What are the Top 3 vitamins for Menopause?  

What are the top 3 vitamins for menopause? – Navigating Post-Menopause: The Top 3 Vitamins Every Woman Needs

Navigating post-menopause supplements

Post-menopause marks a new chapter in a woman’s life, one that brings unique health needs and challenges. As oestrogen levels decline, the body’s ability to maintain bone strength, energy levels, and overall vitality can shift. While a balanced diet and active lifestyle are essential, certain vitamins play a critical role in supporting your health during this stage. From strengthening bones to boosting energy and protecting your heart, the right nutrients can make all the difference.

I made a decision recently to come off my HRT after 4 years, which pulled me on a journey to understand exactly what my body would need to replace what I had given it. I’ve noticed a real shift over the last 2 years in my overall energy levels, mobility and vitality. Being determined to make this the best next chapter of my life, I started to explore and research the complex world of supplements and the many brands claiming to support menopause.

Let’s explore the top three vitamins every post-menopausal woman should prioritize—and how they can help you thrive in this new phase of life.

Understanding what are the top 3 vitamins for menopause can greatly enhance your well-being during this transformative phase.

What are the top 3 vitamins I should be taking and why?

Fact: Did you know that 35% of your bones are made up of protein! There is a huge myth around taking calcium and drinking milk!

Vitamin D3 with K2

• Why It’s Important:
  • Essential for calcium absorption and maintaining strong bones, especially as bone density declines post-menopause.
  • Supports immune health, reduces inflammation, and may protect against heart disease.
  • Vitamin D3 is more easily absorbed and produces more of the active form of vitamin D in the body. 
  • Having it with K2 is essential as it works with vitamin D for absorption
  • It helps with reduced hormones and low mood when going through menopause
• Sources:
  • Sunlight exposure (10-15 minutes a day).
  • Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel), fortified milk, and egg yolks.
  • Supplements: Aim for 2500 IU or above daily taken with food and get your levels checked to see if it’s at a good level. I personally take 10,000 IU during the Winter months here in the UK.

Complex B Vitamins

• Why It’s Important:
  • Vital for energy production, red blood cell formation, and maintaining a healthy nervous system.
  • As we age, the body’s ability to absorb B12 from food declines, increasing the risk of deficiency.
• Sources:
  • Animal products like fish, eggs, dairy, and lean meats.
  • Fortified cereals and plant-based milks for vegans.
  • Supplements: A daily dose of 2.4 mcg is typically recommended for women over 50.

Magnesium

• Why it’s important: Vital for bone density, muscle function, and sleep quality.
• Sources: Nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains, and supplements.
• Recommended Intake: 320 mg daily.

Other essential vitamins and minerals

Omega-3 Fatty Acids (not a vitamin, but essential)

• Why it’s important: Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, which can become more pronounced after stopping HRT.
• Sources: Fatty fish, flaxseeds, walnuts, or fish oil/algae supplements.

Trace Mineral Complex

1. Supports Bone Health

• Key Minerals: Magnesium, Boron, Manganese
• These minerals help in calcium absorption and bone formation, reducing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.

2. Boosts Energy & Metabolism

• Key Minerals: Iron, Iodine, Chromium
• Iron supports red blood cell production, iodine regulates thyroid function, and chromium helps balance blood sugar levels—all important for maintaining steady energy.

3. Enhances Immune Function

• Key Minerals: Zinc, Selenium, Copper
• These minerals help strengthen the immune system, promote wound healing, and reduce inflammation. Selenium also plays a role in protecting cells from oxidative stress.

4. Supports Cognitive Function & Mood

• Key Minerals: Zinc, Magnesium, Lithium
• These contribute to brain health, nerve function, and mood regulation, potentially reducing the risk of cognitive decline and supporting mental well-being.

5. Maintains Skin, Hair & Nail Health

• Key Minerals: Silica, Sulfur, Zinc
• These minerals help with collagen production, reducing signs of aging and keeping hair and nails strong.

6. Aids Digestion & Nutrient Absorption

• Key Minerals: Chromium, Zinc, Magnesium
• These minerals support gut health, enzyme function, and nutrient absorption, which can decline with age.

Notes on Supplementation:

• It’s always best to aim for a balanced diet first, with supplements only as needed.
• Consult with a healthcare professional before starting new supplements, as individual needs can vary based on health status, medications, and bloodwork.
• If you are on any medication make sure it doesn’t interact with any vitamins or minerals. I take Levothyroxine for hypothyroidism and the guidance is to wait 4 hours in the morning after I have taken it before I take my vitamins. This means I take my medication at 7am and then wait until 11am before taking all my supplements. I leave magnesium for bedtime as it helps me sleep.

Supplement Aisle: How to Choose the Best in a Crowded Market

• Make sure they are FOOD based supplements and not SYNTHETIC supplements. Also opt for methylated vitamins, the two main benefits of taking methylated vitamins is that we absorb them more efficiently, and they work faster because they’re already in the form our body needs.
• Don’t go for a cheap supermarket multivitamin, you get what you pay for. Multivitamins are generally unbalanced, they try to pack far too much into them. It can elevate one nutrient at the cost of another.
• Don’t take ANY pre/pro biotic without really understanding where you are at with your individual gut health and gut microbiome, buy a good gut microbiome test kit and get a personalised plan. I found My Bioma but there are plenty out there, do your research.
• If you can opt for a liquid version of vitamin D instead of cheap capsules, it gives you faster and better absorption. I would take it for about 3 months and then get tested for vitamin D levels to check it’s working.
• If you are already consuming healthy fats and oils which I talk about in my Intermittent Fasting post then your Omega 6 inflammatory markers should be down, so taking an Omega Oil 369 is no longer required. If you have a clean diet and are consuming healthy oils then a good raw/wild and organic Omega 3 is fine.
• Buy a good quality trace mineral complex, minerals are vital to bone health as the vegetables and the soil they are grown in today is massively depleted. Minerals make hormones, this is critical for menopause when we start losing our hormone balance. They also make neurotransmitters that affect mood and anxiety so can balance those out for us too, you don’t always have to opt for antidepressants which is the doctors favourite “go to” when you go with these symptoms during menopause.

Brands that I have discovered: do your own research too!

It really is a minefield when looking for supplements, I spent hours looking for the below making sure the brands were sustainably sourced and manufactured to high standards. It’s no different to going shopping for food, you really need to look at the label and understand how they have been grown and processed.

Omega 3 Algae Oil

Igennus concentrated vegan Omega-3

I chose to go for a Vegan brand and use Algae Oil as the Omega 3 source as many fish oil brands aren’t sustainability sourced and sadly because our oceans are contaminated they contain toxins and heavy metals. This brand is a clean source and provides a good amount of both DHA and EPA as well as Astaxanthin, a great antioxidant!

I found a company called Sunday Natural for all my other vitamins and minerals after a long search online. They are a German based company with excellent reviews on Trust Pilot and pride themselves on transparency and high quality nutrition through pure and naturally sourced ingredients. I am not affiliated with them and it’s the first time I am trying them so I will keep you updated!

Vitamin D3 with K2

Vitamin D3 plus K2 MK-7 All-Trans 10,000 IU plus 200 Ug high dose

Complex multimineral

ConcenTrace Trace Mineral Complex

Vitamin B Complex

Vitamin B Complex with B12 MH3A by Sunday Natural

Magnesium

Prizmag – Pure Magnesium Bisglycinate

Other top tips to navigate menopause

Stress levels and cortisol significantly impact bone health during menopause. Address your lifestyle and stress levels by incorporating routines that reduce stress. I enjoy walking in nature or by the sea, laughing with friends, watching movies, meditating, reading, and snuggling with my fur babies!

Handpicked Support for Your Midlife Journey:

Some of the links below may be affiliate links in the future. I only ever recommend products and resources I truly believe in.

🎥 Helpful Videos to Deepen Your Understanding

I came across Dr Eric Berg on You Tube – some great information on his channel.

Dr Mindy Pelz ia always one of my favourite go to’s for menopause and nutrition.

Conclusion: If my future self could have told me…

• Be more health conscious and understand the compound effect of what you put in your body and the long-term impact that has on your future health.
• Prepare your body early for perimenopause and menopause, don’t let it creep up on you and disrupt your life.
• Think about fasting, nutrition and diet BEFORE going on HRT.
• Start making changes to your exercise, diet and lifestyle as you hit 40 to prepare your body.
• Keep a vested interest and education on the food chain and understand what you are actually putting in your body.