Top Vitamins and Supplements for Women in Their 30s and 40s
Getting older just doesn’t seem fair, does it? Sure, it’s inevitable, but that doesn’t mean we should sit back and take it! There are plenty of healthy ways to combat or smooth over some of the unwanted changes age may bring.
Looking and feeling your best takes cultivating a balance between mind and body health, staying active, and getting optimal nutrition to fight the signs of aging you’re likely to encounter in your 30s and 40s.
These are probably going to be the busiest years of your life, between juggling a career and home life, but finding time for self-care is essential. So, make a commitment to get your body moving every day and check out our picks below for the top vitamins and supplements for women in their 30s and 40s.
Vitamins & Supplements for Women Over 30
When it comes to health and wellness, each decade lays the foundation for the next. So, step up your self-care game in your 30s and 40s and nourish your body with vitamins and supplements that will help keep you healthy as you age, fight visible signs of aging, and minimize stress.
1. Real Food Multivitamin for Women
Despite our best efforts, it can be difficult to completely meet our nutritional needs with our modern diets. Research shows that most US adults don’t get enough of 10 essential nutrients daily!1 And that creates a lot of nutritional gaps.
If you aren’t already taking one, a good multivitamin is a great place to start, and if your multivitamin is made from real food sources—even better! It’s the closest you can get to the real thing.
Swanson’s Real Food Multivitamin for Women nourishes your body with 17 essential vitamins and minerals plus antioxidant turmeric, stress-busting ashwagandha, and cranberry concentrate for urinary tract health.
2. Essential Calcium & Vitamin D Combo
If you don’t meet 100% of your daily requirements for calcium and vitamin D between your diet and multivitamin, add a calcium and vitamin D combo supplement to your regimen. These nutrients are extremely important in your 30s and beyond.
Your skeletal system changes and regenerates with each passing decade, and your body accomplishes this miraculous feat through a combination of old bone absorption and new bone formation.2 This process continues throughout life, but as we age our bones get less dense and start to lose calcium over time, especially if we don’t get enough calcium and vitamin D.2
Taking a calcium supplement alone isn’t enough because your body needs vitamin D for calcium absorption.3 It plays a crucial role in maintaining adequate levels of calcium and phosphate needed for bone health.3 Unfortunately, most Americans don’t get enough vitamin D, and that may leave us short on calcium as well.4
Get this winning combo in Swanson Premium Calcium Citrate and Vitamin D, which is loaded with 315 mg of calcium plus 200 IU of vitamin D to enhance calcium absorption.
3. Rhodiola Rosea for Stress & Mood
Did you know that 75-90% of doctor visits are due to health concerns that are related to stress?5 It’s true! Stress takes a real toll on your health. It can play a part in everything from heart health concerns to skin problems, and it even contributes to the appearance of skin aging.6
You can’t always control the stressors around you, but you can give yourself a little help with how your body and mind respond to stress with adaptogenic herbs like rhodiola rosea. Adaptogens are a category of herbs that help smooth out the stress response, reducing stress hormone levels and helping you feel more centered overall, even during stressful situations and long-term stress.7
Give it a try in Swanson Ultra Rhodiola Rosea Root, or get the combined benefits of rhodiola rosea plus energizing, science-backed botanicals in Swanson Ultra Pure Energy.
4. Miraculous Magnesium
Are you stressed, tired or moody? Most people associate magnesium with healthy bones, and they’re on the right track because magnesium does play a role in calcium absorption and bone health.8 That’s important, but there’s more to this mineral—a lot more.
Magnesium is used by every cell in your body and plays a role in hundreds of processes, making it a truly vital nutrient for wellness.8 Reduced stress or anxiousness, better sleep, support for healthy muscles and nerve function, heart health, and energy production are all on the lengthy list of magnesium benefits.8
After trying magnesium supplements for the first time, people often experience a heightened sense of wellbeing and a calm, peaceful feeling.9 Those are welcome experiences for busy women in their 30s and 40s.
Try it yourself in Mellow Mag, a calming, refreshing magnesium drink that’s perfect for unwinding at the end of a long day, or Swanson Ultra Chelated Magnesium. And learn more about the benefits of magnesium in Magnesium Benefits and Uses, and Magnesium for Sleep.
5. Essential Folic Acid for Prenatal Health & More
Folic acid, sometimes called folate, is well known as a vital prenatal vitamin. Women who consume healthful diets with adequate folate throughout their childbearing years may reduce their risk of having a child with a birth defect of the brain or spinal cord.10 Sources of folate include fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, fortified cereals and dietary supplements.
Folate offers benefits beyond prenatal support. In addition to the prenatal benefits of folic acid, this nutrient also supports your cardiovascular health and mood, as people with low folic acid levels may have a higher risk of heart health and mood concerns.11
If you don’t get enough folic acid from your daily diet, try Swanson Folic Acid, which provides 1,000 mcg of folic acid per veggie capsule, derived from organic citrus lemon extract.
6. Energizing, Muscle-Supporting Protein
Protein isn’t just for fitness fanatics, we promise! There are a lot of myths surrounding protein powder. But don’t worry, it isn’t going to make you suddenly have bulky muscles. What protein can do is help keep you from losing muscle as you age, make you feel full longer than carbs, give you more energy, and fuel your body with nutrition for repairing muscles and other tissues.12,13 Those are benefits we can all appreciate as we age.
Your body doesn’t store protein from day to day as it does with many other nutrients, so it’s up to you to get the protein you need each and every day.13 Power your day (and those muscles) with protein-rich foods and snacks, or try a whey protein powder or dairy-free, plant-based protein powder with a complete profile of essential amino acids.
And keep your protein powder on hand at work for those days when you’re trying to meet deadlines on little more than caffeine and hope. You can also add it to a breakfast smoothie to keep cravings away throughout your morning, so you’ll be less likely to reach for high carb snacks or overeat later in the day!14
7. Enriching Iron for Overall Wellbeing
Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency across the globe, affecting 20-25% of people worldwide.15 And it’s more common in women and children than in men.16
Iron is an essential nutrient for blood production, and it helps keep you strong and energized. It’s also important for healthy fetal development in pregnant women.16
There are two types of iron you get from food sources, heme and non-heme iron. Heme iron is predominantly in meat, fish and poultry, while non-heme iron is provided by certain types of produce, but they aren’t absorbed the same. Your body absorbs up to 30% of heme iron consumed.16 Eating meat boosts your iron levels more efficiently than vegetable sources of iron.16
If you are one of the many women that don’t get enough iron every day, consider taking a gentle iron supplement to get your levels up. Try Swanson Ultra SunActive Non-irritating Iron, which is highly bioavailable and easy on the system.
8. Anti-Aging Schisandra Berry
What if a simple herb could help you fight signs of skin aging, combat stress, detox your liver, boost immune health and increase physical and mental performance? Adaptogenic Schisandra berry has a reputation for doing all these things.17,18
This herb has seen a surge of interest lately, largely due to its skin-supporting benefits and adaptogenic properties. It is the primary ingredient in several trending skin health supplement blends. It is widely used for helping with skin health concerns and may help fight photo-aging due to sun exposure.19
Learn more about the science-backed power of herbs in Why Choose Condition Specific Herbs for Energy, Joint, Heart and Brain Health?
Vitamins & Supplements for Women Over 40
Many of the same nutrients you need to stay healthy and fight signs of aging in your 30s are also necessary in your 40s. But there are some additional nutrients that you should consider adding to your wellness routine in your 40s to promote wellbeing now and into the future. Here are 8 supplements to add to your nutritional routine in your 40s.
9. Antioxidant Turmeric
As one of the most effective herbal supplements on the market, it’s no surprise that turmeric is showing up everywhere these days—from cafès to ice cream shops.20 It’s even becoming a popular ingredient in face masks! Turmeric is a superfood spice that really packs in the benefits no matter how you use it. But in this case, we’re talking about turmeric supplements.
What can turmeric do for your health? It contains a highly potent antioxidant called curcumin that benefits your body in many ways, from cognitive support to digestive health and more.20 A recent study concluded that a highly bioavailable form of curcumin known as Theracurmin® may improve memory, attention and mood.21 Plus, the antioxidants in turmeric are great for your joints and heart too!20
Our favorite turmeric supplement is Swanson Premium Turmeric with Black Pepper, because a substance in pepper can help enhance turmeric absorption.20 You can also try Swanson Ultra High Absorption Theracurmin® and read about the differences between turmeric and curcumin in Turmeric vs Curcumin: What is the Difference?
10. Anti-Aging Vitamin A for Skin
It’s perfectly normal for the wrinkles that may have started appearing in your 30s to become more pronounced in your 40s. As always, it’s important to drink plenty of water and moisturize regularly to keep skin hydrated, but certain nutrients may help fight signs of skin aging too, like vitamin A.
Vitamin A, or beta-carotene, is a well-researched alphabet vitamin for supporting healthy skin and providing anti-aging benefits.22 You may even know vitamin A by another name, retinol, a topical form of vitamin A. At its core, vitamin A is a carotenoid pigment found in certain brightly colored produce, and you can get it in concentrated form in supplements and skin creams.
How does vitamin A help your skin? When taken internally, vitamin A has antioxidant properties that help fight free radicals to keep cells healthy (that includes skin cells) and may help lessen collagen breakdown in the skin due to sun exposure.23,24 It also supports healthy vision, hair, bones and more.25 Externally, vitamin A and retinol skin creams are proven wrinkle-fighters that help stimulate collagen formation and give your skin a healthy glow.26
Get the benefits of vitamin A internally and externally from Swanson Premium Vitamin A and Swanson Premium Retinol Cream.
11. Essential Fatty Acids
Essential fatty acids are among the best anti-aging supplements, providing support for the heart, brain, skin, joints and so much more.27 This includes both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which you may have heard of, but do you know about gammalinolenic acid (GLA)?
GLA is a form of omega-6 fatty acid and it’s often overlooked, despite being a focus of herbalists for centuries.28 GLA is essential for stimulating skin and hair growth, and women also take it for support during menstruation.28
Your body can synthesize GLA from dihomogamma-linolenic acid (DGLA), but aging may interfere with that process, and typical western diets contain low levels of GLA.29 GLA food sources are limited and include evening primrose oil, black currant seed oil, borage oil, spirulina plus a few other lesser known sources.
If you’re looking for the best essential fatty acid supplements, we recommend getting your omega-3s from our award-winning Plant Based Omega-3 supplement, which was named 2018 Omega-3 Product of the Year by NutraIngredients USA. And get your omega-6 GLA, from Swanson EFAs Blackcurrant Seed Oil, which is valued by herbalists for its 14-17% GLA content.
12. Sleep-Supporting Melatonin
Our sleeping patterns tend to change as we get older. A decline in normal sleep can begin as early as our 40s, as the brain slowly begins producing less melatonin.30 Melatonin is a hormone that regulates our circadian rhythm (sleep and wake cycles).30 Factors beyond age can affect melatonin production too, including blue light exposure before bedtime from electronic screens.31
If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep at night despite being diligent about keeping screens out of the bedroom and embracing soothing bedtime rituals to help you sleep better, a decline in melatonin may be the culprit.
When you start taking melatonin supplements, start with a lower dose and work your way up to make sure you don’t get more than you need. Read How Much Melatonin Should You Really Be Taking? to learn more about determining the best melatonin dosage for you.
We have many options available, including Low Dose Melatonin from Swanson Premium (melatonin 0.5 mg), Triple Strength Melatonin by Swanson Ultra (melatonin 10 mg), and everything in between. Click here to shop Swanson's full range of melatonin supplements.
13. Beautifying Biotin
Have you noticed your hair getting thinner in your 40s? Are your nails more brittle than they once were? Try biotin supplements! Biotin is a nutrient commonly taken to help thicken hair and nails, and to support healthy skin.32
Biotin is a member of the B-complex family of vitamins and has a couple of other names, including vitamin H (which stands for Haar und Haut, German for hair and skin), and vitamin B-7. In addition to its hair, skin and nail benefits, maintaining adequate biotin levels supports metabolism and may aid mental health.33
The Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) recommends adults over 19 get at least 30 mcg of biotin per day.33 The richest food sources of biotin are organ meats. Beef liver is particularly rich in biotin, and biotin is available in much lower amounts from eggs, fish, meats and some vegetables.33
Getting enough biotin from food sources isn’t practical for everyone, and biotin supplements sourced from whole food sources are the next best thing. Try Swanson’s Real Food Biotin, featuring biotin from Sesbania extract (Hummingbird tree). It’s a non-GMO, gluten free, certified organic source of biotin for healthy hair, skin and nails.
14. Super Citrimax for Weight Support
Unwanted pounds have a way of creeping up on us, especially when we get to our 40s. That can be partially attributed to changes in your metabolism, but changes in muscle mass can play a role too.34 You may not be as active overall in your 40s since it’s a time when life tends to get busier in general. Less activity means less muscle use, which leads to muscle loss, and women in their 40s lose muscle twice as fast as men of the same age.34
No matter what, it’s important to schedule time for taking care of yourself and find ways to fit more activity in throughout your days to stay healthy through your 40s and beyond. But you can give your metabolism a helping hand too!
Super Citrimax gives you the weight management support of clinical strength Garcinia Cambogia with a potent 60% hydroxycitric acid (HCA), plus ChromeMate®, a type of niacin-bound chromium that supports that has been shown to be 18x more bioactive than other types of chromium.35 Garcinia Cambogia also promotes healthy serotonin levels to support a positive mood.36
15. Nourishing Probiotics with Prebiotics
Digestive issues may become more common in your 40s and there can be many culprits, including hormonal changes.37 Give your digestive and immune health a boost by adding a good probiotic with prebiotic fiber to your wellness routine.38
Your digestive tract is a flourishing ecosystem of microbes, and while that may sound a little scary, that’s exactly how it should be! When everything is in sync, good bacteria outweighs the bad and digestion runs smoothly.38 But sometimes that system can get a little out of sorts and need your help.
Probiotics reinforce the good gut flora, and prebiotics give the good guys an environment in which they can thrive. Try it in Swanson Probiotics Probiotic+ Prebiotic Fiber. You can learn more about probiotics and their benefits in Trust Your Gut: Build a Healthier Gut with Probiotics.
16. Feminine Herb Dong Quai
In your 40s you may also notice your menstrual cycle getting a little wacky due to hormonal changes, which can make that time of the month a little more challenging. This is one of several areas in which dong quai supplements may help.39
Also known as female ginseng, dong quai is an herb in the same family as parsley and native to Japan and China. It’s often taken to provide support during menstruation, as well as to help with menopausal and premenopausal concerns.39
Looking for the best dong quai supplements? Get the harmonizing and energizing benefits of this ancient herb in Swanson Premium Dong Quai.
Your Healthiest, Fittest 30s and 40s
Balancing work, life and other responsibilities can sometimes leave us feeling like there just isn’t enough time for self-care, but you deserve to make yourself a priority. When you take good care of yourself you’ll feel healthier overall and have more energy, plus it’ll show on the outside too!
Start today by making small changes in your wellness routine that will make a big impact over time. Try some of these supplement picks for women over 30 and women over 40, and read Self Care Tips for Body & Mind and Say Om: 6 Tips to Help You Relax and Reduce Stress for more helpful self-care tips.
And sign up for Swanson Health emails so you’ll be the first to know about new wellness resources, innovative products and valuable promotions.
About Lindsey Toth, MS, RD
Lindsey is a nationally recognized registered dietitian and nutritionist with a soft spot for ice cream. She empowers people to take charge of their health by finding the balance between the pleasure and nourishment in food. Her philosophy is that you should take care of your body because it’s the only permanent home you have. It’s what inspired her to pursue a career in nutrition.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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