Are there any vitamins I need more of now that I'm in menopause?

I like to recommend a calcium and vitamin D supplement, specially during menopause. Women of all ages need to make an effort to keep their bones strong. Unfortunately, millions of women are already suffering from bone deterioration, which puts them at risk for osteoporosis. If you don't eat enough calcium rich foods (low fat dairy products, fortified cereals, oatmeal, spinach, and white beans), then you can obtain your calcium from supplements. Here are the current calcium recommendations:

• Adults under age 51 need 1,000 mg of calcium daily
• Adults 51 and over need 1,200 mg of calcium daily

In order for calcium to work efficiently, we need to combine it with vitamin D. We can obtain vitamin D from sunlight and from vitamin rich foods (salmon, low fat mil and cheese and some yogurts fortified with vitamin D). Here are the vitamin D requirements:

• Adults ages 19 to 70 need 600 IU of vitamin D daily
• Adults ages 71 and older need 800 IU of vitamin D daily

Talk to your doctor or dietitian about which calcium and vitamin D supplements are best for you.