Let’s face it: it’s hard to eat healthy in college. We’ve got the Cage (pumpkin muffins!), the Pause (pizza bagels!) and the Caf (chicken fingers!) – not to mention the pretty great restaurants here in quaint little Northfield. We all know we’re getting our carbs, our fats, our proteins, etc. But what about iron, calcium, and folic acid?
According to health experts, these are the three essential nutrients that we as women should be extra aware of, if we want to improve our well-being. How about a simplified lesson in the biochemistry of college girls?
1. Iron
The National Institute of Health recommends that women between the ages of 19 and 50 get 18 milligrams of iron a day (twice as much as men). Bascially, iron helps muscles store and use oxygen (three cheers for myoglobin!). If you’re not getting enough of it, you are probably finding yourself feeling a little tired, and we already get a lack of sleep in the first place (studying things like myoglobin…).
Because of menstruation, we are also more at risk for iron deficiency—a malady of 12% of pre-menopausal women. In the words of a Hillshire Farms commercial, go meat! Get in the Grill line and order up a piece of chicken or a hamburger. There’s also iron in cereal and bread, and—fun fact—you should add a bit of citrus to your supper, because vitamin C increases the rate at which your body absorbs good ol’ Fe.
2. Calcium
1,000 milligrams is the suggested amount for women ages 19-50. We all know calcium is about strong and healthy bones, but it also is crucial for the nervous system, blood coagulation, muscle function, heartbeat, hormone secretion, and enzyme activity.
Make sure to drink milk, or if you’re not milk’s biggest fan, treat yourself to some cheese, yogurt, or ice cream. Lactose intolerant, or just not into dairy products? Incorporate some leafy greens, salmon, or almonds into diet. You can also get calcium-enriched breads and O.J.
3. Folic acid
Your recommended daily intake is 400 micrograms, and you can find folate in whole grain breads and cereals, as well as leafy vegetables. It has been linked to prevention of cancer (it aids in the synthesis in DNA and RNA and prevents malignant mutations), as well as promotes a healthy heart.
Once we get around to having children of our own, folate will be an especially important part of our diet, as it guards against genetic diseases and birth defects in babies, particularly involving the nervous system. Finally, it’s important in the production of erythrocytes (red blood cells). Basically, folic acid is your body’s overall handyman, and you just didn’t know it. But now you do!