At what age should a woman start taking vitamins?
Although some experts recommend taking multivitamin supplements only after a certain age, the truth is that women can benefit from extra vitamins and minerals at every stage of their life.
That's because rates of vitamin and mineral deficiencies continue to be high regardless of age and despite the abundance and variety of foods available nowadays [1].
One of the causes is modern agriculture, processing, and refining methods deprive water, soil, and as a result – the food of essential nutrients such as magnesium and iodine [2], [3].
Furthermore, spending more and more time indoors and increased air pollution can limit your sun exposure, making vitamin D deficiency the most common worldwide [4]. In fact, the research claims that it may affect up to a quarter of the US population.
Your needs for vitamins and minerals increase even more when you reach the age of 50. Women's nutrient needs become greater at this stage in life due to natural bodily changes that occur as we age.
For example, your digestive system will struggle to absorb nutrients as well as before [5]. Therefore, adding a multivitamin is an effective way for women over 50 to ensure their bodies get the essential vitamins and minerals needed for optimal health and well-being.
Additionally, vitamin supplements can help fill nutritional gaps in diets and reduce the risk of deficiencies. In fact, one study reported that the risk of deficiency was almost 3 times lower in individuals taking multivitamin supplements [6].
Regardless of your age, it would be best if you took your multivitamin daily and in conjunction with other healthy habits such as maintaining a balanced diet, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and reducing stress levels. Doing so will help you stay healthy and energized to feel your best for years to come!
What vitamins and nutrients are important for women?
Some of the most important vitamins and minerals women need to include are vitamin C, vitamin A, folic acid (folate), vitamin B12, vitamin B6, vitamin D3, vitamin K, pantothenic acid and essential elements such as iron, calcium and magnesium.
Vitamin A is one of they key nutrients for your eye health, skin health, and immunity. Without sufficient vitamin A, you may develop deficiency-related disorders such as impaired immunity and dry eyes [7].
Folic acid (vitamin B9) is an extremely important component of prenatal multivitamins for pregnant women but is also required for your normal blood cell formation and cellular energy metabolism. If you are deficient in folic acid, you may suffer from anemia and debilitating symptoms such as chronic fatigue and lethargy [8].
Similarly, another B vitamin called vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is also essential for blood cell formation and energy metabolism, and its deficiency can have similar consequences. However, cobalamin is also important for the function of your nervous system. In fact, studies show that cobalamin deficiency can also lead to neurological disorders [9].
You have probably heard that vitamin D is important for your bones, but it actually does so much more than that. Vitamin D3 is a prohormone your body needs for calcium absorption, immune health, and brain function. Clinical studies show that deficient people suffer from weak immunity, fragile bones, and higher levels of depression and anxiety [10].
Vitamin D3 is best accompanied by another essential vitamin - another vitamin K2 because of its amazing synergistic effects. Vitamin K helps direct the calcium in the blood toward your bones and away from soft tissues such as your blood vessels. Thus, it helps support both bone density and cardiovascular health.
Magnesium is one of the most commonly deficient minerals in women of all ages, but especially after age 50. Magnesium deficiency can negatively affect your heart's function, increase the risk of muscle cramps and even increase your insulin resistance.
Many women also have a high risk of iron deficiency due to menstruation, low heme iron intake, etc. Iron is important for the normal function of your muscles and red blood cells. You may develop anemia, weakness, and severe fatigue without enough iron in your diet.
Is it better to take a multivitamin or take vitamins separately?
While there are great supplements that target specific deficiencies, it may be a challenge to take a separate product for each potential nutritional gap.
Your body needs more than 40 essential micronutrients, including vitamins, minerals such as iron, and other bioactive substances [11].
Therefore, it is best to consider taking them as an all-in-one womens multi product rather than stuffing yourself with dozens of pills daily.
Moreover, many multivitamins also have additional ingredients, such as antioxidants or probiotics, that may help support your immune health and digestive balance.
Furthermore, a multivitamin designed specifically for women can help you skip the guesswork regarding the dose of each vitamin.
Women have different vitamin needs than men, and a women-only multivitamin is an easy way to ensure that these nutrients are present in their diet. For example, women can take iron while men should avoid any iron-containing supplements.
What are the benefits of a women's multivitamin?
Women's multivitamins are designed to provide the essential vitamins and minerals necessary for optimal health.
Taking a women's multivitamin on a daily basis can help reduce the risk of nutrient deficiencies and provide multiple benefits such as:
- improved overall energy levels
- aid in digestion
- better mood
- support mental clarity and focus
- improve skin complexion
- strengthen bone health and teeth
- prevent fatigue
- better immune health
For example, a study on both men and women showed that taking a multivitamin for 4 weeks improved mood and energy levels compared to a placebo [12].
Furthermore, the participants who took the multivitamin had lower levels of homocysteine at the end of the trial, which is a marker for cardiovascular risk. Supplementing with B vitamins can help you reduce your homocysteine levels which are associated with better heart health [13].
Another trial in 216 women reported that supplementing with a multivitamin for 2 months improved cognitive performance and reduced subjective fatigue associated with performing tasks [14].
Multivitamins are especially beneficial for you if you have difficulty obtaining optimum nutrition from diet alone, such as following restrictive diets, avoiding certain foods, having high physical activity, or suffering from digestive problems.
Taking a multivitamin daily can reduce your risk of vitamin deficiency-related illnesses and maintain your overall health. Multivitamins also provide a convenient and cost-effective way to get all the key nutrients and essential vitamins and minerals a woman needs.
How do you know vitamins are working?
For women, taking a multivitamin can be an important part of your overall health and wellness regimen. But how do you know if the vitamin is working?
There are some key signs to pay attention to that will indicate your vitamins are doing their job.
Some of the most common benefits reported by women taking a multivitamin include increased energy levels, better concentration, improved sleep patterns, and reduced stress [15].
These all point to vitamin supplementation being beneficial for general health and well-being. Other benefits could include thicker hair, shinier skin, stronger nails, and improved gastrointestinal functioning.
Additional signs that vitamin intake is positively impacting your body might include feeling less fatigued after exercise or physical activity, recovering faster from injury or illness, and having better mood stability.
Noticing these signs is important as it can be reassuring that you are getting the most out of your vitamin regimen and that you are setting yourself up for long-term health and well-being.
What time of day should you take a multivitamin?
Women must take a multivitamin daily to ensure optimal vitamin and mineral intake, so being consistent with your supplementation regime is key.
For most people, the best time to take a multivitamin is in the morning with breakfast, as this may help you turn it into a habit and stick to it, so you never forget to take your daily supplements!
Furthermore, taking a multivitamin for women at night may give you a rush of energy and alertness that will interfere with your sleep [16].
It's also important to take the supplement with a meal because a multivitamin for women will more often than not contain iron or vitamin B that can cause nausea if taken on an empty stomach.
How do you choose a daily multi for women?
There are 3 major things to look for when choosing a multivitamin supplement:
- Ingredients and their dosages
- Bioavailability of the supplement formulation
- Third-party testing for purity and quality
The first thing you should do is to look at the ingredients and their dosages. You are looking for a multivitamin for women, so it should contain vitamins A, C, E, D, and B vitamins such as folate and B12.
Keep in mind that the amount per serving for each of these vitamins must be at least 100% of the recommended daily value (%DV).
Furthermore, ensure it contains some magnesium and calcium to support your dietary intake of minerals. Prebiotics, probiotics, and plant extracts are also a great addition to a multivitamin supplement for women.
But even if your supplement is stuffed with all kinds of micronutrients, it won't be very effective if they are not absorbed in your gut. Therefore, the bioavailability of the supplement formulation is another important factor to keep in mind.
As a rule of thumb, minerals are always absorbed better in the gut when they are present as organic salts rather than inorganic alternatives. For example, zinc bisglycinate has much better absorption than zinc oxide [17].
Furthermore, liquid multivitamins generally have faster absorption than tablet forms, or a gummy multivitamin which often helps improve the bioavailability of most ingredients, especially in individuals with digestive issues.
And last but not least, you should pick a multivitamin for women that have undergone independent third-party testing, as this is the only way to guarantee that the contents in the bottle match the ones listed on the label.
This is why we highly recommend Goddess Code Shakti by NutriRise as the best liquid multivitamin for women. With a delicious pomegranate and berry flavor, this certified organic womens multi gets tested a whopping 3 times during manufacturing and then a fourth time by an independent third-party organization. Not to mention, it contains only nonGMO ingredients and the convenient liquid form means you never have to worry about swallowing multiple capsules per day.
This incredible multivitamin and multimineral supplement is manufactured and tested in the US, offering an astonishing all-vegan blend of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients for optimal well-being and radiant hair skin and nails. The additional mix of different plant extracts accounts for more than 200 nutrients per serving, as well as probiotics for womens digestive health. Could you imagine a more perfect womens multi supplement?
Note: This article is for informational purposes only and not intended for use as medical advice. Always consult with healthcare professionals before starting any dietary supplement.
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