As women age, their nutritional needs change significantly. Hormonal shifts, decreased absorption of essential vitamins, and lifestyle factors all contribute to common nutrient deficiencies. Ensuring you get the right balance of vitamins and minerals is key to maintaining bone density, muscle mass, brain function, and overall wellbeing.
Here, we explore the most common nutrient deficiencies in women over 50 and how to support your body through diet and supplementation.
Bone Health
With the decline of oestrogen after menopause, bone density naturally decreases, making women more prone to osteoporosis. To support strong bones, several nutrients are essential:
Calcium is a crucial mineral for bone strength and should be consumed through leafy greens, dairy alternatives, tofu, sesame seeds, and fortified plant milks.
Vitamin D helps regulate calcium absorption and is necessary for bone and immune health. Since it is hard to get enough from food alone, supplementation is often recommended. DR.VEGAN’s award-winning vegan Vitamin D3 is highly absorbable and more effective than standard supplements, providing you with essential support for healthy bones, teeth and immunity every day.
Vitamin K helps direct calcium to the bones, reducing the risk of arterial calcification.
Magnesium works in balance with calcium and supports over 300 bodily functions, including bone and muscle health.
Vitamin C aids in collagen production, which provides structure to bones and supports mineral retention.
Brain Health
Vitamin B12 is crucial for brain function, red blood cell production, and nerve health. As we age, our ability to absorb B12 from food decreases, especially for those on plant-based diets. Make sure to get your B12 levels monitored in regular health checkups.
B12 deficiency can be prevented by including fortified plant-based foods in your diet, such as plant milks, tempeh and tofu. However, food sources may not be enough. Incorporating a high-strength B12 supplement can help. DR.VEGAN’s Vitamin B12 is in the most absorbable form, helping your body convert food into glucose, the source of energy in your body.
Magnesium – The Mineral Superhero
Magnesium plays a role in hormone regulation, insulin sensitivity, bone strength, and muscle function. It also works alongside Vitamin B6 to produce serotonin (the feel-good hormone) and melatonin (the sleep hormone).
You can get more magnesium by eating whole grains, nuts, seeds, and green leafy vegetables. Consider a magnesium supplement for additional support. DR.VEGAN’s Magnesium contains 200mg of elemental magnesium per capsule, in a highly bioavailable and effective form.
Hair Health
As oestrogen levels drop, testosterone levels become more dominant, leading to hair thinning. The right nutrients can help maintain hair strength and growth:
Protein is key, as hair is made of keratin, a protein, so adequate intake is essential.
Vitamin C supports collagen production and improves blood flow to the scalp.
Vitamin A is required for healthy cell regeneration, including hair cells.
Vitamin B6 & Zinc help balance testosterone levels to prevent hair loss.
You can support healthy hair growth by ensuring you eat a protein-rich diet. A diet rich in Vitamin C is also beneficial and can be obtained from fruits and vegetables.
You could also take a specific supplement to support your hair and the nutrients it needs, like DR.VEGAN’s Hair Saviour® an award-winning, unique formula of scientifically studied ingredients, including AnaGain™, to fuel healthy hair growth and strong, smooth, lustrous hair.
Multivitamins
As we age, many women may benefit from the introduction of an expert multivitamin to increase the amount of these key nutrients in their diet. DR.VEGAN’s Women’s ProMulti is a comprehensive full-spectrum formula for the changing health needs of women as they age. Containing 28 nutrients, it has everything for women with busy lifestyles, including probiotics, botanicals, vitamins and minerals to support mental resilience, clear thinking, hormone cycles, energy, immunity, vaginal health, gut health, skin, hair and nails, bones and more.
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