The sense of invincibility in your youthful days makes it easier to lead an edgier and exciting life. When you are young, partying all night seems such a better option than sleep! But as we grow old, our bodies become more vulnerable. The body fails to keep up with all these activities and often gets exhausted.
When a person approaches their 40s and 50s, they usually find that their body becomes unable to perform the same functions as in their early twenties or thirties. And these changes and alterations are more evidently noticed in women nearing or in their fifties.
The primary reason for these bodily changes is that several women generally undergo menopausal transitions during this age range. According to some experts, most women in the United States experience menopause at the age of 49-51years.
Vitamin and Mineral Deficiency- An Alarming Concern in Older Women
Several experts say that consuming a balanced diet is enough to keep up with optimum health conditions for older adults. But in reality, it is certainly not the case!
The amount of needed vitamins and minerals differ with age. And sometimes, to keep up with these changes and alterations, people might need to use multivitamins and supplements.
The need for vitamins and minerals rapidly changes for women who are approaching their fifties. It is mainly for going through menopause as, during this time, they undergo several hormonal, metabolic, and other bodily changes.
For this reason, a number of several pharmaceutical consulting firms and healthcare product companies are now focusing on producing several types of multivitamins for women to supplement the needed nutrients in the body.
But how should one decide which multivitamins to use? Well, here are some tips for you.
What Should One Consider Before Choosing Multivitamin Supplements?
- Keep your doctor or dietitian in the loop. Make sure you seek medical advice before beginning any supplement regimen.
Taking nutritional supplements often interferes with the timing of your medications.
Consulting a physician or doctor could also bring out a deficiency of particular nutrition that you might need to focus on in your supplements. They can also point out any allergic ingredients you might need to look out for in your multivitamins.
The healthcare professionals will also benefit from knowing what supplements you’re taking in case of an emergency.
- Make sure that your multivitamins contain all the vitamins and minerals needed for your body, and it does not contain any excess nutrients that your body does not need.
- Some particular minerals and vitamins could be hazardous when taken in excessive doses. So, it is better to keep to the suggested daily limit when taking multivitamins.
- Make sure you have done your research. The US FDA does not assess the quality and effectiveness of dietary supplements. So, before choosing your multivitamins gather information and review from other customers or about the company and their products.
There are now several other boards that certify health and dietary supplements. You can also check their reviews to make sure you get genuine products.
- Firstly, reflect on your diet. Nutritional deficiency is a necessity for supplements to be effective in your body. While that is true, it is exceptionally likely for older women that their diet does not provide all the daily needed nutrients.
Apart from supplementation, try focusing on making adjustments in your diet to fulfill your nutritional needs. A health fulfilling diet can have a noticeable influence on health.
If you still show deficiency of certain nutrients after adjusting, you can try multivitamins best suited to meet those requirements.
Vitamins and minerals that should be present in the multivitamins for or women approaching 50s.
Some specific vitamins and minerals are commonly needed in most women who are in their forties or fifties or undergoing menopause.
So, in the following part, we have listed a few minerals and vitamins that you should make sure your multivitamins have. These ingredients can be highly beneficial during this stage of your life.
1. Calcium
Calcium deficiency is the most commonly noticeable deficiency in women over 40. Women during this stage of life should increase their calcium intake to maintain strong and healthy bones.
The deficiency of calcium in the body can cause osteopenia, ultimately leading to osteoporosis in older age.
2. Vitamin D
Vitamin D is in the absorption of calcium which leads to be beneficial for bone health. Consumption of vitamin D and calcium together prevents loss of bone density and fractures.
3. Iron
The need for several nutrients increases during this stage of a woman’s life, except for iron!
The need for iron decreases after the age of 50 or after undergoing menopause. So you should make sure that your multivitamin does not contain any iron supplements. Excess iron in the body could cause digestive problems and other issues.
4. Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is essential for maintaining a healthy nervous system and producing DNA and blood cells.
5. Omega 3
Omega 3 is a multi-purpose nutrient that helps to keep your skin and eyes healthy and young. It also helps you keep your memory sharp.
Fatty fish and flax seeds are excellent sources of Omega 3.
6. Magnesium
During older age, several women experience changes in the sleep cycle which often affects their dietary system and metabolism. Magnesium can help to relax the stressed muscles and improve your sleep routine.
Magnesium also helps two regular bowel movements and prevent constipation.
Unfortunately, due to the fast-moving lives and frequent negligence of food habits nowadays, most women fail to satisfy their nutritional demands by solely maintaining a healthy diet. Multivitamins and supplements help to fill in the nutritional shortfalls.
These are especially necessary for women who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet because several nutritional deficiencies are often prevalent in people who follow plant-based diets.
But even with supplements, you need to make sure that you take care of your diet and health and go for regular checkups to keep your body fit and optimum health. Do you have any more questions regarding your multivitamins? Ask us!
