Episode #222
:7 Essential Vitamins and Supplements for Menopausal Health
Today we’re chatting about the essential vitamins and supplements you may want to consider when you’re in any phase of menopause.
Of course, a healthy diet—lots of veggies and fruit, lean protein, legumes and beans, healthy fats, and carbs—is one of the best ways to manage your hormones and minimize perimenopausal or menopausal symptoms. But sometimes you may feel you need a little more, like supplements, to keep your body strong and well. Additionally, your nutrient needs may change as you age, requiring more of some things (protein and calcium) and less of others (iron and folic acid).
Here’s are some of the key nutrients you want to make sure that you’re getting during the varying phases of menopause because when you’re eating right and taking appropriate supplements, you’ll feel more like you’re thriving—instead of battling—through this transition stage of life.
So, let’s talk about just 7 essential vitamins and supplements for menopausal health:
1. Calcium – it’s essential for maintaining bone health, which can be at risk during menopause due to the decrease in estrogen levels. As you age, your bones become porous (a condition known as osteoporosis) and can weaken, making fractures more likely.
Women under 51 need 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day, while women 51 and older need 1,200 milligrams a day
Good food sources: Milk, yogurt, cheese, tofu, calcium-fortified orange juice, spinach, black-eyed peas, sardines, salmon, trout.
2. Vitamin D3 – this is nicknamed the “sunshine vitamin” because your body can make vitamin D from sunlight, the UVB rays, in particular. But even if you get outdoors a lot, you may not be getting enough. Sunscreen, pollution, clothing, and age reduce your body’s ability to produce vitamin D from the sun.
Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, a building block for strong bones; important for proper functioning of muscles; supports heart health, neurological function, blood sugar regulation and immunity.
Here’s how it can help during menopause: Vitamin D is necessary for keeping bones strong and to stave off osteoporosis, thinning of the bones which can predispose you to fractures. It may also help to support brain function, decrease cognitive decline, and fight off menopause depression.
3. Vitamins B6 and B12 = These are two of a group of eight B vitamins.
B6 is necessary for optimal metabolism, immune function, and supporting the body’s ability to manage inflammation. B12 is needed for the formation of red blood cells and is key for increasing energy, protecting your heart and brain, supporting good gut health, and helping your nervous system and eyes work properly.
How it can help during menopause: Vitamin B6 may help ward off menopausal depression and increase energy by boosting serotonin. B vitamins may also help with insomnia and possibly even reduce hot flashes. They are also important for cognitive functions.
Recommended daily intake: For B6, 1.3 mg for women age 50 and younger and 1.5 mg for those 51 and older. For B12, 2.4 mcg for all adults.
Good food sources: For B6, salmon, chickpeas, tuna, chicken, fortified tofu, pork, sweet potatoes, bananas, potatoes, avocado, pistachios. For B12, shellfish, tuna, fortified cereals, beef, fortified soy milk, fortified tofu, low-fat milk, cheese, eggs.
4. Omega 3s
Many women don’t get enough Omega 3s, yet every cell in your body needs them – especially the eyes and brain. Omega 3s are also important for muscle activity, immune function, digestion and fertility.
5. The last thing I want to mention – because it’s a question I get asked a lot – is about Collagen.
Collagen supplements can be beneficial during menopause, particularly for skin health. As estrogen levels decline during menopause, the production of collagen decreases, leading to dry, dull, and sagging skin. Taking collagen supplements can help keep the skin plump and hydrated, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
While collagen supplements may not directly address other menopausal symptoms such as joint pain or hair thinning, they can indirectly support overall health and well-being. Collagen is known to promote hair follicle health and can release amino acids that help build hair
Additionally, collagen combined with vitamins and fruits can have additional benefits for skin health.
In finishing up, I just want to remind you that as always, when starting any new regimen, consult your healthcare provider – especially if you have underlying health conditions.
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Hello and welcome to this mini talk and I’m thrilled to have you here with me today I’m continuing the talk about the menopausal season of life for women and I want to talk about the essential vitamins and supplements that you might want to consider when you’re in any
Phase of per menopause and menopause and of course first of all a healthy diet lots of veggies and fruit lean protein gos and beans healthy fats and carbs the healthy diet is one of the best ways to manage your hormones and minimize per menopausal or menopausal symptoms but
There are times when you just feel a little bit more is needed right and people ask me about supplements something to keep our body strong and well and our bone strong and well so additionally your nutrient needs change as you age and sometimes this requires more of some things like protein and
Calcium and less of others like iron and folic acid so here are some of the key nutrients you may want to make sure that you’re getting during the various phases of menopause because when you’re eating right and taking appropriate supplements you’ll feel more like you’re thriving instead of battling through this
Transitional stage of life so let’s talk about seven essential vitamins and supplements for menopausal health so number one calcium it’s essential for maintaining bone health which can be at risk during any phase of menopause due to the decrease in estrogen level so as you age your bones become porous and
That’s a condition known as osteoporosis and it can weaken our bones making fractures much more likely so women under 51 need 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day while women 51 and older need 1200 milligrams a day and of course good food sources include milk yogurt cheese tofu calcium fortified orange
Juice uh spinach blackeyed peas sardine salmon and trout then two vitamin D3 this is nicknamed the sunshine vitamin people assume I get plent PL of that living here in Florida but that’s not always the case now because your body can make vitamin D through sunlight the UVB rays in
Particular um even if you get Outdoors a lot you still may not be getting enough there are things like sunscreen pollution clothing and age they all reduce your body’s ability to produce Vitamin D from the Sun and vitamin D actually helps you absorb calcium a building block for strong
Bones vitamin D is important for proper functioning of your muscles supports heart health neurological function blood sugar regulation and immunity so here’s how it helps during menopause vitamin D is necessary for keeping the bone strong and staving off osteoporosis thinning of the bones which can predispose you to fractures it may
Also help to support brain function decrease cognitive decline and fight off menopausal depression number three magnesium now this helps reduce symptoms such as hot flashes mood swings and insomnia and can also be important for maintaining bone health so why you need it it’s involved in a variety of
Processes in the body everything from muscle and nerve function to blood sugar and blood pressure regulation bone formation and energy metabolism and how can it help during menopause well magnesium is important for improving heart health reducing blood pressure decreasing risk of diabetes combating osteoporosis and particularly if you take magnesium
Citrate it eases constipation all issues that increase with menopause magnesium gly inate specifically may also help with that calming of anxiety easing joint pain improving sleep and hot flashes as well as cold flashes so the recommended daily intake is 320 milligrams I have to tell you I take a
Lot more of that because I also use it to combat um migraines now good food sources for this would be spinach pumpkin seeds black beans tuna soy milk and of course if you know me you know I I really don’t promote soy of any kind brown rice nuts
Like almonds and cashews avocado edamami nonfat yogurt and bananas so number four vitamin b6 and b12 these are two of a group of eight B vitamins B6 is necessary for optimal metabolism immune function and supporting the body’s ability to manage inflammation B12 is needed for the formation of red blood cells and it’s
Key for increasing energy protecting your heart and brain supporting good gut health and helping your nervous system and your eyes work properly so how it helps during menopause well B6 may help ward off menopause or depression and increase energy by boosting serotonin B vitamin vins may also help
With insomnia and possibly even reduce hot flashes and these are also important for cognitive functions so the recommended daily intake B6 1.3 milligrams for women age 50 and younger 1.5 milligram for those 51 and older for B12 2.4 MCG for all adults good food sources salmon chickpeas tun chicken fortified
Tofu sweet potatoes bananas potato avocado pistachio and then for B12 shellfish tuna fortified cereals beef um fortified tofu lowfat milk cheese and eggs and so here’s another important one it’s the Omega threes and many of us as women don’t get enough of this um yet every sell and our body needs
Omega-3s especially the eyes and brain so Omega-3s are also important for muscle activity immune function digestion and it’s important because it helps heart and brain health it’s involved in the function of your immunity and the endocrine the hormone system and helps the body manage inflammation so how it can help during
Menopause specifically the risk of heart disease increases after menopause so Omega-3s may help keep triglyceride levels in check uh they may also help with psychological issues depression and hot flashes and good food sources fatty fish like salmon flax seed chia seed walnuts firm tofu beans canola oil and
Avocado so one caution on this Omega-3 can thin the blood so if you’re on blood thinness talk to your doctor before adding this and then probiotics which we hear a lot about because our gut is a garden really is you have trillions of microorganisms hanging around inside your body doing useful stuff like
Helping you digest supporting mental health and allowing you to use your food to support physiological function you need this because life is hard on the Little Critters antibiotics poor diet illness and stress can kill them off by the millions and that leaves you susceptible to harmful bacteria and the
Diseases that come with them probiotics alive beneficial microbes that recolonize the Flora in your body and how does it help in menopause probiotics can help with digestive issues that many of us confront around this time including bloating gas and constipation and also help support vaginal Health by contributing to the
Optimal bacteria of the gut so the recommended dosage is not really any one specific thing what you’re looking for is probiotic supplements with at least 10 billion cfus and at least five different bacteria strains so you can also get this from from yogurt cafa cucha sauerkraut pickles miso Tempe kimchi
Sourdough bread and some cheeses Now read the label of your supplements to ensure that you store any probiotic properly because some do require uh Refrigeration um so the last thing I want to mention because it’s a question I get asked a lot about is collagen and it’s a huge thing these days collagen
Supplements can be beneficial during menopause particularly for skin health and as our estrogen levels decline during Menopause the produ production of collagen decreases leading to dry dull and sagging skin so taking collagen supplements can help keep the skin plump and hydrated and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles so while
Collagen supplements May not directly address other menopausal symptoms like joint pain or hair thinning they can indirectly support overall health and well-being so collagen is known to promote hair follicle health and can release amino acids that help build hair and additionally collagen combined with vitamins and fruits can have additional
Benefits for the skin now it’s important to note that different people experience different experiences so to say with collagen supplements and may vary can be difficult to find if you’re a vegetarian like me but there are some good and well sourced collagen products to be found so remember collagen should be
Taken on the inside rather than putting what they’re saying collagen on the outside because the collagen uh will affect your body from the inside out now in finishing up I just want to remind you that as always when starting anything new any anything that you’re adding to your regimen
Please consult your he health care provider especially if you have underlying health conditions and of course if you want to find out anything more about me or get on a free call go to my website holistic healthandwellness tocom thanks for hanging in there with me to day I’ve enjoyed being with you
And we’ll talk later bye for now
