Vitamins: Just Take Them
by Cristin Babcock, M.D.
Often my menopausal patients will ask me which specific formulation of calcium provides the best absorption to prevent osteoporosis. Calcium carbonate? Calcium citrate? Calcium phosphate? My standard response is that absorption isn't the issue. Compliance is. Whatever type of calcium supplement a woman will take faithfully is the best one. That goes for other supplements, as well.
There are a few supplements post-menopausal women should take, in addition to the natural vitamins and minerals they get from eating a healthy, well-balanced diet. These supplements have stood the test of time and research, and are generally recommended by physicians across the board. They are:
Establishing a routine by taking vitamins at the same time every day--say, with breakfast or after brushing teeth at night--can help women stay on track with their vitamin habit.
Often my menopausal patients will ask me which specific formulation of calcium provides the best absorption to prevent osteoporosis. Calcium carbonate? Calcium citrate? Calcium phosphate? My standard response is that absorption isn't the issue. Compliance is. Whatever type of calcium supplement a woman will take faithfully is the best one. That goes for other supplements, as well.
There are a few supplements post-menopausal women should take, in addition to the natural vitamins and minerals they get from eating a healthy, well-balanced diet. These supplements have stood the test of time and research, and are generally recommended by physicians across the board. They are:
- A multivitamin. Again, it doesn't matter what brand or formulation or what time of day it's taken. The critical issue is remembering to take it every single day!
- Folic acid. The recommended daily amount - 400 mg - is usually found in a multivitamin. Folic acid helps prevent heart disease.
- Calcium. Post-menopausal women who are on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) should get 1000 mg of calcium daily; women who aren't on HRT should get 1500 mg daily. Calcium, along with Vitamin D, helps prevent osteoporosis.
- Vitamin D. Again, the recommended daily amount - 400 units - is often found in multivitamins.
- Aspirin. A baby aspirin - or half an adult aspirin - each day has been shown to help prevent stroke and colon cancer.
Establishing a routine by taking vitamins at the same time every day--say, with breakfast or after brushing teeth at night--can help women stay on track with their vitamin habit.
