What vitamins should a woman be taking?
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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 d0 -
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.
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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.0 -
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.0 -
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.0 -
@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.0
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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?
the point is, that a multivitamin is pretty much a waste of money, as the majority of the vitamins they are said to provide are not absorbed in the same way as those through diet (ie. poorly) and the concept of 'why not as it won't hurt' is bull.
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@girlinahat I didn't say "why not as it won't hurt." I pointed out that they prevent osteoporosis & neural tube defects. That's not just a "why not".0
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@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.
Osteoporosis - I do not see anyone advocating multivitamins for osteoporosis prevention. Actually the last link hints that as you age, random dietary supplements can cause osteoporosis:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/osteoporosis/basics/prevention/con-20019924
http://nof.org/OPmyths
https://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/condition/osteoporosis
http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/Bone_Health/Nutrition/vitamin_a.asp
As for folic acid, unless you are deficient or planning a pregnancy, drs again seem to not advocate supplementation, as it could do more harm than good:
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vitamins-minerals/Pages/Vitamin-B.aspx0 -
@girlinahat I didn't say "why not as it won't hurt." I pointed out that they prevent osteoporosis & neural tube defects. That's not just a "why not".
you provided information regarding folic acid, which I didn't disagree with, but nothing about osteoporosis, for which @aggelikik has provided some good links. You suggested 'why not take a multivitamin as it won't poison you', and I disagree, I don't think there is evidence to show a) that a multivitamin (set aside the folic acid discussion here for a moment) does you any good or b) that a multivitamin will do no harm.0 -
@aggelikik You cannot possibly overdose on folic acid through diet and a single multivitamin. The warning is for people who take high doses of B vitamin supplements. And the warning was against overdosing on supplements (B & A specifically In the last link). Actually, single-vitamin supplements, because they're frequently in high doses, are much more dangerous than a multivitamin, which generally sticks to only the recommended daily amounts or lower.
The March of Dimes and CDC both recommend EVERY woman of childbearing age take a multivitamin. More than 1/2 of all pregnancies are unplanned. Whether you're seeking a pregnancy or not, why would you take that serious of a chance?If you do not get enough calcium and vitamin D from the foods you eat, talk to your doctor about how you can get the right amount. You may need to take supplements.
webmd.com/osteoporosis/taking-calcium-for-osteoporosisGetting plenty of calcium every day through diet or supplements is vital to keeping your bones strong.
webmd.com/osteoporosis/guide/osteoporosis-prevention?page=2#3If you find it difficult to get enough calcium from your diet, consider taking calcium supplements. However, too much calcium has been linked to heart problems and kidney stones. The Institute of Medicine recommends that total calcium intake, from supplements and diet combined, should be no more than 2,000 milligrams daily for people older than 50.
mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/osteoporosis/basics/prevention/CON-20019924
A typical women's one-daily has 500 mg calcium. You're going to have to work pretty hard to exceed 2000 mg. On the other hand, calcium deficiency is common, particularly in women.
Sunyecz JA. The use of calcium and vitamin D in the management of osteoporosis. Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management. 2008;4(4):827-836.
Am J Clin Nutr November 2003
vol. 78 no. 5 912-919
Also, the disease-preventative effects of calcium supplementation as recommended by the CDC are fairly well-established.
J. Nutr. April 2006
vol. 136 no. 4 1095-1098
Sunyecz JA. The use of calcium and vitamin D in the management of osteoporosis. Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management. 2008;4(4):827-836.
Wang, Shao-Ming, et al. "Multivitamin and mineral supplementation is associated with the reduction of fracture risk and hospitalization rate in Chinese adult males: a randomized controlled study." Journal of bone and mineral metabolism 33.3 (2015): 294-302.
Dwyer, Johanna T., et al. "Dietary Supplements in Older Adults." Handbook of Clinical Nutrition and Aging. Springer New York, 2015. 375-424.
Forstein, David A., et al. "Reducing the Risk of Osteoporotic Fracture." The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association 113.2_suppl_1 (2013): S5-S24.0 -
counter-act with this - from the Annals of Internal Medicine
given also that extra vitamins are added to many foodstuffs, the taking of multivitamins may also lead to overdosing without realising. I'm not even sure that anyone has actually done a scientific test to see whether ANY multi-vitamin has a use (as in testing the actual product rather than the component parts).
The point being, that diet should cover what you need, osteoporosis is not simply a matter of needing a bit more calcium in your diet, and even your beloved folic acid has been shown to be counter-productive in some circumstances. Studies have shown for example that low vitamins within the body can be as a RESULT of poor health and not the cause, that taking antioxidants can REDUCE the power of antioxidants in the blood etc.
so there is actually limited evidence that taking supplements in pill form does anything positive for your health at all.0 -
@girlinahat I'm sorry, do you actually know how to read a scientific study? Because I provided several that confirm that (1) multivitamins are safe (2) multivitamins are effective in disease prevention of osteoporosis & neural tube defects. I didn't just link blogs something, either. Everyone recommends a varied diet, but international studies show that deficiency in calcium, folic acid, (and Vitamin D) are widespread internationally.0
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@girlinahat
Also, its pretty condescending to add "your beloved folic acid". And fairly ignorant, but I'm guessing you've never actually seen the result of Folic Acid deficiency. It's horrific, and until significant campaigning by the March of Dimes to increase folic acid intake was quite common. These days you rarely see it, largely because of the effectiveness of their campaign, but also because it's a common reason women seek abortions.0 -
I find it impractical to assume *everyone* will micromanage their diet sufficiently to get every single target micronutrient in sufficient quantity, particularly on restricted calorie diets. Most of us are doing pretty good to hit the macro goals we set.0
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@girlinahat I'm sorry, do you actually know how to read a scientific study? Because I provided several that confirm that (1) multivitamins are safe (2) multivitamins are effective in disease prevention of osteoporosis & neural tube defects. I didn't just link blogs something, either. Everyone recommends a varied diet, but international studies show that deficiency in calcium, folic acid, (and Vitamin D) are widespread internationally.
condescend much?
just because a deficiencies of certain vitamins may be said to be widespread internationally, does not mean that we should all therefore take a multivitamin just in case. IF you have a deficiency, then under doctors advice this could be the case. Take for example Vitamin A. Vitamin A deficiency is common in third-world countries and the effects are devastating. Vitamin A deficiency is a problem in 50% of the world's countries, but this does in no way mean we should all take Vitamin A supplements, in fact were we to do so we would have a major issue on our hands.
I'll repeat this salient point if you have a deficiency then a supplement is recommended. This still does not mean we should all be taking multi-vitamins.0
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