3 Core Supplements for Women in 2024,
according to a Nutritionist
Whether your 2024 plans are to have more energy, sleep better or simply feel more comfortable in your own (glowing) skin, these 3 core supplements could lay the foundation to help you reach your goals.
Today we’re covering 3 core supplements for women that can help lay the foundation for radiant health. Find out:
- Benefits of a multivitamin and the key nutrients for women after 40.
- What makes omega-3 essential and tips for choosing an effective supplement.
- The value of a magnesium supplement and guidance on how much to take.
Confusion About Women's Supplements After 40
As a Nutritionist, I find that there’s one question that I always get asked when working with my female clients.
Many have reached their 40’s, and at this age and stage of life they’ve noticed that their bodies, health and outlook has started to change.
Sarah is a perfect example.
At 44, Sarah felt that she was doing OK healthwise.
She had enough energy to get out for a daily walk with her two dogs spending hours outside – cold Winter mornings didn’t phase her.
Sarah had set a goal to lose a few pounds and had already cut back. Previously, she was often surprised to find she could eat a huge bag of crisps after dinner, even though she wasn’t hungry! “Now, I’m only eating about 1200-1500 calories, and I’ve stopped snacking on crisps”.
She had a coffee or protein shake for breakfast; a sandwich at lunch – “always with loads of salad”; and a home-made chilli or curry in the evening. As a vegetarian, Sarah ate lots of veg and legumes or pulses everyday.
Warm and bubbly in conversation, Sarah was certainly full of beans.
Sarah was happy with her healthy eating plan and her daily activity, and then she asked her burning question:
“Nina, can you tell me what supplements I should be taking?
I’m so confused that I’ve just stopped taking everything that I have!”
If this sounds familiar you’re in the right place.
Today we’ll start to get unconfused with a simple approach to supplements.
You can lay a strong foundation for health with 3 core supplements: a multivitamin, an omega oil and magnesium.
We’ll look at how to do this next.
The 3 Core Supplements for Women
1. The Multivitamin
Do you really need a multivitamin?
Sarah had started taking a multivitamin with thoughts about the peri-menopause in mind. But she was also a bit conflicted, as like many people she wondered whether the old saying was true. I’m pretty sure you already know the one:
“It’s not necessary to take a multivitamin if you’re eating a ‘healthy diet’. Your body will get everything it needs.”
Was Sarah wasting her money and time?
Nina says…
While I back a food-first approach to health, I believe there are a few reasons why this ‘healthy diet is enough’ idea could hold you back.
- Most adults have a handful of favourite foods that they eat day in and day out. When your diet is less varied there’s the potential for your intake of some nutrients to be unexpectedly low.
- Today foods are grown on nutrient depleted soil, picked before fully ripe, and flown round the world to reach your plate. A recent study highlights how the nutrient content of vegetables and fruit sold in the UK has dropped over the past 80 years, in some instances by as much as 50%.
- Additionally, a healthy diet can come in many forms: you might be intermittent fasting; eating low-GL; eating a high-fat ketogenic diet; or eating a vegetarian diet like Sarah. They all have science-backed health benefits. And they all have potential shortfalls.
Choosing a multivitamin for Sarah…
Sarah was excited to hear about a high-strength one-a-day multivitamin. She had a 3-a-day multi in the back of her cupboard, only managed to take one or two.
As a vegetarian, she was also keen to get enough vitamin B12, iron, zinc and iodine in the formulation. These vitamins and minerals can be low in a vegetarian diet.
We also spoke about vitamin D and vitamin K, both of which are involved in how well calcium is absorbed from the the gut and deposited in the body. Maintaining strong healthy bones would help Sarah stay active in later years.
2. The Omega-3 Oil
Do you really need an omega-3 supplement?
The family of omega-3 oils have a significant role in your overall health.
They contribute to normal brain function and mood, normal vision, cardiovascular health and joint health, which are all important to maintain as you mature.
These benefits are attributed to the omega-3 fatty acids DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosopentaenoic acid) found in fish oil.
However, while brain fog, low mood or aching creaky joints have little appeal, some people shy away from omega oil supplements because of the extra calories involved.
Sarah wanted to lose a few pounds so wasn’t sure if she should include an omega-3 oil.
Nina highlights…
It’s undeniable that omega-3 oils contain calories. But here’s the thing.
Unless you’re on a zero-fat diet (which I would absolutely NEVER recommend), the number of calories in a supplement is pretty small compared to what you get from your food.
For example, if you were eating a Mediterranean Diet – rich in nuts, seeds, oily fish, vegetables, fruit, pulses and lower GL grains – 35% of your daily calorie intake would come from fats and oils. So if you ate 2,000 calories a day, then 700 of your calories could come from dietary fats and oils.
A teaspoon of omega-3 oil contains a mere 45 calories.
There’s evidence that supplementing omega-3 fish oils could help reduce abdominal fat but more studies are needed as overall results on whether taking fish oil helps weight loss are inconclusive.
Choosing an omega-3 for Sarah…
Sarah was enthusiastic about taking an omega-3 oil, particularly as she had been having what she called ‘sticky-brain’ moments. There were times where she was thinking more slowly and as a solicitor, she wanted stay at the top of her game.
We discussed vegan algae omega-3 oils, but Sarah chose an omega-3 fish oil.
(But do note this wasn’t a cod liver oil supplement, because the amount of EPA and DHA per capsule is typically very low).
3. The Magnesium
Do you really need a magnesium supplement?
More and more people are switching on to the myriad benefits of magnesium, and Sarah was no different.
Sarah had grabbed a magnesium citrate off the shelf but she wasn’t certain if it she had the right type or was taking the right amount.
Nina notes…
Magnesium is quite deservedly known as ‘nature’s valium’. With its role (alongside calcium) in muscle contraction and relaxation, magnesium can have a relaxing, calming, de-stressing and sleep-enhancing effect.
But have you ever shopped for magnesium? It is far from simple. There are many types to choose from, including magnesium citrate, magnesium glycinate, magnesium malate, magnesium oxide and magnesium threonate to name a few.
I recently shared a post “Magnesium Revealed (How to Choose the Best Magnesium for Sleep).
Read it to discover more about magnesium’s benefits and find the best form of magnesium for sleep.
Fortunately, Sarah was sleeping well.
Choosing a magnesium for Sarah…
Sarah was thrilled to get the stamp of approval for her chosen magnesium supplement. She was reassured to know she could take it in the evening to help her relax and unwind after a busy day.
However, I did encourage Sarah to take 2 capsules instead of 1, so she would meet the estimated average requirement of 265mg of magnesium per day for women aged 40 and over.
The Takeaway
As you work towards improving your health in 2024 and beyond, a few well-chosen supplements could lay the foundation that helps you reach your goals.
Here’s a quick summary of what to consider when choosing your high-strength multivitamin, an omega-3 oil and magnesium.
Choosing your multivitamin supplement…
- A multivitamin provides an opportunity to meet your requirements of a range of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other key nutrients which you may not get from your diet alone. Ensure you have vitamin D and vitamin K to support bone health.
- A high-quality multi will provide nutrients in their most absorbable form.
- If taking 2 or 3 capsules a day doesn’t work for you, look for a one-a-day.
Choosing your omega-3 oil supplement…
- Taking a fish oil will give you the omega-3 fatty acids DHA (docosahexaeoic acid) and EPA (eicosopentaenoic acid). These are the omega-3s backed by science to impact the health of your brain, mood, eyes, heart and joints.
- Cod liver oil has a very low concentration of EPA and DHA per serving (perhaps 40mg of each). Oil pressed from the body of the fish will have more impactful amounts per serving – 350mg or more of EPA and 250mg or more of DHA.
- There are now plenty of options if you’re vegetarian or vegan, have an allergy, or just don’t like the idea of fish. In this case I recommend an omega oil sourced from algae, as this delivers the highest dose of omega-3 DHA (which you will then convert to EPA).
Choosing a magnesium supplement…
- Relaxation and recovery is an important part of a healthy active lifestyle. The mineral magnesium supports muscle relaxation and may help address tension, anxiety and interrupted sleep.
- There are multiple forms of magnesium available and magnesium citrate is a popular, well-tolerated and well absorbed choice.
- Women aged 40 and over can aim to take up to 265mg of magnesium per day.
Images by Supliful, Olivia Hutcherson Sarah, Leo Hoho and Mariana Rascal at Unsplash.
I hope this post showed you how to build a core supplement plan. One that’s suitable for women in their 40s and over.
Now I’d like to turn it over to you.
Which of the 3 core supplements are you most inspired to include in your daily supplement plan?
Are you going to take your multi? Or maybe you’re planning to add an omega-3 oil or magnesium to your daily stack?
Or you may have a question about something you’ve read.
You can let me know by leaving a comment below right now.