Your body changes as you age, so your nutrient intake needs adjustments as well. In particular, women over 50 must make some significant changes. Some vitamins and nutrients are no longer as necessary, while others become far more important. For example, women typically don't need as much iron after menopause because they are not losing iron through the menstrual cycle. Meanwhile, the effects of aging begin, meaning that the body needs calcium,Vitamin D, and vitamin K2 to combat common conditions like osteoporosis.
Even during the best of times it's difficult to maintain a healthy diet with plenty of vitamin-rich foods. With all the responsibilities that we have to carry, there's so little time to research what nutrients are necessary, where they come from, and how to add them into a diet. If you're a woman over 50 looking to supplement your diet with the right vitamins and minerals, the best and easiest choice is usually a high-quality liquid multivitamin.
In this post, we'll cover eight of the most important nutrients for the health of women over 50, as well as discuss what to look for in a multivitamin.
Top Vitamins and Minerals Women Over 50 Need in a Supplement
Because of your changing nutritional needs, it can be difficult to find exactly what vitamins and nutrients a supplement needs to offer. Generally speaking, a multivitamin for women over 50 should contain:
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin B12
- Vitamin B9
- Vitamin B1
- Vitamin B3
- Ac-11
- Turmeric Extract
- Vanadium
But what are these vitamins and why are they so important?
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is an integral nutrient for building healthy bones because it enables the absorption of calcium [1]. It also regulates numerous other cellular functions and supports muscle function, immune health, and brain cell activity. Because of these qualities, it is integral for older adults to make sure they get enough Vitamin D, otherwise, they are at risk for conditions like osteoporosis. It is extremely difficult to receive adequate levels of Vitamin D from food alone, though you can find it in fortified cereal, fortified milk, and certain fish like mackerel, sardines, and salmon.
The best natural source of Vitamin D is sunlight. Unfortunately, the amount of Vitamin D your skin can absorb is reliant on many different factors. If your skin is darker or if you live in certain regions, you may not have a way to get enough Vitamin D from sunlight alone. Older adults, in particular, are at risk of Vitamin D deficiency because they tend to be less active, receive less sunlight, and generally are not able to absorb as much Vitamin D. The best multivitamin for women over 50 promotes Vitamin D and calcium absorption while providing plenty of both nutrients. The upper tolerable limit of vitamin D for women over 50 is 15 mcg or 600 international units. The minimum daily requirement of of calcium for women over 50 is 1,200 mg/day.
B Vitamins
Women over 50 typically need a few different B vitamins to stay healthy, including Vitamin B12, folic acid, thiamin, and niacin.
B12 (Cobalamin)
Vitamin B12 is essential for nerve function, cell metabolism, creating new red blood cells, and producing DNA [2]. Usually, Vitamin B12 deficiency is uncommon because it is widely available in foods like dairy products, fish, poultry, and other meat. However, as we age, we become less capable of absorbing nutrients. Up to a third of people over the age of 50 lose the ability to create enough stomach acid to extract the vitamin from dietary sources [3]. There is also a greater risk of digestive tract conditions that may affect vitamin absorption. Not getting enough B12 could lead to issues like nerve damage, muscle weakness, anemia, and general fatigue. If you want to keep your energy levels up as you age, Vitamin B12 is among the most important nutrients.
B9 (Folic Acid)
You'll see Vitamin B9 on ingredient lists as either folate or folic acid. Methylfolate is an active form of folate used for DNA reproduction in your cells for people with the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene. The MTHFR gene is a common genetic predisposition that can lead to low levels of folate and in turn, may cause anemia. Methylfolate is a form of folate that can be easily absorbed.
B1 (Thiamin)
Most people are aware of the importance of other B vitamins. However, between 20% and 30% of older adults have indicators of some level of thiamin deficiency [5]. Though many people forget to include it in their diet, thiamin is essential for the development, growth, and continued function of cells. Also known as Vitamin B1, thiamin helps the body create energy from other nutrients. Without proper thiamin levels, your brain and heart can develop issues like drops in cognitive function and congestive heart failure [6]. Though it is still being researched, there is a possibility that thiamin supplements could help fight age-related cognitive conditions like Alzheimer's disease [7].
Good dietary sources of thiamin include fish, beans, yogurt, and pork. However, the liver stores a very small amount of Vitamin B1, and nutrient absorption rates drop as we age. These issues make it necessary to eat thiamin-rich foods every day. Many people would find this extremely difficult to achieve, so supplements are often more ideal for the average person.
B3 (Niacin)
Vitamin B3, or niacin, is one of the most important B vitamins, as well as one of the most complex. Niacin works as a coenzyme, meaning it works with over 400 enzymes to perform certain reactions [8]. This nutrient helps convert other nutrients into energy, create and repair DNA, and create important
To simplify the hundreds of potential reactions, niacin keeps your nervous and digestive systems healthy and helps your skin stay youthful. Additionally, the cholesterol that niacin produces is high-density lipoprotein — also known as "good" cholesterol — which helps remove low-density lipoprotein, the "bad" cholesterol, from your blood. Vitamin B3 is key to preventing cardiovascular disease, especially as you age.
Research also indicates that niacin can have powerful effects on the brain. A six-year study of nearly 4,000 men and women over the age of 65 found that high levels of niacin had a protective effect from cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease [9].
AC-11
For a significant portion of our history, humans have attempted to conquer the effects of aging. Researchers have made significant progress in discovering what the aging process actually involves and how to slow it down. One of the primary causes of age-related effects is the degradation of cell health. Every day, around one million DNA damage incidents occur in our cells due to free radicals. Over time, this takes a great toll on aging and manifests as conditions like age spots, brittle bones, sagging skin, and a general loss of energy.
AC-11 is a unique, natural extract of Uncaria tomentosa, a plant indigenous to the Amazon rainforest [10]. This extract boosts the body's ability to repair its own DNA, making it a perfect companion to nutrients like the B vitamins. AC-11 also improves the life cycle of white blood cells to enhance the immune system. Plus, it increases the production of natural collagen III, which ensures your skin stays soft, vibrant, and youthful.
However, perhaps the most powerful effect of AC-11 is its ability to trigger apoptosis in damaged cells. Apoptosis is a highly controlled process that the body uses to kill cells that are bad for our bodies. In adults, apoptosis removes irreparable cells to ensure the development and maturation of new cells.
Turmeric Extract (Curcumin)
Did you know that the pigment that gives turmeric its signature yellow color is also a major nutrient? This pigment is curcumin and its most notable effect is preventing the shortening of telomeres, which are small caps on the ends of chromosomes. Many of aging's most noticeable effects have links to shorter telomeres, so curcumin is a clear necessity for women over 50 [12].
Vanadium
Chances are, you haven't heard of vanadium unless you're a chemist or extremely health-conscious. Vanadium is a trace mineral found in many foods, like mushrooms, black pepper, beer, and grain products. This compound is essential for cellular metabolism and the growth of bones, teeth, and cartilage. Recent studies have found that vanadium may help lower blood sugar levels and improve insulin resistance in people with type-2 diabetes [13]. Vanadium also appears to lower blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Though the research is ongoing, it's also possible that vanadium could prevent conditions like osteoporosis [14]. On top of all of these effects, vanadium even supports telomere lengthening.
Best Supplement For Women Over 50
$49.95
A truly great multivitamin shouldn't just provide you with the basic vitamins that you need. It should also offer you extra nutrients and minerals that promote longevity and keep you feeling your best. Healthycell offers several supplements that offer everything a health-conscious woman over 50 could want. Additionally, our supplements contain no harmful artificial ingredients, colors, or dyes.
Our Healthycell Bioactive Multi offers a complete spectrum of essential vitamins and minerals, including many of those we mentioned in this article. Our expert blend of nutrients boosts your immune system while also supporting bone, heart, brain, and skin health for aging women.† Unlike many other supplements, our MICROGEL technology boosts your body's absorption rate by releasing extremely small, ultra-bioavailable nutrient particles in the digestive tract. For those who have diabetes, we've ensured that Bioactive Multi contains less than half a gram of sugar so women over 50 who watch their sugar intake can take our supplement without any worries.
If you're looking for another anti-aging supplement to complement your multivitamin, consider the Healthycell AC-11 Supplement for healthy aging. Thanks to the power of AC-11 extract, this supplement dramatically boosts your body's natural ability to repair DNA, destroy damaged cells, limit inflammation, and enhance immune function.† You're fighting four of the most common causes of aging with just a single supplement.
Individuals who are looking for something that works in tandem with their body's natural cycles should check out our Healthycell AM/PM supplement. Healthycell AM/PM's unique morning and evening formulas work with your body, providing a boost of energy in the morning and repairing your cells at night. The PM formula even promotes sleep to ensure your body gets the rest it needs. This supplement contains many of the most important nutrients, like thiamine, Vitamin D, niacin, vanadium, curcumin, and many others. It also supports telomere length to help you live a longer, healthier life.†
To learn more about why Healthycell is the preferred choice as a high quality nutrient supplement, you can speak to a friendly product specialist by calling (800) 975-9606.
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- https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/za1487
- https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-Consumer/
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/wellness/1998/04/14/need-for-vitamin-b12-after-50-is-emphasized/b911cf27-4554-4540-8bf5-a69671b9dd6f/ https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn10989-folic-acid-supplements-rejuvenate-older-brains/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20121971/
- https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Thiamin-Consumer/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22218733/
- https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Niacin-Consumer
- https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/75/8/1093.short
- https://www.optigenex.com/the-miracle-of-the-rainforest
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2008650/
- https://www.americanintegrative.com/curcumin-supplements-could-help-delay-aging-and-fight-age-related-chronic-diseases/
- https://www.worldhealth.net/news/vanadium/ https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/19/3/826
