Hot flashes, night sweats, headaches and joint pain are all symptoms of the hormonal changes that occur during menopause. Proper nutrition is an important part of maintaining your health during menopause to prevent conditions such as osteoporosis. To maintain your health, you need to ensure that your body has the vitamins, minerals and nutrients that it needs to produce hormones, maintain your metabolism and run your nervous system.
Multivitamin Essentials
A good multivitamin contains the vitamins and minerals that your body needs for thousands of chemical reactions and physiological functions every day -- digestion and absorption of food, immune system function, bone development, hormone balance, muscle contraction and heart function. The vitamins needed during menopause are the same vitamins needed by all women, but in specific amounts based on your age. A good multivitamin includes the B complex vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12 and folate, and vitamins A, C, D, E and K. The necessary minerals include calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, sulfur, iron, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, cobalt, fluoride and selenium.
Tips for Selecting a Multivitamin
When selecting a multivitamin, remember that these vitamins and minerals are naturally found in the foods you eat. Therefore, you do not need to consume megadoses of these vitamins, because you should already get some of your daily requirements from your diet. Instead, choose a multivitamin that supplies an amount that is close to the recommended dietary allowance or RDA. This will ensure that you do not consume too much of any one vitamin if you are also consuming them through foods.
Dosage
Each vitamin and mineral has an adequate intake or RDA amount. This is the minimum amount that you need to ensure that your body will not develop symptoms of a deficiency. Because menopause usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, you should consume the recommended intake for that age range. PubMed Health states that vitamin D and calcium are especially important during menopause because of their relationship to bone health. The ideal dosage of vitamin D is 600 IU, and the RDA of calcium is 1,000 to 1,200 mg.
Considerations
Multivitamins can fill in the gaps in your nutrition, but they do not treat the symptoms of menopause. They should be consumed in addition to a healthy, balanced diet. Multivitamins are safe to consume, but always consult your doctor about any supplements if you also take medications. This will help you avoid any interactions that could occur.
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