Good nutrition is essential for optimal health at every stage of life, from birth to death. Vitamin and mineral needs also change over a lifetime. The quantity of some vitamins and minerals you need may increase or decrease depending on where you are in your life cycle. Factors like pregnancy can also affect your nutrient and micronutrient requirements. For example, women need more folate, a B-vitamin, and iron during pregnancy.
Why do nutritional needs change later in life? After menopause, you produce less stomach acid, and that affects the absorption of some vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin B12. Plus, your body becomes less efficient at producing certain vitamins, like vitamin D, in response to sunlight. It’s one reason that nutritional deficiencies become more common in women after menopause. What are the vitamins and minerals of concern once you go through menopause?
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is one of the few vitamins that most people can’t get enough of from food. Instead, humans get the bulk of their vitamin D from either sun exposure or a vitamin D supplement. When ultraviolet B rays from the sun strike the surface of the skin, a series of reactions occur that, aided by the liver and kidneys, lead to vitamin D production.
Unfortunately, the ability to make vitamin D from ultraviolet light exposure becomes less efficient after menopause. Even when women past menopause soak up the sun, they may not make as much vitamin D as they would have as a young adult. So, it’s smart to check your vitamin D level yearly after menopause to make sure it’s not too low.
Foods, in general, are not a reliable source of vitamin D. The best sources of the sunshine vitamin are fatty fish, like salmon, egg yolks, farm-raised beef, and foods fortified with vitamin D, like some breakfast cereals, orange juice, dairy, and yogurt. However, it’s hard to get enough vitamin D from diet alone. That’s why it’s important to check a vitamin D level after menopause and take a vitamin D supplement if it’s too low.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 deficiency becomes more common after menopause, especially after the age of 60 due to absorption issues. As you age, you produce less stomach acid, a necessary component for absorbing vitamin B12. Without enough stomach acid B12 absorption becomes less efficient. You’re also at a higher risk of vitamin B12 deficiency if you eat a vegan diet, since vitamin B12 is only in meat and dairy. Be aware of signs of vitamin B12 deficiency. They include:
- Brain fog
- Depression
- Visual disturbances
- Numbness/tingling in the extremities
- Balance problems
- Weakness
- Excessive fatigue
- Restless legs syndrome
- Sore tongue
- Loss of appetite
If you experience any of these symptoms, your doctor can check a vitamin B12 level. Also, if you eat a vegan diet, take a vitamin B12 supplement and ask your doctor to follow your vitamin B12 level. A deficiency can lead to permanent nerve damage.
Calcium
Calcium is a mineral you need for healthy bones and on a minute-by-minute basis for heart and blood vessel health. The fabric of your bones is calcium and phosphorus. Calcium requirements also go up after menopause. Men and women before menopause need a minimum of 1000 milligrams of calcium daily, but after menopause, calcium requirements for women rise to 1200 milligrams. It’s best to get calcium from food sources, not supplements. Taking calcium supplements increases the risk of kidney stones, and there’s evidence that supplemental calcium is harmful to heart and blood vessel health while calcium from food sources does not carry this risk.
Vitamins and Minerals Women Need Less of After Menopause
There’s only one micronutrient (vitamin or mineral) that women need less of after menopause, and it’s iron. All humans need iron for healthy red blood cells, the cells that carry oxygen throughout your body. Signs of iron deficiency anemia include fatigue, decreased exercise tolerance, lightheadedness, and shortness of breath. But more isn’t better. Your body can’t eliminate excess iron, and when too much iron builds up in your tissues, it has a pro-oxidant effect, the opposite of an antioxidant. The pro-oxidant activity of iron can damage cells and tissues. A high iron level is also linked with hardening of the arteries and cardiovascular disease.
Before menopause, women have a way to eliminate excess iron, and that’s through menstrual bleeding. That’s why younger women are prone to iron deficiency relative to older women. They shed the excess iron through monthly bleeding. Men don’t have that advantage, and neither do post-menopausal women. That’s why iron overload can become more of a problem after menopause. There’s also evidence post-menopausal women and men benefit from donating blood to lower their iron level if it’s too high.
The Bottom Line
Adequate nutrition is important at all ages and stages of life, but nutritional needs change in women after menopause. Make sure you’re eating a healthy, varied diet, and talk to your physician about whether you need a vitamin D, vitamin B12, or calcium supplement after menopause. If you take a supplement, do your research and choose one from a reputable company that does third-party testing to verify quality and purity.
References:
- “Staying Healthy After Menopause | Johns Hopkins Medicine.” hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/staying-healthy-after-menopause.
- Rizzoli R, Bischoff-Ferrari H, Dawson-Hughes B, Weaver C. Nutrition and bone health in women after the menopause. Womens Health (Lond). 2014 Nov;10(6):599-608. doi: 10.2217/whe.14.40. PMID: 25482487.
- “Health Benefits | OneBlood.” oneblood.org/about-donating/blood-donor-basics/can-i-donate/health-benefits.stml.
- “Vitamin B12 – Health Professional Fact Sheet.” ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Vitaminb12-HealthProfessional/.
- “Vitamin D – Health Professional Fact Sheet.” 26 Mar. 2021, ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind-healthprofessional/.
- “Calcium – Health Professional Fact Sheet.” ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/calcium-HealthProfessional/.
- “Staying Healthy After Menopause | Johns Hopkins Medicine.” https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/staying-healthy-after-menopause.
- “Menopause and Nutrition – Dickinson College.” https://www.dickinson.edu/download/downloads/id/6601/menopause_and_nutrition.pdf.
- “A Natural Approach to Menopause.” https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/nutrition-information/a-natural-approach-to-menopause.
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