Vitamins to Take in Your 30s

Our body needs essential vitamins and minerals for every process and function. These nutrients work together to grow, heal, repair and maintain the body’s cells, organs, systems, and skeleton.  After 30, people tend to lose lean tissue, muscles, liver, kidney, and other organs may lose some of their cells.  Our body shape changes slowly. We cannot avoid some of these changes, but our lifestyle choices may slow or speed the process. A balanced diet goes a long way to getting the vitamins and minerals you need to feel good and head off to health problems. The trouble is, very few people eat right every day. 

“When we compare recommendations for vitamin and mineral intakes to actual consumption, many Americans do not even come close to getting what they need for several nutrients,” says Meir Stampfer, MD, DrPH, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. So, adding up those supplements shore up bones, heal wounds and bolster your immune system. Also, they convert food into energy and repair cellular damage. There are several benefits of using those supplements. Multivitamins and Minerals: Bridging (Some) Nutrient Gaps 

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020, adults are often deficient in: 

• Calcium 
• Magnesium 
• Vitamin A (as carotenoids) 
• Vitamins C 
• Vitamin E 

Benefits  

Metabolism 

Metabolism burns ingested and stored food nutrients to produce energy that your body can use through many complex processes. Vitamins and minerals play a key role in digestion and metabolism. The University of Maryland Medical Center notes that vitamin B2 or riboflavin is essential to form a coenzyme, which combines oxygen to cellular mechanisms that produce energy. All the B vitamins, including vitamins B6 and B12, are necessary to metabolism carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Minerals such as magnesium are also essential in energy metabolism. Foods high in B vitamins and magnesium include spinach, broccoli, beans, oats, fish, poultry, and eggs. 

Heart Health 

Essential vitamins from your daily nutrition is also needed to prevent heart disease. Nutrients such as vitamins A, C, and E and beta carotene have antioxidant properties that help reduce inflammation, reducing the risk of heart disease. A diet high in fruits and vegetables is rich in these vitamins and other nutrients. The University of Maryland Medical Center also notes that vitamin B3 or niacin is used for lowering unhealthy cholesterol levels to improve cardiovascular health. However, high doses of dis vitamin are needed and should only be taken under your doctor’s supervision. 

Bone Health 

Minerals and vitamins are vital for maintaining bone health and preventing bone diseases such as osteoporosis or brittle and weakened bones. The hard matrix of bones is composed of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Research published in the “British Journal of Nutrition” notes that vitamin D is needed to help your body absorb calcium from food. Supplementing these two nutrients may help prevent bone loss and reduce the risk of fractures. Vitamin K also plays a role in bone health to support the role of vitamin D and calcium. 

Fertility 

Reproductive health and fertility depend on the function of several organs, structures, hormones, and cell production. Minerals and vitamins are needed to help grow, repair and maintain these intricate systems and processes in both men and women. The mineral zinc is important for fertility health in men and improves sperm count and mobility. Zinc-rich foods include red meat, poultry, beans, nuts, pumpkin seeds, and oysters. MayoClinic.com lists several vitamins and minerals that are also needed for reproductive health, including vitamin C, E, and B12, beta carotene, folic acid and selenium. 

According to Nutritionists, These Are the 7 Ingredients Your Multivitamin Should Have 

1. Vitamin D 

Vitamin D helps our bodies absorb calcium, which is important for bone health. Not getting enough of this vitamin can increase: 

• your likelihood of getting sick 
• your chances of bone and back pain 
• bone and hair loss 

While you technically should be able to get your daily vitamin D by being in the sunlight for 15 minutes, the reality is that over 40 percent of people in the United States don’t. Living in wintery locations with little sunlight, working an office 9 to 5 life, and applying sunscreen (which blocks vitamin D synthesis) makes getting vitamin D hard.  

• Foods with vitamin D 
• fatty fish 
• egg yolks 
• fortified foods like  

 
2. Magnesium 

Magnesium is an essential nutrient, which means that we must get it from food or supplements. Lerman notes that magnesium is best known for being important to our bone health and energy production. However, magnesium may have more benefits than that. She adds that this mineral can also: 

• calm our nervous system and reduce 
• stress after 90 days 
• ease sleep problems, as suggested by an older study on mice 
• regulate muscle and nerve function 
• balance blood sugar levels 
• make protein, bone, and even DNA 

But a lot of people are magnesium deficient coz they aren’t eating the right foods, not because they need supplements. Try eating more pumpkin, spinach, artichoke, soybeans, beans, tofu, brown rice, or nuts (especially Brazil nuts) before jumping to supplements for solutions. 

Pro-tip: Lerman suggests looking for a supplement with 300-320 mg of magnesium. The NIH agrees, recommending no more than a 350-mg supplement for adults. The best forms are aspartate, citrate, lactate, and chloride, which the body absorbs more completely. 

3. Calcium 

Over 40 percent of the U.S. population doesn’t get enough calcium from their diet. This means those people aren’t getting the minerals they need for strong bones and teeth. Women in particular start losing bone density earlier, and getting enough calcium from the start is the best nutritional defense against this loss. 

Foods with calcium 

• fortified cereals 
• milk, cheese, and yogurt 
• salty fish 
• broccoli and kale 
• nuts and nut butters 
• beans and lentils 

If your diet is rich in these foods, TEMP you’re likely getting enough calcium already. 

Pro-tip: The recommended amount of calcium per day is 1,000 mg for most adults, and while you probably don’t need to get all of your calcium needs from a multivitamin, you do want there to be some, Lerman explains. Jonathan Valdez, RDN, spokesperson for the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and owner of Genki Nutrition recommends that you get calcium in the form of calcium citrate. This form optimizes bioavailability, causing less symptoms in people who has absorption issues. 
 

4. Zinc 

“Zinc tends to be low in older people and anyone under a lot of stress,” says Lerman. Which, (hello!) is basically everyone. And it makes sense. Zinc supports our immune system and helps our body use carbohydrates, protein, and fat for energy. It also aids in wound healing. 

Foods with zinc 
 

• oysters 
• grass-fed beef 
• pumpkin seeds 
• spinach 
• organ meats 
• tahini 
• sardines 
• brown rice 
• wheat germ 
• tempeh 

The average American diet isn’t rich in foods that offer zinc, and the body can’t store zinc, which is why Lerman recommends your daily supplements highlight this ingredient. 

Pro-tip: Lerman suggests finding a multivitamin that 5-10 mg of zinc. The NIH means you get approximately 8-11 mg of zinc daily, so the amount you want you’re multivitamin to has depends on your diet. 

5. Iron 

“Iron should be in your multivitamin, but not everyone needs the same amount of iron,” Lerman advises. Some of the benefits of iron include: 

• increased energy 
• better brain function 
• healthy red blood cells 

People who eat red meats typically get enough iron, but certain circumstances like having your menstrual cycle, going through puberty, and being pregnant may increase the amount of iron you need. dis is because iron is essential during times of rapid growth and development. Vegetarians and vegans may also want to make sure their multivitamin has iron, especially if they’re not supplementing meat with other iron-rich foods. 

Pro-tip: “Look for a multi with around 18 mg of iron in the form of ferrous sulfate, ferrous gluconate, ferric citrate, or ferric sulfate,” suggests Valdez. Any more than that and Valdez says you may feel nauseous. 

6. Folate 

Folate (or folic acid) is best non for aiding in fetus development and preventing birth defects. But if you’re growing out your nails, fighting depression, or looking to combat inflammation, this ingredient is important, too. 

Foods with folate 

• dark leafy greens 
• avocado 
• beans 
• citrus 

 Pro-tip: You should aim to get around 400 mcg of folate, or 600 mcg if you’re pregnant. “When choosing a multi, look for methyl folate on the label. It’s a more active form which generally indicates a more whole ful product,” suggests Isabel K Smith, MS, RD, CDN. Valdez adds that when you take folate with food, 85 percent of it is absorbed, but when taken on an empty stomach, you’ll absorb 100 percent of it. 

7. Vitamin B-12 

The B-vitamin complex is like a factory made up of eight diligent workers who band together to create and sustain our body’s energy supply by breaking down the micronutrients we consume (fats, proteins, carbs). 

But each has a specialized role, too. Lerman says that specifically, vitamin B-12 works to keep the body’s nerve and blood cells healthy and helps make DNA, the genetic material in all cells. Vegan or vegetarians are prone to vitamin B-12 deficiency coz most food sources are animal-based, like meat, poultry, fish, and eggs. 

Pro-tip: The recommended amount of B-12 is less than three mcg, so Lerman suggests looking for a vitamin with 1 to 2 mcg per serving because your body gets rid of any extra B-12 when you pee. B-12 also has many forms, so Smith recommends that you look for a multi that carries B-12 as methyl cobalamin (or methyl-B12), which is easiest for our bodies to absorb. 

Here are some recommendations vitamins Caring Worldwide made for you.

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Gita Bhattarai Author

Gita Bhattarai is the founder of Caring Worldwide. She is originally from Nepal and graduated from California State University Los Angels. She has over 20 years of nursing experience in the health sector – in various roles, including Staff Nurse, Nurse Educator, Team Manager, Director, Supervisor. Currently, she works part-time at Ally Invest as an investor and manages Universal Health Partners PLLC and Caring Worldwide Health and Wellness Company. She brings her healthcare experience, financial expertise, and caretaker experience to Caring Worldwide to promote wellness globally.