Women's Multivitamins In Canada

Multivitamin supplements can be a great way to improve your overall health and wellbeing. Even if you eat a healthy and well-balanced diet, you might be missing some key nutrients. Multivitamins are a great way to increase your consumption of a variety of beneficial vitamins and minerals to help bridge the gap between your...

Multivitamin supplements can be a great way to improve your overall health and wellbeing.

Even if you eat a healthy and well-balanced diet, you might be missing some key nutrients. Multivitamins are a great way to increase your consumption of a variety of beneficial vitamins and minerals to help bridge the gap between your diet and your nutrient intake, available in convenient to take tablets, capsules or soft gels.

A multivitamin is most helpful under circumstances where your body requires additional nutrition, for example when your body is in a state of needing to build and repair. This includes growth and development during the childhood and teenage years, preparing for pregnancy, maintaining a healthy pregnancy or training as an athlete. Certain health conditions, such as digestive disorders may also require supplementation of a multivitamin to increase nutrient intake when the appetite is low and the rate of absorption is compromised.

It's safe to say that most people nowadays could benefit from the additional support of a multi-vitamin when faced with the ever-increasing stressors of life paired with a typically not so ideal diet.

Multivitamins can help to strengthen your immune function, support eye health, promote healthy skin, maintain strong bones, improve quality of life, and support reproductive function.

All multivitamins have similar nutrients, but multivitamins for women have specific additional ingredients to meet their nutritional needs.

The National Institutes of Health recommends taking a multivitamin specific to your age and gender.

It is well known that during the reproductive and menstruating years, women may need additional supplementation of certain nutrients such as iron, vitamin B12, and magnesium. Vitamins and mineral needs will differ depending on the current stage of life of each woman from childhood, adolescence, the reproductive years, and menopause.

Let's take a closer look at some of the key nutrients for women's health.

Vitamins and minerals for women's health

Iron:

Iron is a mineral and an essential component of hemoglobin, which is the substance in red blood cells that carries oxygen from our lungs to the rest of our body.

If you are not getting enough oxygen in your blood, you may experience fatigue, but also weakness, and problems with concentration and memory. Iron is also necessary to maintain healthy skin, hair, and nails.

Lack of iron also leads to anemia. Low iron is common in menstruating women and often a sign of fatigue and heavy bleeding.

As menstruating women lose blood each month, their need for iron increases because blood contains about 70% of your body’s iron. When diet is not enough to improve iron levels this is where supplementation may be required.

People who may require more iron include menstruating women, vegetarians, frequent blood donors, and high-performance athletes.

Folate:

A critical nutrient during pregnancy, folate is the natural form of "folic acid" which is a B vitamin involved in the formation of red blood cells and the development of the nervous system of the fetus.

Deficiency has been associated with birth defects in babies and needs increase by the mother by 50% during pregnancy. This B vitamin can help to reduce the risk of any major birth defects of the brain or spine in newborn children.

Too low levels of folate can lead to a type of anemia called folate-deficiency anemia. Folate-deficiency anemia is more common in women of childbearing age than in men.

Everyone needs folate but it is especially important if you are looking to become pregnant or are pregnant, and levels should be monitored by a professional health care provider.

Vitamin B12:

B12, also known as cobalamin, is an essential vitamin that is necessary for cognitive and cardiovascular health as well as normal nerve functioning.

Vitamin B12 is stored throughout the body thus it can take years for a deficiency to develop. However, this is an essential vitamin that is critical for brain health and cognition but also overall bodily functions.

Vitamin B12 is necessary to make red blood cells and carry oxygen throughout your body. Low vitamin B12 can lead to anemia and symptoms of fatigue and weakness but also nerve damage and issues with brain function affecting memory and focus.

It is therefore vitally important to ensure that you are getting B12 either through your diet or from supplementation and that you are actually absorbing it. The best way to ensure that your levels are met is to get testing done with your healthcare provider.

Those at an increased risk of vitamin B12 deficiency include elderly populations, vegetarians and vegans, and individuals with gastrointestinal disorders as well as pernicious anemia.

Magnesium:

As the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body, magnesium is responsible for over 400 functions associated with nervous system regulation, muscle function, energy production, immune function, blood sugar control, insulin sensitivity, and cardiovascular health.

Magnesium is easily flushed from the system from factors such as alcohol, coffee, and diuretics as well as high stress.

What can magnesium do for women's health? As a nervous system and muscle relaxant, magnesium can help to improve symptoms associated with PMS such as irritability, menstrual cramping, anxiety, insomnia, water retention, and breast tenderness.

Magnesium improves the function of insulin, leptin, and thyroid hormones. It is anti-inflammatory and essential for the manufacture of both estrogen and progesterone.

Magnesium can help to regulate cortisol levels, improve the function of estrogen, progesterone and thyroid hormones, decrease stress, improve menstrual regularity and ovulation, and support quality sleep.

Zinc:

Zinc is an important mineral needed for tissue and cell formation, wound healing, immune function, digestive function, skin elasticity and repair, and reproductive function.

It is common for women to need more zinc during pregnancy and lactation as deficiency can occur and this mineral is needed to support proper immune development of the growing fetus. The birth control pill may also suppress zinc levels.

As a natural anti-inflammatory, zinc may help to improve symptoms associated with PMS such as menstrual pain, low mood, and acne as well as regulate the female cycle and improve the maturation of ovarian follicles, supporting ovulation.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is an important vitamin needed for optimal immune function, bone health, skin health, mental health, and many more functions in the body.

The need for Vitamin D increases with lack of sunlight exposure, postmenopause, obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, and with African-American, Hispanic, or Asian-American descent.

Vitamin D is well known for its role in bone health, working closely with calcium to maintain healthy bone density. The risk of osteoporosis can increase in women over 50 as well as those with conditions affecting vitamin D absorption.

This vitamin has an important role in fertility and influences the functioning of the reproductive system in women as it is involved in follicle maturation, hormone production, and anti-inflammatory actions (1).

During pregnancy, low vitamin D levels have been linked to an increased risk of pre-eclampsia, PMS, gestational diabetes, bacterial vaginosis, low birth weight in newborns, and adverse pregnancy outcomes (2)(3).

The best way to determine that your vitamin D levels are optimal is to get your serum levels tested by your doctor.

What are the Best Women’s Multivitamins?

Top multivitamins for women at Vitasave.ca

Progressive MultiVitamin for Active Women

Progressive Multi Vitamins for Active Women is designed for women on the go. Whether you exercise, work long hours, raise a family or any combination of the above, your body needs the support of an Active MultiVitamin formula. Features Green Food Concentrates, Stress Relief Nutrients, Antioxidant Support, Green Tea, Vitamins D3 & K2, and Glutamine & ALA

Benefits:

Combats stress and fatigue
Increases energy and stamina
Replaces lost electrolytes
Provides additional antioxidant support
Accelerates recovery following exercise
Protects your heart
Supports healthy thyroid function
Strengthens immune function
Helps with red blood cell formation
Promotes clear, healthy skin

VitaDay Women's Multi with Iron

VitaDay Women’s Daily Multi Vitamin is a comprehensive multi-nutrient formula designed for the general health and well-being of women under the age of 50. This formula features whole food greens, coenzyme B vitamins, alongside herbal extracts such as cranberry concentrate, Rhodiola rosea, and green tea.

Benefits: