Menopause is a natural biological occurrence that marks the end of a woman's fertility and menstrual cycle. Menopause is accompanied by hormonal changes that may trigger emotional and physical changes and increased health risks to certain conditions and diseases. Approximately 50 million women in the United States are in their menopausal years and many of them use vitamin supplements to help relieve menopause symptoms. Always check with your doctor before beginning a vitamin supplement regiment.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is required to help your immune system function at its optimal best. Vitamin A is also needed to allow your body to utilize estrogen. During menopause, estrogen levels decrease, which may increase the risk of osteoporosis, or loss of bone. Using a vitamin A supplement may help your body better use the amount of estrogen still available. Some cells of your body may use vitamin A as an estrogen substitute, according to the Feminists Women's Health Center in Washington.
B Vitamins
The B family of vitamins include thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, B-6, B-12 and folic acid. A 2000 paper in the journal "Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology" noted that menopausal women faced several health risks, including osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease, caused by increased levels of the substance homocysteine. Vitamin B supplements may help in reducing homosysteine levels and decreasing the risk of heart disease and osteoporosis.
Calcium
Calcium isn't a vitamin, but it is important because osteoporosis is a major health concern for women in their menopausal and postmenopausal years. As estrogen declines, bones become more brittle. The National Osteoporosis Foundation estimates that about half of all American women over 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis. These breaks are more likely to occur in the wrist, hip and spine. To help decrease your risk of osteoporosis during menopause, the mineral calcium may help restore lost calcium in your bones.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is necessary for calcium to be utilized by your body. Once vitamin D is taken as a supplement, it must be processed by the liver and kidneys before it can be used by the body. If there is insufficient intake of vitamin D, the body will leach calcium from your bones to maintain the calcium balance in your blood. This leaves the mineral content of the bones low and the structural integrity weak, leading to osteoporosis. Osteoporosis may cause increased risk of fractures during menopause.
