Good health is the foundation of a good life. However, women face a number of unique challenges in this arena. The changes their bodies undergo from childhood to their senior years, the stress of various caregiving roles over those years as well as the dual pressures of work and home that many women encounter all create a need for a special road map for maintaining their health.
Supporting your body with good practices that include regular exercise, healthy eating that includes a daily dose of Women’s Health, and monitoring your mental health all help ensure that you stay on the path to health. While cancer and cardiovascular disease are serious health issues for Singaporean women, maintaining your health through all stages of life lays a foundation that can make all the difference. Blackcurrants can help women face two of their most serious challenges – cancer and cardiovascular disease – with beauty, grace, and strength.
Cardiovascular Disease
Women, in particular, suffer from high rates of cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure, and the result can include heart attacks and strokes among others. Like many countries, Singapore has chronically high rates, especially for women. In 2008, cardiovascular disease was responsible for almost one-third of all deaths for women. Causes can include high stress, often brought on by the pressures of caregiving for multiple generations while also attempting to find success and satisfaction outside the home. These pressures can result in feeling like there is less time for healthy eating, exercise, or relaxation.
Again, researchers point to exercise and a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables as important first steps in preventing as well as alleviating this condition. Anthocyanins and antioxidants fight inflammation and reduce artery-blocking plaque, two things that can contribute to the occurrence of cardiovascular disease. Blackcurrant seed oil offers another important and helpful nutrient: the omegas. Omega-3, 6, and 9, all of which are uniquely present in blackcurrants, help reduce inflammation, manage cholesterol levels, and control blood pressure levels.
Osteoporosis
As you age, your body begins producing less estrogen, the hormone that helps manage your reproductive system. However, research shows that it also plays an important role in maintaining bone density. It signals bone cells that they should not be reabsorbed but rather stay in place. As you approach and even move beyond menopause, the risk of osteoporosis, a disease stemming from the body making too little bone becomes a concern. Bones become weak and can break easily.
A healthy diet and exercise, especially weight-bearing exercises, can help lessen or even prevent the occurrence of osteoporosis. Calcium-rich foods, including blackcurrants, can also help reduce your risk. It is also worth noting that blackcurrants are a source of phytoestrogens, meaning they are one of a handful of edibles that contain plant-based estrogen. While not a complete replacement, phytoestrogens can help balance out deficiencies.
Cancer
According to the Singapore Cancer Society, nearly 2,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. Cervical cancer is the tenth most common form of the disease in Singapore with ovarian cancer edging its way up the list. Medical experts agree that one of the best first steps in protecting yourself is a diet high in whole fruits and vegetables. This fresh, high-fiber diet can prevent 30 to 50% of all cancers.
Researchers also point to the anthocyanins and antioxidants, like those present in very high levels in blackcurrants, in some fruits and vegetables. While each also possesses anti-aging and beauty-enhancing properties, anthocyanins and antioxidants are also powerful allies for women’s health. Anthocyanins are particularly present in dark-hued fruits and vegetables, like blackcurrants, which have the highest levels of all the berries. Medical studies show that the anthocyanins in blackcurrants also contain delphinidin, a potential inhibitor of breast cancer cell growth.
Good health stems from a good diet, and for women that means one that can help them meet the challenges of modern life every moment of every day. Our Women’s Health and Omega Health supplements put the power of nutrient-rich blackcurrants at your fingertips. Use them to not only meet the challenges of being a woman in modern life but to show the world how to thrive.
