Yahoo Lifestyle7 Helpful Multivitamins for Women Over 50—Because Bone Health and Heart Health Are of Utmost Importance
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7 Helpful Multivitamins for Women Over 50—Because Bone Health and Heart Health Are of Utmost Importance
Your nutritional needs change over time and, with that, the right multivitamin for someone in their 20s is very different from the best multivitamin for women over 50.
“As you age, you need to be more mindful of your nutritional requirements and get essential vitamins and minerals through diet—preferably—and supplementation,” says Gina Keatley, a certified dietitian-nutritionist practicing in New York City. Meaning, while it’s best to fill your nutritional needs through eating the right foods, you may need to add a multivitamin to the mix to help cover gaps in your diet.
Bone and heart health are “of utmost importance” to focus on as you age, says Keri Gans, M.S., R.D., author of The Small Change Diet. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S, and the International Osteoporosis Foundation estimates that one in three women worldwide will develop the condition.
If you’re in the 50+ age group, experts say there are certain nutrients you want to make sure your multivitamin contains. Those include:
- B12. “Anybody who is not eating a lot of meat needs to be supplementing with B12,” says Kathryn Boling, M.D., a primary care physician at Baltimore's Mercy Medical Center. “As you get older, your ability to absorb B12 drops.” B12 is “good for your brain,” Dr. Boling points out.
- Calcium. Calcium helps support strong bones, Dr. Boling notes, and it’s important to help lower the risk of developing osteoporosis. “If you don’t drink milk, consume dairy products, or have anything that’s calcium-fortified, you will need to supplement,” Dr. Boling says. “Since women lose up to 1/5 of their bone in their first five to seven years after menopause, I tell all women that at least 1,200 milligrams of calcium is necessary on a daily basis,” says Gloria A. Bachmann, M.D., associate dean for women’s health at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey.
- Vitamin D. Estrogen helps protect your bones and, as you enter menopause, the decline in estrogen can lead to bone loss, says women’s health expert Jennifer Wider, M.D. “Supplementing with calcium and vitamin D becomes vital in the fight against bone thinning and osteoporosis.”
- Magnesium. Magnesium also helps contribute to strong bones, Gans says. It can even prevent leg cramps, something that perimenopausal women tend to struggle with, Dr. Boling says. “It’s miraculous” for leg cramps, she adds. F
- Fiber. “Fiber helps to keep blood sugar in check, can help with weight management, and helps lower LDL—bad—cholesterol,” Keatley says. (Just don’t take your fiber with medications or other vitamins or it may carry them out of your body.
- Riboflavin (B2). “Good for eyes, skin, hair, and nails this little vitamin also helps convert carbohydrates to energy and may help prevent migraines,” Keatley says.
- Vitamin E. This is a “powerful antioxidant that works inside your cell,” Keatley says.
- Folic Acid. “It’s good for the heart and proven to lower levels of homocysteine, which has been tied to heart disease,” Dr. Wider says.
How we chose the best multivitamin for women over 50
To choose the best multivitamins for women over 50, we analyzed the best-selling vitamins on the market and consulted several experts in nutrition and medicine. Those include:
- Women’s health expert Jennifer Wider, M.D
- Gloria A. Bachmann, M.D., associate dean for women's health at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey
- Kathryn Boling, M.D., a primary care physician at Baltimore's Mercy Medical Center
- Keri Gans, M.S., R.D., author of The Small Change Diet
- Gina Keatley, a certified dietitian-nutritionist practicing in New York City
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1) One A Day Women’s 50+ Healthy Advantage
ONE A DAY
amazon.com
$16.99
One A Day Women’s 50+ Healthy Advantage Multivitamin is packed with nutrients you need, including vitamins to support your
bone health, joint health, heart health, eye health, immune health, and even energy levels. It’s also free of potential allergens like gluten, wheat, soy, and dairy.One a Day - 3/8
2) Centrum Minis Women 50+
Centrum
amazon.com
$22.38
Not everyone is comfortable swallowing horse pills on a daily basis. Centrum Minis allow you to get your vitamins with a pill that’s 50% smaller than standard multivitamins. These vitamins are also non-GMO, gluten-free, and are made without any artificial flavors or sweeteners.
Centrum - 4/8
3) Nature's Way Alive! Women’s 50+ Gummy Multivitamin
Nature's Way
amazon.com
$15.78
Want to take a multivitamin you’ll actually enjoy? These gummies have a mixed berry flavor that'll go down easy. They’re also packed with eight different B vitamins to help support your brain and cellular health.
Nature's Way - 5/8
4) Centrum Silver Women's Multivitamin
Centrum
amazon.com
$17.44
Centrum Silver Women’s Multivitamin is incredibly popular for a reason. This pill contains important micronutrients like vitamin D3, B vitamins, calcium, zinc, and vitamins C, E, and beta-carotene, all designed to support your heart, brain, eye, and bone health. The vitamins are also non-GMO and gluten-free.
amazon.com - 6/8
5) Persona Personalized Vitamins
Persona
Persona.com
$61.00
Everyone and their nutritional needs are unique, so it makes sense to have a multivitamin that’s specially tailored for you. That’s where Persona comes in. You answer a few questions about your health and your personal needs, and Persona creates a custom multivitamin for you.
Persona - 7/8
6) SmartyPants Women's Masters 50+ Multivitamin: Vitamin C, D3 & Zinc for Immunity, Lutein/Zeaxanthin for Eye Health*, CoQ10 for Heart Health, Omega 3 Fish Oil (EPA & DHA), B6, 120 Count (30 Day Supply)
SmartyPants
amazon.com
$26.99
This SmartyPants multivitamin is packed with 17 essential nutrients, including omega-3 EPA/DHA from fish oil, lutein/zeaxanth for eye health, CoQ10 for heart health, vitamin D3 for immunity, and vitamin B12 for energy. Just take four small berry-flavored gummies a day to reap the benefits.
SmartyPants - 8/8
7) Ritual Essential for Women Multivitamin 50+
Ritual
amazon.com
$24.55
Ritual is known for creating clean vitamins, and its 50+ multivitamin is no exception. This vegan vitamin is specially designed for post-menopausal women and includes crucial ingredients like vitamin D3, vitamin B12, and omega-3 DHA from microalgae. The vitamins are also sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free, and created without stevia, sugar alcohols, and artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners.
Ritual
