Only approximately 2 percent of women meet the Recommended Daily Allowance for vitamins and minerals, according to the website Health Research Data. A vitamin deficiency is not something your body can fix on its own. It cannot produce the vitamins you need. Supplements and a healthy diet are your only sources of vitamins and minerals and you need more as you grow older.
Changing Needs
While everyone needs a full complement of vitamins in their diet, the dosage requirements increase in women as they pass the age of 40. Phyto-estrogens are important to balance the hormonal effects of menopause. Calcium is vital to bone strength, which becomes more of an issue after menopause, and it can also help to lower blood pressure.
Types
Older women need more of the B complex vitamins, as well as vitamins C, D, E and K. Folic acid is not important only for women of childbearing age -- women over 40 need it as well. Health Research Data indicates that older women also need copper gluconate, choline bitartrate and black cohosh. "Prevention" magazine indicates that fish oil is important, too and specifically suggests EPA and DHA, both omega-3 fatty acids.
Daily Requirements
"Prevention" magazine suggests that if you are over 40, you should select a multivitamin with 200 mg of vitamin C, 400 IU of vitamin E, 2,000 IU of vitamin D3, 15,000 IU of mixed carotenes and 200 mcg of selenium. Your folic acid intake should be about the same as for younger women who are not pregnant or planning to become pregnant -- 400 mcg. You do not, however, need a multivitamin that contains iron if you are past menopause. Your calcium intake should be 500 mg a day after age 40 and increase to 1,000 mg a day as you near the age of 50. After the age of 50, you should take 1,300 mg per day.
Other Advantages
Studies have shown that additional amounts of vitamins A, C and E can reduce the risk of breast cancer, according to the website Managing Menopause. However, this only holds true if you take supplements because you are not already getting enough of these vitamins in your diet. Managing Menopause indicates that women who get sufficient levels of these vitamins from foods do not seem to benefit from still more in supplement form.
Sources
In addition to vitamin and mineral supplements, you can do your body a favor as you grow older by including in your diet foods known to be good sources of the vitamins you need. Citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C and so are spinach, broccoli, snow peas and tomato juice. Corn and canola oils are good sources of vitamin E. Milk products and cheeses contain calcium, as well as spinach and green beans. Seafood and grains offer selenium.
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