You’ve just entered the best decade of your life. At least, that’s what one study found—Americans felt significantly happier and more satisfied after turning 40.
While happiness increases, our health can take a sharp decline if we don’t give it the support it needs. Multivitamins don’t replace whole foods. But they can certainly help bridge nutrition gaps that may get wider as we get older.
Take these 8 supplements after 40 to keep your body feeling and looking young.
Magnesium
Magnesium is your missing mineral! It is the most important supplement you can consider adding. It lowers your risk of heart disease, helps to prevent stroke, fights obesity, treats diabetes, and improves mood and memory. It’s a powerhouse supplement —one that every woman needs to have in her medicine cabinet.
Magnesium comes in many forms—some better than others. Skip supplements that have magnesium oxide, sulfate, glutamate, or aspartate. Good forms of magnesium include citrate, glycinate, chloride, carbonate, taurate, and malate.
Here’s an affordable brand of magnesium that I love. My favorite magnesium supplement, though, is ReMag. This clean, liquid formula sourced from pure magnesium chloride is easier for your body to absorb and will really help bring your magnesium levels up. I use this one in my super charged water twice a day!
Magnesium levels are generally lowest during the early morning and later in the afternoon. Take up to 3 doses throughout the day with food, in the morning, evening, and at night.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 is a type of fatty acid that is essential for women’s health. It can help to protect against cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia. It can also help guard against gradual memory loss linked to aging. Starting an Omega-3 supplement is most effective if you start before symptoms set in.
Women benefit especially from Omega-3 since it can ease menstrual pain, prevent osteoporosis, increase moods, alleviate rheumatoid arthritis, and even reduce cancer risk.
Foods like wild fish, nuts, and flaxseed are high in omega-3 fatty acids, but a supplement can ensure that you receive enough omega-3 in your daily diet. This high-quality Omega-3 supplement is sourced from wild-caught sardines and anchovies.
Probiotics
According to Hippocrates, “all disease begins in the gut.” The more we learn about the gut, the more we find that he was right. Recent research shows that overall well-being is intricately linked to our guts. Researchers refer to our gut as “the body’s second brain.” Probiotics are key for optimal physical and mental health as we age.
In addition to helping heal intestinal-related issues, probiotics help your body reduce inflammation and bloating, balance hormones, regulate blood sugar, boost the immune system, and fight off disease.
Before diving headfirst into the first probiotics supplement you find, take a pause. Many supplements are worthless, with their bacteria unable to survive your stomach acid and actually reach your gut. I use a supplement that has prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics Ensuring all areas are covered! Find that supplement here!
Collagen
Collagen is a protein that provides building blocks for many of the body’s tissues, like our bones and skin. It allows tissues to stretch and be flexible. That’s why many women take collagen to keep their skin looking young.
As we age, collagen production naturally decreases. Supplementing with collagen can help keep our muscles, bones, and skin much healthier.
Most collagen supplements, like this one, use a smaller form of collagen which may be easier for our bodies to digest. These are called collagen peptides or hydrolyzed collagen.
Electrolytes
Electrolytes bring a host of benefits that water alone can’t. They aid in healthy digestion, decrease fatigue, flush out toxins, boost metabolism, and increase immunity.
You need adequate electrolytes from your diet to keep your body functioning as it should. Muscle cramps, headaches, brain fog, fatigue, and lethargy are signs of low electrolytes. Ultima is my go to electrolytes supplements because it has no sugar and tastes amazing. Order Ultima using this link and code Amanda20 for a discount. Passion fruit is my favorite flavor!
Creatine Monohydrate
I don’t go a day without taking my creatine. I keep saying it over and over—this is not just for people in the gym, and it certainly isn’t just for men. In fact, creatine supplementation may be even more important for women, since they typically exhibit 70-80% lower levels of endogenous creatine stores. As our hormones change with age, creatine becomes especially important. We need it during pregnancy, post-partum, and post-menopause.
This supplement is for everyone because it not only helps you optimize your muscle mass, it really helps protect your brain. Regardless of whether you want to take advantage of the potential performance-enhancing benefits, there is also clinical evidence proving that creatine is beneficial to women’s mood and cognitive function.
Start incorporating a powerful creatine supplement,5g a day, like this one, daily.
Oxy-Powder
While I don’t take Oxy-Powder daily, I always have this supplement on hand, and so should you. Daily bowel movements are essential for your health and key to weight loss. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s ok to go 1-2 days without a bowel movement. If you’re not having a daily bowel movement, you need to grab this supplement.
This natural digestive cleanse relieves the occasional constipation that can arise. Bring it on vacation, or if you expect to be eating more processed foods than normal.
Vitamin D + K
Low vitamin D is the most underdiagnosed and undertreated nutritional deficiency in the world. It’s a must-have daily supplement for women over 40. This vitamin determines the pattern of post-menopausal bone loss and age-related osteoporosis.
Additionally, a vitamin D + K supplement staves off diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, and multiple sclerosis. Taking a daily vitamin D + K supplement can help reduce those risks, plus it helps the body absorb higher levels of calcium, which we’ll look at next.
Support Yourself with Supplements
As women, we’re used to supporting everyone else’s needs. Taking supplements to support your health is a simple step towards self-care. Give your body what it needs to age with strength and grace for the decades to come.
Need more support on your supplement journey? Download my Annual Lab Work Guide to learn how you can use your lab work to determine where your body needs more support.
