Let's Talk About Vitamins And Supplements

What Vitamin Should I Take?

Honestly, one of the main questions I get asked is, “What vitamin do you recommend?” And my answer might floor you… I don’t.

I am not a huge fan of vitamins, as I think it is important to get our micronutrients from whole food sources. With that being said, for people our age entering and experiencing menopause, there are some nutrients we may need to supplement:

Fiber

At least 25-35 g of Fiber daily: This can technically be attained via whole foods, but it usually is not. Tracking your nutrition in an app such as Cronometer can help you to determine if you hit this goal.  If you fall short, I strongly recommend supplementation. The best fiber supplement options are those that combine insoluble and soluble fiber.¹  I was not satisfied with any on the market, so I developed my own 'Pause Nutrition Supplement.

Omega-3  

Omega-3 is a little tricky… There is no “gram goal” to aim for per se, but your ratio of omega 6:omega 3 fatty acids is important, especially in fighting inflammation. TGD Enhanced Program is NOT traditional keto, so the source of a majority of our fats needs to fight inflammation (omega 3s), rather than promote inflammation (omega 6s).² It is possible to get a sufficient amount of omega 3 via whole foods, but it can be hard to do. For that reason, I recommend and always personally take an omega 3 supplement every day – there is no “harm” to be done, and it promotes a lower omega 6:3 ratio.³

Vitamin D

Roughly 600 IU Vitamin D: Vitamin D becomes increasingly essential with age, yet we tend to get less and less of it as we enter menopause. This vitamin is a “helper” for absorbing calcium, which is required for optimal bone health and preventing osteoporosis. Additionally, sufficient vitamin D has been shown to elevate your mood and increase cognitive performance.^4,5  Vitamin D is more easily absorbed when taken in conjunction with a healthy fat and vitamin K, making our 'Pause Nutrition Omega 3 + Vitamin D & K a powerful combination.

Turmeric

Roughly ~2 tsp of Turmeric per day: Turmeric is a spice that is the major source of curcumin. Curcumin has long been studied to have many preventative benefits to our health.⁶  Namely, it is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent aiding in preventing oxidative stress and reducing overall inflammation in joints and overall tissue. Because of curcumin’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties it is showing strong signs in research studies to impact, slow or prevent diseases associated with inflammation: Alzheimer’s, Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) and arthritis. In menopause stages, support for body composition, gut health, and overall reducing inflammation will support you. Using turmeric in recipes for curries, pastes, smoothies and soups can elevate your meals (~2 tsp) while providing a unique flavor and anti-inflammatory properties.  In addition, you may consider adding a turmeric supplement to your routine to ensure you are doing all you can to fight inflammation. Here is another source with suggestions on how to incorporate more turmeric into your diet.^6,7

Magnesium

Magnesium is one mineral that can provide support and have a significant impact on sleep, blood glucose control, active uptake of vitamin D, maintain healthy bone development and slow osteoporosis. It is recommended that women receive 320 mg of elemental magnesium per day, and there are plenty of delicious food sources you can add to your meals and snacks!⁸

In addition, to enjoying lots of magnesium rich foods, I personally supplement the amount of magnesium I get through my nutrition with Life Extension Neuro Mag. It contains magnesium L-threonate which was developed at MIT and formulated to cross the blood-brain barrier.

You know I always look to the science and in a 12-week study of people ages 50 to 70, researchers found that this easily absorbed form of magnesium not only improves brain function, it also can reverse brain aging.⁹ Other studies have shown that it can ease anxiety.  Count me in on those benefits!

For more information see this YouTube video I recorded about why magnesium is so key to your health moving forward.  I always recommend that you check with your clinician before beginning any supplementation, but if magnesium L-threonate is right for you, visit my Amazon storefront, or use this link to save 10% on Life Extension Neuro Mag and supplement the magnesium you get through your nutrition to enjoy all the benefits!

Calcium

Roughly 1200 mg/day of Calcium per day – however, this should be obtained via whole foods and not supplementation.¹⁰ Again, tracking your nutrition in Cronometer is helpful in determining how much you regularly obtain through your food consumption. Calcium promotes bone health and reduces your risk of bone fractures with age, and if you're consistently low, work to incorporate more high calcium foods into your daily routine.

Collagen

Bonus Time! Collagen is a protein molecule known for being tough, reliable, and resilient. It’s so good at its job of connecting, creating, and supporting that you will find it all over your body. Collagen provides structure and substance to cartilage, tendons, muscle tissue, connective tissue, skin and bones. ¹¹

Researchers conclude that collagen supplementation of 5-15g/day aids in improving joint mobility, agility, reducing inflammation (pain), and improving body composition and muscle recovery.¹¹ Collagen supplementation has been shown to decrease the appearance of wrinkles, improve the health of your skin and hair, and reduce cellulite.  'Pause Nutrition Skin Boost Plus by Sparkle Wellness contains VERISOL Bioactive Collagen Peptides, which has been clinically proven to boost the skin’s collagen levels by up to 60%.^{12, 13} 

For my bone health I was supplementing with a collagen peptide called FORTIBONE®, developed to stimulate bone cells to increase the synthesis of bone components such as collagen. In an effort to simplify my collagen supplementation to include VERISOL and ® and FORTIBONE® , I decided to combine both into one supplement, called Skin & Bone.

Bottom Line

I do not recommend any specific vitamins to anyone. Instead I want to be sure you are getting enough of the above micronutrients via whole foods. If not, supplementation is key. In the Enhanced Program, we take an in-depth look at how to optimize your health through an anti-inflammatory approach to nutrition and dive into the specifics in the self-paced, online course. To learn more about The 'Pause Nutrition family of supplements, feel free to browse our catalog HERE.

As always, talk with your doctor to discuss any medical questions or concerns you may have.

References

1. Lottenberg, Ana Maria Pita, Fan, Patricia Luriko Tomita and Buonacorso, Vivian. “Effects of dietary fiber intake on inflammation in chronic diseases.” Einstein (São Paulo) [online]. 2010, v. 8, n. 2 [Accessed 30 August 2022] , pp. 254-258. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1590/S1679-45082010MD1310
2. Simopoulos, Artemis P. “An Increase in the Omega-6/Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ratio Increases the Risk for Obesity.” Nutrients vol. 8,3 128. 2 Mar. 2016, doi:10.3390/nu8030128
3. Simopoulos, Artemis P. “Omega-3 fatty acids in inflammation and autoimmune diseases.” Journal of the American College of Nutrition vol. 21,6 (2002): 495-505. doi:10.1080/07315724.2002.10719248
4. Naeem, Zahid. “Vitamin d deficiency- an ignored epidemic.” International journal of health sciences vol. 4,1 (2010): V-VI.
5. Yin, Kai, and Devendra K Agrawal. “Vitamin D and inflammatory diseases.” Journal of inflammation research vol. 7 69-87. 29 May. 2014, doi:10.2147/JIR.S63898
6. Hewlings, S. J., & Kalman, D. S. (2017). Curcumin: A Review of Its Effects on Human Health. Foods (Basel, Switzerland), 6(10), 92. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods6100092
7. Lorencz, K. (2022). Four Foods High in Curcumin, and How to Use It to Quell Inflammation Retrieved: https://www.livestrong.com/article/142078-foods-with-curcumin/
8. National Institutes of Health, Offce of Dietary Supplements.  
   https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/
9. How does the skeletal muscle communicate with the brain in health and disease? Alinny R. Isaac, Ricardo A.S. Lima-Filho, Mychael V. Lourenco, vol. 197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108744
10. Calcium and vitamin D in post menopausal women Sameer Aggarwal, Nityanand https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4046613/ 
11. Proksch, E, Zague, V, Segger, D , Degwert, J and Oesser, S. “Oral intake of specific bioactive collagen peptides reduces skin wrinkles and increases dermal matrix synthesis.” 2014;27(3):113-9. doi: 10.1159/000355523. Epub 2013 Dec 24. PMID: 24401291 DOI: 10.1159/000355523
12. Schunch, Michael, Zague, Vivian, Oesser, Steffen, and Proksch Ehrhardt. “Dietary Supplementation with Specific Collagen Peptides Has a Body Mass Index-Dependent Beneficial Effect on Cellulite Morphology.” 2015 Dec;18(12):1340-8. doi: 10.1089/jmf.2015.0022. Epub 2015 Nov 12. PMID: 26561784 PMCID: PMC4685482 DOI: 10.1089/jmf.2015.0022
13. Proksch, E, Zague, V, Segger, D , Degwert, J and Oesser, S. “Oral intake of specific bioactive collagen peptides reduces skin wrinkles and increases dermal matrix synthesis.” 2014;27(3):113-9. doi: 10.1159/000355523. Epub 2013 Dec 24. PMID: 24401291 DOI: 10.1159/000355523

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