Best Vitamins to take - For women

I like the GNC Womens Ultra Mega Active

I've always found Blackmores a reliable/respected brand. I used to take their Bio ACE (antioxidants as I have a family history of heart failure) and Nature's Own (I think) B Complex Forte daily. As Blackmores now have a Sustained Release MultiVitamin with Antioxidants I have changed to that and trying to skip the B Complex as it would duplicate - I do prefer to get my nutrients from food so take vitamins just for a small underlying dose.

Although I eat cheese and some yoghurt daily, I don't really drink milk so take calcium 3 days/week and on two or three of the other days I take Blackmores Bio Iron as I rarely eat red meat - it's apparently readily bio-available and won't cause the possible side effects of overdosing on iron.

I take One-a-Day women's multivitamin

I take Womens Prenatal vitamins (even though I'm not pregnant or trying at all) I like that they help with my hair and nails. My doctor told me that they are fine to take daily.

See if your Dr can run basic blood work to see if you are low/deficient in any vitamins currently (if you have health ins) most women only need a multi vitamin, some need additional supplements beyond that though. I try to get extra calcium ever since my Dr told me we can store extra calcium until we're 30 (women) then we are just trying to hang on to what we have.

I like the integrity of this post. FOR SURE, usually all you need is a multivitamin! If you're eating balanced foods then you should be fine. However, genetically we are predisposed to have more levels of some nutrients and less levels of others. I'm naturally iron deficient, and didn't find out until my DR pulled bloodwork and told me my iron stores in my body tend to not hold iron for long (that, and I'm a girl.. so every month I'm at a disadvantage LOL). It's good to get to know your body in that regard.
Secondly, look at what you're naturally drawn to as far as foods go. If you like sweets, you might need an additional B supplement - if you're vegan or vegetarian or low animal meats, then a B complex is vital.
If you crave salt a lot, you might need more water in general. Fat soluble vitamins are your answer here - especially D. D is great also if you live somewhere un-sunny (Seattle, for example. If you live in Seattle you need 3x more than the recommended daily amount due to the lack of sun. The recommended amounts are averaged to meet most people, not all.).

I like the GNC Womens Ultra Mega Active

I cannot say enough good things about these. LOVE LOVE LOVE them!!!!

I like the GNC Womens Ultra Mega Active

I just got some GNC Women's multi-vitamins. I don't think they are Ultra Mega Active, they are a more all-purpose multi. (I don't have them in front of me to check the label at the moment.)

The ones I have reek to high heaven! I want to pass out when I open the bottle. Are yours like that?

I take the active and they do smell/taste icky but IMHO are so worth it. I can honestly feel the difference in my body when I miss them more than 1 day.

Awesome info! I can easily bear it, but only if I feel it will be worth it. Thanks!

By the way, mine are Ultra Mega without iron and iodine, if anyone was curious. My iron tested high at the doc last time.

Are you sure you need to take a supplement? If you have a good balanced diet then you dont need to take anything x

Are you sure you need to take a supplement? If you have a good balanced diet then you dont need to take anything x

Thats not true at all. Some people have a hard time absorbing certain things, and it can never hurt to make sure that you are getting everything that you need.

Oh I am terribly sorry I didn't realise that 12 years of being a medical scientist had me talking out of my *kitten*.

But if she has a hard time absorbing nutrients then the lab that ran her bloods that determined this fact will inform her GP and they will advise on what she need to take to be within normal range again.