Facts About Women: Health Edition

In the chaos of a modern woman’s life, she strives to be more independent and become more successful, where her work and family are at the top of her priority. This might give them lesser time to prioritise themselves and healthy living eventually takes the back seat.

In conjunction with International Women’s Day, we’re sharing with you some fascinating facts about female health that make them unique and perhaps something we all can be aware of too!  

#1 Women have stronger immune systems

Women are known to live longer than men. The female body is less likely to get a viral infection and is better at fighting against infections compared to males. With both age and reproductive status playing a role, there are some potential reasons why women have a better immune response.

Given that women have two X-chromosomes compared to men who have one X and one Y, women have the advantage of a stronger immune response[1]. The immune response indicates how the body defends itself against bacteria, viruses and other foreign substances that may appear harmful. It is also suggested that women develop a stronger immune system over time to prepare for childbearing.

Although women have a stronger immune response, this can also contribute to their increased susceptibility to inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The X chromosome potentially causes a possibility for a large number of mutations to happen, putting women at double the risk of autoimmune disease compared to men[2]. There is no guaranteed way to prevent an autoimmune disease but is possible to reduce the risks of it by living a healthier lifestyle. Increase HER essential vitamins and minerals missing from the diet through women’s multivitamins, folic acid, evening primrose oil and more.

#2 Women’s hearts beat faster than men

The average male heart rate is between 70 to 72 beats per minute and the average women’s heart rate is between 78 to 82 beats per minute[3]. The difference is largely due to the size of the heart where the females’ heart is typically smaller than males. Notably, the height and frame of the body between both genders explain the heart size differences as well.

Due to the smaller size of the female heart, it would pump less blood with each beat and therefore a need to beat at a faster rate to match the larger male heart’s output. To ensure HER heart is pumping healthily, it is highly recommended to consume fish oil, CoQ10 and black garlic.

#3 Women have a higher pain threshold

Pain is subjective but women are better at tolerating pain with greater frequency and intensity than men. Women are built to withstand the pain to cope with events like monthly menstruation and childbirth. According to research, men rated their pain higher than women during a series of tests[4].

In fact, some women could experience more intense menstrual pain than other women. Some supplements that could help to ease their menstrual cramps and other PMS symptoms are evening primrose oil and calcium.   

#4 Women require more sleep than man

The average adult needs 7 – 9 hours of sleep every night to feel refreshed. Based on research, women tend to sleep just a little longer by 11 minutes[5]. One of the main reasons why women need more sleep is because of their hormones.  

Essentially, women experience hormonal changes every month and these hormones affect their mood, alertness, hunger as well as their circadian rhythms. This may create a greater need for sleep. On the bright side, women also tend to fall asleep faster than men.

If she’s having trouble sleeping, try getting regular exercise, setting a bedtime routine, limiting caffeine and alcohol intake, and improving her sleep environment. Opt for magnesium or supplement with key ingredients such as glycine, chamomile extract, and phosphatidylserine to help calm the mind and nerves to support quality sleep. 

#5 Women have better memory

Women have always claimed that they can remember things better and longer than men, and that’s true, according to studies! Women outperform men in most memory tasks[6]. While men can better recall images and remember their way back from one location to another, women generally perform better when it comes to not only verbal information but also the location of objects, faces and sensory experiences.

A study from McMaster University suggests that women remember faces better than men as they subconsciously spend more time studying the features of new faces. This allows them to create a richer memory, which is a technique that can help improve overall memory and recall.

Although women have better memories, it is also crucial to maintain NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) levels in the body since it declines as they age. For every woman, her brain is her asset. Power her memory and sharp mind by consuming foods with NAD+ precursors and NMN supplements.

[1] https://www.healthline.com/health-news/women-have-stronger-immune-systems-why-thats-not-always-a-good-thing#The-power-of-chromosomes

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7292717

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4190707

[4] https://www.mcgill.ca/newsroom/channels/news/men-and-women-remember-pain-differently-293050

[5] https://www.sleepfoundation.org/women-sleep/do-women-need-more-sleep-than-men

[6] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/313998