9 Best Vitamins For Older Women (50+)

Even though they say 50 is the new 20, there’s a downside to it. As we age, our bodies and immune system get weaker. I want to discuss some of the best vitamins for older women (over 50) you should definitely consider taking for optimal health.

***Read this before taking any vitamins or pills***

Before we get too far into this, I’m not a health expert nor am I any kind of health professional. You need to know this right now. What I am is a woman over 50 who does a poop ton of research on how to stay healthy over 50. With anything, what works for one doesn’t necessarily work for someone else.

You have to listen to your body and pay heed to any other health issues you may have. Please. And also, do your own research and talk to your doctor before taking something someone on the internet told you to take. I’m not telling you to take anything. I’m merely suggesting that you might want to look into some of these vitamins for women over 50.

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get on with this, shall we?

(this post contains affiliate links so if you make a purchase I may make a small commission-affiliate disclosure here)

Why we need vitamins and minerals

It’s no secret that as we age, our body and skin lose a lot of their strength and elasticity not to mention that our metabolism slowly goes downhill. Now I’ll speak for myself here but life got busy, things got in the way and I stopped going to the gym and eating healthy foods.

One day I stood in front of the mirror naked and was shocked at what I saw.

A 59 year old woman whose face was starting to sag, wrinkles were showing up in places where there never used to be one, I was losing muscle tone in my arms, legs and abs, my teeth weren’t so pearly anymore (stupid cigarettes) and I generally was just unhappy with the woman staring back at me.

Most of what I saw was my own fault. For some reason, I just stopped taking care of myself and stopped taking vitamins and minerals, stopped giving my body the essential nutrients it needed and stopped going to the gym.

It was time to do something about it.

So why do we need vitamins and minerals?

Now while some of us actually do get all they need from eating a balanced diet, some of us don’t. Listen up! As we get older, our body has a hard time holding on to and distributing the nutrients it needs. Not only that, we need different ones and more of them.

According to helpguide.org:

Vitamins and minerals are considered essential nutrients—because acting in concert, they perform hundreds of roles in the body. They help shore up bones, heal wounds, and bolster your immune system. They also convert food into energy, and repair cellular damage.

helpguide.org

And according to the mayoclinic.org:

As women age, they absorb fewer nutrients from their food. One key nutrient they may not be absorbing enough of is vitamin B-12, which is essential for maintaining both healthy red blood cells and brain function.

Think about your body as a car. As your car gets older you need to take better care of it. It needs richer oil, better gas and more maintenance.

So does your body. Now for those of you who have maintained your “car” all these years and you’re still in amazing shape, kudos chickitas!!!

But the rest of us, well. Here we are.

While including dietary supplements into your daily routine is ok, I would suggest trying to eat more whole foods (fresh veggies, fruit, lean proteins, etc) and maintaining a healthy diet so you don’t have to buy pills all the time.

That’s just my two cents though. We all have very different nutritional needs as well (which is why I always say check with your doctor!) so before you run off to buy all of these 9 best vitamins for older women make an appt with your doc!

9 Best Vitamins For Older Women (50+)

Before we dive into this, please don’t forget my warning earlier in this post. Listen to your body, seek advice of a health care practitioner before taking anything new.

***Many vitamin supplements don’t play well with prescription drugs. Make sure you know first, please. Check with your healthcare provider!!***

At the top of my list is:

1 Collagen

Ok ok I know. Collagen is neither a vitamin or a mineral, it’s a protein (it’s a nutrient actually!) BUT girllllll. It’s the protein your body needs. What is collagen good for? Ooph. So much.

• major component of all your connective tissues (joints, ligaments, etc)
• provides skin with structure (keeping it youthful and strong)
• strengthens bones, teeth, etc
• excellent for hair and nails

And I could go on but you get the idea. As a woman over 50, collagen will be your best friend. I recently started taking it and can’t believe the difference, especially in my hair and my nails. I noticed my hair was starting to thin (and girl lemme tell ya, I was freaking out!) and since using collagen the thickness has doubled. Yay!!

Check out this recent post where I talk all about collagen powder, how to use it and so much more!

What is Collagen Powder Good For and Can I Use it Daily?

This is the one I bought and loved. I think you’ll love it too. It’s a bone broth/collagen powder mixture and it’s so potent and awesome

Seriously. Get it. You’ll love it. Thank me later.

2 Vitamin B12

I seriously need to go and find some and start taking this super vitamin. B12 keeps the nerves and blood cells healthy and happy. It’s also really good for preventing anemia (a condition that makes us feel tired and weak-iron deficiency).

If you’ve been feeling like you have low energy and are concerned about your strength (or weakness) this is a vitamin you should consider looking into taking.

Most of the b vitamins, including b9 which is basically folic acid, are good for just about everything! – do some research on them.

While folic acid is best for pregnant women, it’s good to note that this important nutrient is important in red blood cell formation and for healthy cell growth and function.

3 Calcium

We already know that our bones and teeth get weaker with age. This is where Calcium comes in. If you aren’t getting your daily recommended amount of Calcium through dairy products or food (1200 mg for women over 50), you may need a calcium supplement.

Our bone health is crucial as we get a little older, especially if we’re prone to losing our balance and falling. You don’t want to start breaking bones at this age.

While we’re not going to have strong bones forever, we can certainly do our best to maintain and keep them as healthy as we can!

Here is a small list of foods that do contain Calcium:

• cheese/dairy products
• green leafy vegetables
• sardines (ew)
• yogurt
• soybeans

Now clearly if you don’t consume much of the above listed food items, or aren’t getting enough calcium in your perhaps a calcium supplement is best for you. The one below also has vitamin k, vitamin d, magnesium and is good for vegetarians!

4 Vitamin D3

Now while this vitamin is in great abundance from the sun, unfortunately the sun isn’t always shining or we simple can’t get outside enough (especially in the winter months) to soak up this beautiful vitamin which is why many of us need a vitamin d supplement.

So why do we need this vitamin and how much Vitamin D3 do we need? You’ll be surprised.

Vitamin D actually aids in the absorption of Calcium and strengthening our bones. Remember as we get older, our bones get a wee bit more fragile. It’s important to keep them healthy and strong and I’d have to say one of the best vitamins for women over 50 would be Vitamin D.

600 IUs is the recommended daily amount for women over 50.

If you’ve been feeling exhausted, have a hard time sleeping, your bones hurt, your muscles feel weak and you are experiencing mood changes, you might have a vitamin d deficiency. You know who to check with!

5 Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega 3 has a plethora of health benefits, not only for women over 50, but for anyone really! This powerhouse vitamin is good for:

• heart health
• eye health
• joints and bones
• skin
• alleviate insomnia

While Omega 3 is commonly found in fish oil, you can also find it in krill oil and flax seeds. The recommended daily allowance for women over 50 is 1100 mgs. I just want to make a quick note on here about flaxseed oil before we move on.

There are many health benefits of flaxseed oil that you may not be aware of.

I just recently started buying it because I was using coconut oil on my face to cleanse (twice a day) and then realized that it was bad for my oily skin. I switched to flaxseed oil but read up on it and discovered it’s super great for all kinds of things like:

• high in Omega-3
• may reduce cancer cell growth
• good for heart health (prevent heart disease)
• can treat bowel issues (constipation or diarrhea)
• excellent for skin health

How much flaxseed oil per day? They say 1 tablespoon should fill your requirement!

6 Multivitamins for women over 50

You really can’t go wrong with a multivitamin supplement as long as the ones you are taking contain all the vitamins and mineral your body needs.

There are literally a bajillion different brands and types of multivitamins but you really need to read and check the label (before you purchase some) to see what the top 10 vitamins and minerals are so they don’t conflict with anything you are currently taking.

I like to look for a quality multivitamin that has a higher magnesium content as I’m a migraine sufferer so if I get enough magnesium in, I can reduce them. Magnesium also happens to be really good for reducing leg cramps.

Make sure when you purchase these that you are buying multivitamins for women over 50 as they will have all the extra minerals and vitamins you need!

When I lived in Canada I always bought the Centrum Silver Women 50+ but you can check out your local health food store and maybe find something that is best suited for your individual needs.

7 Vitamin C

This powerful antioxidant should be on everyone’s shelf! If you ever watch any beauty videos or do research on anti-aging creams for wrinkles and such, you’ll notice Vitamin C is usually right there in the list of top ingredients.

Vitamin C is also really good for protecting your cells and keeping them healthy and maintaining healthy skin, blood vessels, bones and cartilage.

Make sure you are taking the recommended amount and not too much more. One of the common side effects of taking too much Vit C is diarrhea…good times!

8 Vitamin E

This is a great vitamin for your eyesight as well as your blood, brain and skin. You can actually apply this vitamin right on your face to treat wrinkles and prevent premature aging!

It is said that consuming foods rich in vitamin E has been associated with lower risk of coronary heart disease in older adults. I actually just started taking vitamin E recently upon the recommendation of a doctor here in Guatemala.

9 Magnesium

I take magnesium to help me ward off migraines but it actually does a whole heck of a lot.

According to mayoclinic.com

Magnesium plays many crucial roles in the body, such as supporting muscle and nerve function and energy production. Low magnesium levels usually don’t cause symptoms. However, chronically low levels can increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis.

So you can see, it’s kinda important! The magnesium I linked to also contains Ashwagandha which has a whole slew of health benefits all of its own including:

• Relieves Stress and Anxiety
• Lowers Blood Sugar and Fat
• Increases Muscle and Strength
• Improves Sexual Function in Women
• Boosts Fertility and Testosterone Levels in Men
• Sharpens Focus and Memory
• Supports Heart Health.

Source Forbes.com

More vitamins for women over 50

While I only mentioned 9, there are a few more vitamins for women over 50 that shouldn’t be overlooked.

• CoQ10
• Turmeric (not a vitamin but a super spice!!)
• Glucosamine Sulfate
• Zinc

And please don’t forget, if you are already eating super healthy foods, you may not need any supplements or vitamins at all! Kudos to you babe!

For the rest of us, remember you can get most of these vitamins and minerals in the foods you eat. So. Step away from that bowl of Sugar Frosted Flakes for dinner and grab some leafy greens and fish!

In closing, I really can’t stress enough how important it is for you to please check with your doc or local health practitioner before taking anything. Don’t be going around saying “well Iva told me to!!” …no no no. I make suggestions. Your doctor will tell you if you should! 🙂

xo iva xo