Supplements you might want to consider taking..
For Women >19 years old
*Disclaimer: these are just suggestions, everyone has different diets and will have different requirements. Please speak with your Dietitian or Doctor if you have questions regarding supplements.
First things first (if you get Iggy stuck in your head every time you read that, welcome to the club 😎): I always recommend trying to get the following vitamins and minerals through FOOD sources before reaching for supplements.
1) Vitamin D 🌞
This one is for all my friends living in a place where it isn’t sunny all year long. In Canada from the months of September-May, you should consider taking a Vit D supplement. Take it with a meal, because it needs fat to be absorbed!
Total amount needed (food + supplements): 400 IU/day
Upper limit: 4000 IU/day from supplements
2) Calcium 🥛
This mineral is SO important for bone health, and as women, we need to be especially aware of this as we are at higher risk for osteoporosis! If you don’t consume dairy this is harder to get from plant-based sources alone, even if you are consuming plant-based alternatives because they aren’t always fortified with added calcium. Here is a link to a reel I made on calcium that you can watch to see if you think you are getting enough in your diet.
Total amount needed (food + supplements): 1000 mg/day
Upper limit: 2500mg/day
3) Magnesium 💪
This mineral is also important for bone health, as well as many other functions in the body! Around 1/3 of Canadians don’t get enough Mg in their diet, so it is one you may consider supplementing. Check out this reel to see some food sources of Mg you could add into your diet. If you choose the supplement route, be careful because Magnesium citrate can cause diarrhea so take it slow!
Total amount needed (food + supplements): 320mg/day
Upper limit: 350mg from supplements
4) Folic Acid 👶
For anyone who may have a child sometime soon, make sure you are taking a folic acid supplement or a multivitamin that includes folic acid in it. Within the first 28 days of pregnancy, the spinal cord is formed and if you are deficient in folic acid your baby has a higher risk of developing spina bifida. You may not even know you are pregnant within the first 28 days, so that’s why it’s important to have normal levels beforehand.
Total amount needed (food + supplements): 400 mcg/day
Upper limit: 1000 mcg/day from supplements
Hot tip: a fun way to ensure you are getting a wide range of micronutrients in your diet is to include a rainbow of fruits/veggies each day!
🧡 🧡 🧡
Written by: Toni Vandenbrink (BSc)
3/12/2022
