Multivitamins are an essential part of a healthy diet. While you want to get all your nutrients naturally, it’s not always possible. The amount that we need just can’t be gained from every calorie of food we eat. That’s even if we cut out all junk and only ever eat the healthy and nutritious options!
We tend to spend most of our days indoors thanks to work, and various experts have told us that some types of food groups aren’t as good for us as we once believed. Following the lifestyle of our forefathers (the exact lifestyle) isn’t that easy. To get the nutrients that we lack in, we need to make sure that we take multivitamins.
As we get older, the vitamins and minerals that we need on a daily basis differ. In our 30s, we start to see changes in our hormones, as our bodies get ready to start the pre-menopausal process. Deficiencies in the likes of calcium, vitamin D, and iron become more apparent.
It’s time to look at your options for multivitamins and the types of nutrients you need to look out for in your 30s to make sure you live a healthier life.
Why Multivitamins and Not Individual Ones?
Could you imagine having to take 40+ pills daily just to get all your nutrients? Or could you imagine going through test after test on a regular basis to find out if you’re deficient in nutrients (and exactly which ones you’re deficient in)?
Multivitamins offer an overall approach for busy women. And let’s face it, we are busy in our 30s. Much busier than many of our 20-year-old counterparts. I sometimes wish I could go back to my early 20s!
In our 30s, we’re possibly running around after toddlers, looking after aging parents, working around the clock to keep a roof over our family’s head, and so much more. Some of us will even try out a new business venture.
At the same time, you realize that you’re at the traditional view of middle age. Sure, the average age of the population has risen, but we still viewthe late 30s as that midpoint. Our biological clocks are starting to tick, and we know that life is on the downward spiral. If we want to live well into our 90s, we need to start looking after our bodies.
So, we need something that will help us look after ourselves. A catch-all option, so we’re not spending hours of our weeks waiting for test results to find out just where we’re deficient, is a needed option and that’s just what women in their 30s get with multivitamins.
Boosting Your Immune System, Strengthening Bones, and More
While called multivitamins, the supplements are usually multi-nutrient sources. They contain a variety of vitamins but also include necessary everyday minerals, including iron, calcium, and zinc. These types of nutrients are essential, especially as we get older.
Antioxidants are the most commonly sought after nutrients. They are found in vitamins A, C, and E and help to fight off free radicals in the body. For many women, they are a focus because of their benefits to fight off cancer. As women age, the hormonal changes can lead to various female cancers, including breast, ovarian, and uterine. It’s normal to start looking for ways to fight off the cancerous cells from developing.
However, antioxidants do more than that. They help to boost the immune system, fighting off various infections and diseases. They can also help to slow down the process of aging.
For women who want to look good without paying a fortune for work, antioxidants are a nutrient that you want to consider. Vitamin E is considered the best for this, although there are some benefits within vitamin C. They can be applied topically through creams, but getting them in multivitamins will help to keep things as easy as possible.
One of the most common vitamins that women are deficient in is vitamin D. This is especially the case for those in colder climates, even if the governments have passed legislation to put added vitamin D in milk sources.
Vitamin D is essential for improving the strength of the bones. It’s often overlooked because people view calcium as the most important nutrient for this. While calcium is needed, vitamin D will help the body absorb the calcium. It also helps to move the calcium around the bloodstream to make sure it gets where it needs to.
Without vitamin D, women are more likely to suffer from common ailments like osteoporosis. The bones become thin and are far more likely to break. While vitamin D is recommended in women around 30 years old, it’s highly recommended for women who are going through menopause. The hormonal changes around this time make it harder for the body to absorb the necessary nutrients, especially calcium. The bones end up weaker than they should, but multivitamins can help to rectify this.
Some multivitamins include calcium, too. This means that you get more of this nutrient, offering more to absorb into the body. Not only are you helping your normal calcium absorb but you’re making sure the body gets enough of it.
Support for the Metabolism to Lose Weight
Weight gain as we get older is common. It’s annoying, and it seems like there’s nothing we can do about it. Our metabolisms get slower, so we either have to deal with the weight gain or change our diet.
The good news is that multivitamins can help with this. They are full of B vitamins, including folic acid. While all are good for protecting the cells and nerves, they will also help to boost the metabolism.
Vitamin B6 is the best and one that most us overlook. It’s found in fish, potatoes, and chickpeas, which are food that while we eat now and then we don’t always buy from the store. Or we try to avoid them because of the believe that carbs are bad for us! However, vitamin B6 has pyridoxine, which helps to turn food into energy. Rather than the calories being stored, they keep the metabolism functioning as expected.
At the same time, vitamin B12 will help the body make more red blood cells. This can help to make you feel like you have more energy, as these cells are the ones that carry the oxygenated blood. You won’t feel the need to snack as much.
Unfortunately, it’s a vitamin that is harder for vegan and vegetarians to get. If you’re a vegetarian or vegan woman in your 30s, you want to consider a multivitamin to get more.
Multivitamins also contain some iron. This is essential for your energy levels and plays a part in the creation of red blood cells and oxygenated blood. Low iron has been linked to various problems with weight gain, as we tend to eat more than we really need – and always of the wrong things.
Improve Menstrual Regulation
During your 30s, you may start to experience some issues with your menstrual cycle. You can start to notice irregular periods and longer than normal cycles. Your doctor will be able to tell you if there is an underlying issue, but it could be an early sign of pre-menopause. It could also be a sign of a vitamin or mineral deficiency.
Some multivitamins are made for women with menstrual irregularities. They include herbs like quai or black cohosh, which are used in Eastern medicines to help regulate that time of the month. You can also find that they ease off period cramping and heavy blood flow through regular use.
Likewise, some multivitamins offer cranberry extract and other similar herbal remedies. They help to support the bladder and kidney functions to lower the risk of UTIs and thrush infections. Some of these problems becoming more of an issue in later years, because of hormonal imbalances and overall body changes.
Multivitamins Don’t Do Everything for Us!
I wish I could say that multivitamins were a magical pill. While they can help to boost our nutrient intake, they don’t do everything for us. The nutrients can help to support our metabolisms, but we still need to eat right to prevent weight gain. While the metabolism gets a boost, there are other elements working against us in our 30s.
Similarly, a lack of antioxidants isn’t going to be the only reason for signs of aging to appear on the skin. There are genetic components, as well as external elements due to the products that we use on our skins. We will still need to use moisturizing creams and topical agents to help the antioxidants to work.
Opting for a Brand vs. a Local Product
Now it’s time to look at all your different multivitamins. There are just so many. Do you choose Puritan’s Pride, Rainbow Light Just Once, Nature Made Multi or one of your local store brands? Which multivitamin will be better for you?
The first thing to do is look at the actual nutrients that are included. They are certainly not all made the same. You don’t necessarily want to look at the amounts of your recommended daily allowance you get just yet. This is more about looking at the type of nutrients that you will get. If you want to boost your iron levels, for example, there’s no point picking up a multivitamin that focuses more on the vitamin D.
Sure, you want something that covers all your needs, but you may have an inclining of an idea as to which vitamins or minerals you’re deficient in. It’s normal to want to focus on certain types of nutrients, without having to take multiple supplements. Make sure the ones that you want to focus on are in the multi-vis that you find.
Look at the marketing material. What does the multivitamin offer to do? Is it promoting help with fighting infections or does it promise to help fight off the signs of aging? This is an idea of the types of nutrients that you’ll get from the supplements. You will still need to look at the list on the back to make sure, but the marketing is a good idea.
It’s also worth looking at the way you take the multivitamins. There are usually two types: capsules or chewy tablets. Both offer many of the same benefits in the way of nutrients. The difference is in the way that you take them. The chewy tablets are there for those who absolutely hate the feeling of taking tablets. They taste just like gummy sweets!
Of course, the chewy tabs can end up having added sugar. You’ll want to find out what’s used to create the chewy tabs before you buy them.
When it comes to brand vs. non-brand, there really isn’t a different. The back of the packets will tell you the amount of the nutrients you get – and more is not always necessarily better. What you want to look at is the quality of the nutrients and the good reviews from other users. Your doctor or a pharmaceutical worker will be able to offer some advice on the best nutrients for your preferred need.
Getting Too Many Nutrients into Your Diet
As I said, more is not always necessary better when it comes to nutrients. You can get too many nutrients in your diet, and they will cause negative side effects. Therefore, following a healthy and balanced diet is so important.
You don’t necessarily need to get 100% of your nutrients from your multivitamins. Remember that your diet is going to contain some.
But you don’t know where you’re deficient, right? Well, you will likely have an idea. If you’re fatigued, you’ll want to consider iron and B vitamins. If you have bone or joint problems, you’ll want to look at calcium and vitamin D. If you constantly feel like you’re getting ill, you’ll want to consider antioxidants.
You will know your body the best and know where you’re lacking.
Likewise, if you want to fight off the signs of aging, you’ll want to think about most of the vitamins rather than the minerals. While minerals are excellent and necessary, it’s the vitamins that help to support the body’s aging process (or slow it down).
These are likely the areas that you’re most deficient in. Look at multivitamins with more of these nutrients in. Never get something that offers more than 100% of your recommended daily allowance. You don’t need more than 100%, and it’s not going to give you any extra benefits!
Read the Side Effects and Medical Warnings of Multivitamins
Like with any type of supplement and medication, there are some side effects that you need to be aware of. Some of the most common side effects linked to multivitamins are cramping and stool problems. You may also experience trapped wind. The side effects are usually only temporary.
Your body must get used to the higher amounts of nutrients in your system. This can lead to some digestive problems at first, but will even out after a couple of days.
However, there may be some medical issues. If you are on any medication or you’ve had negative experiences in the past, you will want to talk to your doctor. Your doctor will want to make sure that the multivitamins aren’t going to interact with your medication in any way.
You will also want to discuss multivitamin use if you’re pregnant. Most the vitamin A in these tablets is in animal form. This form can be dangerous for a growing fetus. These tablets also aren’t going to be vegan-friendly. The food news is that there are vegan-friendly options and these may be safe for use during pregnancy—just make sure they are with your doctor!
It’s also worth talking to a doctor if you are planning on getting pregnant. You won’t know that you’re pregnant right away, but the baby’s development starts from the very first day. It’s important to make sure that your body is ready and the nutrients aren’t going to cause any harm.
Many of the multivitamins can be taken while breastfeeding. They usually have noticed if they can or can’t. However, it’s still worth checking with your doctor.
Have Your Goals in Mind Before Multivitamins
Multivitamins in your 30s are not a one size fits all approach. There are different types, depending on the areas of your health and life that you want to improve. While there are some that will just cover all your basis, you may find that you need to take more of them through the day or they are extremely large and difficult to take.
You will need to consider your goals when it comes to taking multivitamins. What part of your life do you want to change or benefit?
Chances are in your 30s that you’re thinking about the signs of aging. If this is the case, you want to look out for multivitamins with antioxidants, vitamin D, and the B vitamins over everything else! These vitamins will help to keep the metabolism working as it should, boost your immune system, protect your skin cells, and create stronger bones. Not only will you feel like you can do more, but you will also look good while doing it!
Talk to your doctor about your multivitamin options. Your doctor will know if there are any that will be bad for your health or will be able to offer advice for your health concerns or goals.
