetricians agree it is good for women who are planning to become or are pregnant to take prenatal vitamins. They find women benefit from the additional calcium, folic acid and extra iron during pregnancy. Over the counter prenatal vitamin supplements work fine.

Excessive amounts of vitamins should not be taken. Excessive doses of vitamins A, D, E, and K should be especially avoided. This can be harmful. Disease may result if the vitamins are absorbed in the body's fat and accumulated in large amounts.

Women who will benefit from taking vitamin supplements particularly are people with specific diseases that make vitamin intake necessary, the elderly and often premature infants. Also, those who are inclined to avoid healthy eating habits!