What vitamins should a woman be taking?

cheree_1969

I am mid 40's woman and wondering what vitamins I should take? There is such an overwhelming vitamin aisle at the store! Or is a multivitamin enough? Thoughts?

elphie754

Ones that your doctor has told you you are deficient in. Otherwise you are just creating very expensive urine.

AriesGal329

My doctor said Vitamin D was the only one worth taking since you cannot get it from food. But, there are different opinions on vitamins....

callsitlikeiseeit

you could take a general multi vitamin if you wanted but i would avoid any specific supplements unless directed by your doctor due to a deficiency.

elphie754

lauragreenbaum148 wrote: »

My doctor said Vitamin D was the only one worth taking since you cannot get it from food. But, there are different opinions on vitamins....

Luckily the facts and science doesn't change based on opinions. And taking some vitamins in excess can actually hurt you.

ahoy_m8

At one point my GP recommended a multi with D (they all have it). Since them, though, several epidemiological studies have shown no long term benefit. I take a multi but really cannot feel a difference. My doc also said it was really hard to predict a vitamin D deficiency without a blood test (i.e. people who golf in the sun every day are deficient whereas people inside at a desk all day aren't).

ew_david

I take Star Wars gummies

rosebette

I take a multi and a Calcium with D. My doctor tests my D levels every year, and they're OK, but both my husband and son are deficient, and they're taking extra strength prescription D. I might take the over the counter D if you live in a northern climate and calcium if you're menopausal and don;t drink dairy.

pollypocket1021

Vitamin D is a safe bet.

Things marketed to women specifically tend to be more expensive than gender neutral items or the same thing marketed towards men. (Pink tax) For that reason alone, I personally would avoid anything marketed directly to women.

Merkavar

Deleted

plexusangel2016

I take plexus multivitamin called Xfactor it is a complete multivitamin with aloe

MelaniaTrump

One a day women's in case I don't eat perfectly every day.

socajam

Definitely Vitamin D in northern climate.

I had no idea by Vitamin D was extremely low until I had a blood test. Always wonders why Winter was so troublesome for especially those dark days. Once I started taking Vitamin D, it like night and day, a cloud was lifted from my brain. Last winter was a breeze to live through.

I would get a blood test to ensure that you will be taking the correct dosage.

Equus5374

I also take D, and increase it in the winter months when I'm not outside as much. I also have crappy, acne-prone skin, so I take a supplement with biotin, vitamin A, and hyaluronic acid in it. Take what you need and if you don't know, get some blood work done.

murp4069

I currently do not take any vitamins. I've heard that people in northern parts of the US may want to take D during the winter, but seeing as I am in South Florida I typically do not have to worry about Vit D deficiency. My doctor advised against me taking any vitamins or supplements except for iron, and even then only if I noted being sluggish or tired (which I haven't so I don't take it). She basically said what others here have said - unless you have a deficiency, then vitamins or other supplements are generally not needed. She also told me that taking a multi never hurt anyone, so that if I want to take once for peace of mind or to trick myself into thinking I was being healthy (my doctor is a bit snarky) then to go ahead.

In short, I'd talk to my doctor about it if I were you, particularly if you are due for a physical or something anyway. Maybe no need to make a special appointment unless you want to.

SoDamnHungry

If you're eating a reasonable diet and aren't deficient in anything, then you probably don't need to take a multivitamin.

earlnabby

Another who sees no harm in taking a general purpose multi. I also take D (SAD) and B12 (anemia) per my doctor's recommendation. I used to take high potency iron but no longer need it to keep my hemoglobin up. My Dr. looked at my calcium (thank you MFP reports) and I get enough between my multi and my dairy so I don't need to supplement.

Alidecker

Generally there shouldn't be any need for vitamins, unless you have been tested. As someone else pointed out, too much of some vitamins can be a problem. My doctor has done blood work on me several times and I have Vit D and Vit B deficiency. It has taken a ton of trial and error to get them worked out.

karahm78

I take a plant-based multi-vitamin (Rainbow Light Women's One), calcium +D, and fish oil. Doctor likes this mix, and I can really tell when I am not taking the fish oil regularly.

tomteboda

I take a women's multivitamin and a Vitamin D (prescribed by doctor).

Women of childbearing age need to be VERY careful about their folic acid intake (you need enough!). Neural tube defects are set up by Folic Acid deficiencies in the first 10 days of pregnancy; before you have even missed a period. If you aren't drinking orange juice/eating oranges EVERY day a women's (yes, WOMEN'S) multivitamin provides crucial protection.

A generic one-daily women's vitamin is not expensive.

March of Dimes: Take Folic Acid Before Pregnancy

CDC - Folic Acid factsheet

Folic Acid Fact Sheet - Women's Health

ogmomma2012

I would think especially if your calorie consumption was low enough that a multivitamin would be beneficial.

elphie754

SoDamnHungry wrote: »

If you're eating a reasonable diet and aren't deficient in anything, then you probably don't need to take a multivitamin.

Not true at all. You can have a very balanced diet and still be deficient. Biggest example-vitamin d

LKArgh

cheree_1969 wrote: »

I am mid 40's woman and wondering what vitamins I should take? There is such an overwhelming vitamin aisle at the store! Or is a multivitamin enough? Thoughts?

The ones your dr has prescribed because of verified deficiencies. None otherwise.

Orphia

elphie754 wrote: »

Ones that your doctor has told you you are deficient in. Otherwise you are just creating very expensive urine.

Ones that your doctor has told you you are deficient in. Otherwise you are just creating very expensive urine.

Truth that bears repeating.

tomteboda

From the March of Dimes:

Who should take folic acid?

All women, even if they’re not trying to get pregnant, should take folic acid.

Folic acid helps prevent NTDs only if taken before pregnancy and during the first few weeks of pregnancy, often before a woman may even know she’s pregnant. Because nearly half of all pregnancies in the United States are unplanned, it's important that all women take folic acid every day.

Can you get folic acid from food?

Yes. Some flour, breads, cereals and pasta have folic acid added to them. Look for “fortified” or “enriched” on the package to know if the product has folic acid in it.

You also can get folic acid from some fruits and vegetables. When folic acid is naturally in a food, it’s called folate. Foods that are good sources of folate are:
• Beans, like lentils, pinto beans and black beans
• Leafy green vegetables, like spinach and Romaine lettuce
• Asparagus
• Broccoli
• Peanuts (But don’t eat them if you have a peanut allergy)
• Citrus fruits, like oranges and grapefruit
• Orange juice (From concentrate is best)

It's hard to get all the folic acid you need from food. So even if you eat foods that have folic acid in them, take your multivitamin each day, too.

LKArgh

tomteboda wrote: »

From the March of Dimes:

Who should take folic acid?

All women, even if they’re not trying to get pregnant, should take folic acid.

Folic acid helps prevent NTDs only if taken before pregnancy and during the first few weeks of pregnancy, often before a woman may even know she’s pregnant. Because nearly half of all pregnancies in the United States are unplanned, it's important that all women take folic acid every day.

Can you get folic acid from food?

Yes. Some flour, breads, cereals and pasta have folic acid added to them. Look for “fortified” or “enriched” on the package to know if the product has folic acid in it.

You also can get folic acid from some fruits and vegetables. When folic acid is naturally in a food, it’s called folate. Foods that are good sources of folate are:
• Beans, like lentils, pinto beans and black beans
• Leafy green vegetables, like spinach and Romaine lettuce
• Asparagus
• Broccoli
• Peanuts (But don’t eat them if you have a peanut allergy)
• Citrus fruits, like oranges and grapefruit
• Orange juice (From concentrate is best)

It's hard to get all the folic acid you need from food. So even if you eat foods that have folic acid in them, take your multivitamin each day, too.

The OP is in her mid40s. Although I do not know her personal goals, I know very few women (exactly 1 to be precise) who are interested in getting pregnant at this point in life.

tomteboda

aggelikik wrote: »

The OP is in her mid40s. Although I do not know her personal goals, I know very few women (exactly 1 to be precise) who are interested in getting pregnant at this point in life.

Unless you're certified through menopause, its relevant whether you're "interested" or not. I know a woman who is 50 who just found out she's 10 weeks pregnant last week. And several women who had "surprise babies" in their 40s.

Also, I reiterated how important the multivitamin is because a NUMBER of people made the claim that multivitamins are a waste of money (blanket statement).

Women's multivitamins also generally have more calcium than men's.

girlinahat

tomteboda wrote: »

Also, I reiterated how important the multivitamin is because a NUMBER of people made the claim that multivitamins are a waste of money (blanket statement).

Women's multivitamins also generally have more calcium than men's.

but why a MULTIVITAMIN? I can appreciate why you think folic acid important, and have provided information to back this up, but as several people have stated, a multivitamin has very little support for it scientifically, if you are not deficient.

tomteboda

girlinahat wrote: »

but why a MULTIVITAMIN? I can appreciate why you think folic acid important, and have provided information to back this up, but as several people have stated, a multivitamin has very little support for it scientifically, if you are not deficient.

Did you read ANY of the links I provided from the CDC or the March of Dimes? Because its nearly impossible to get enough folic acid through diet alone without a supplement. That's just mathematics. And its been proven over and over again (go check the March of Dimes data) that sufficient folic acid prevents a LOT of birth defects.

Why a multivitamin? Because a woman's multivitamin contains the necessary folic acid for a woman to prevent neural tube defects in any possible offspring. And they're cheap. And they cover any other micronutrient deficiencies you might have. For example, women often are short on calcium, and women's multivitamins contain calcium as well... and the science agrees with that also. Why buy multiple pills when one will do, and won't poison you?

No, I don't think vitamin supplements are going to protect you against cancer or heart disease, and the science (somewhat conflictingly) agrees with that position. But they WILL protect you against short-term problems caused by poor dietary balance, which is *really* common among dieters. And they absolutely will prevent neural tube disorders from developing.

LKArgh

tomteboda wrote: »

aggelikik wrote: »

The OP is in her mid40s. Although I do not know her personal goals, I know very few women (exactly 1 to be precise) who are interested in getting pregnant at this point in life.

Unless you're certified through menopause, its relevant whether you're "interested" or not. I know a woman who is 50 who just found out she's 10 weeks pregnant last week. And several women who had "surprise babies" in their 40s.

Also, I reiterated how important the multivitamin is because a NUMBER of people made the claim that multivitamins are a waste of money (blanket statement).

Women's multivitamins also generally have more calcium than men's.

My dr disagrees with you. She considers multivitamins no more beneficial than candy. She is not alone:
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/news/20131216/experts-dont-waste-your-money-on-multivitamins
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/healthy_aging/healthy_body/is-there-really-any-benefit-to-multivitamins
Everybody has different needs, regardless of gender.
For example, what I need is B12 and iron. In amounts that really would require pretty much the entire bottle of multivitamins per day to cover my needs, and even then it would probably be too little.

tomteboda

@aggelikik did you even read that link? It says they "dont' ward off memory loss or heart disease." Obviously, if that's the ONLY reason you're taking a multivitamin, then it'd be worthless. But I provided two very good reasons that they're useful. The prevention of osteoporosis, and the prevention of neural tube defects.