India continues to face the burden of accelerating incidences of anemia, vitamin D deficiency, untimely bone loss, thyroid illness, PCOS, and cardiometabolic ailments, lots of which significantly have an effect on girls. Greater than half of ladies in India have anemia and as much as 80-90% of the inhabitants is vitamin D poor. Medical doctors say these will not be remoted issues however signs of a deeper downside. Though a girl’s dietary wants change considerably with age, most ladies proceed to eat the identical weight-reduction plan by means of their 20s, 30s, 40s, and even after menopause.
“Girls’s physiology adjustments each 10 years. Hormones change, metabolism slows down and absorption decreases,” says RK Vidya Lakshmi, senior advisor, obstetrics and gynecology, SRM International Hospital, Chennai. These transitions decide which vitamins turn into vital and when dietary supplements turn into important.
Diet by age
Girls of their 20s and early 30s are laying the foundations for long-term well being, and their dietary wants mirror this.
Younger girls want “extra iron and folic acid, particularly throughout menstruation and being pregnant,” and sufficient vitamin B12, particularly in the event that they’re vegetarian, Dr. Lakshmi says. She added that folks with restricted solar publicity may have vitamin D help earlier than they suppose. “A nutritious weight-reduction plan of entire meals is at all times vital, however dietary supplements turn into important once you’re not getting sufficient meals or solar publicity,” she says.
R. Sundararaman, senior advisor in inside drugs at SIMS Hospital, Chennai, factors out that folks of their 20s and early 30s typically eat in a rush. “Protein, calcium and iron are essential at this stage. Many ladies skip meals or eat in a rush, resulting in iron and vitamin D deficiencies.” In your mid-30s, your metabolism slows down and it turns into more durable to take care of hormonal stability. Good fat, fiber, and portion management can assist girls adapt to this transformation. Ankita Dubey, advisor gynecologist at Ahmedabad’s Narayana Hospital, added that younger girls continuously endure from “hemoglobin deficiency, primarily iron deficiency and vitamin D deficiency” because of heavy menstrual bleeding and restricted daylight because of work schedules.
As girls attain their 40s, absorption of sure vitamins decreases quickly. Dr. Lakshmi explains that calcium and vitamin D deficiencies are most noticeable throughout this time. “Girls of their 40s who’re approaching menopause face calcium and vitamin D deficiencies. When menstruation stops, vitamin B12 absorption decreases and iron wants lower,” she says. Dr. Sundararaman observes a predictable sample. “By the point girls attain their 40s, calcium and magnesium ranges have a tendency to say no, and vitamin D stays low. Protein and vitamin B12 deficiencies additionally turn into extra frequent, as urge for food and absorption lower.”
Dr. Dubay factors out that whereas calcium deficiencies are quite common in older girls, iron deficiencies turn into much less frequent after “bleeding stops after menopause.”
Key nutrient wants
Medical doctors emphasize the identical 4 vitamins as vital throughout menopause: calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, and (to a lesser extent) iron. “Estrogen ranges drop and bone loss intensifies,” says Dr. Lakshmi. Vitamin D may be vital as effectively. “Calcium is absorbed into the physique by means of vitamin D, which helps muscle operate and strengthens bones.”
Dr. Sundararaman added, “Calcium and vitamin D are completely important for bone safety over the previous couple of years. With the drop in estrogen, bones turn into thinner and weaker.”
Dr. Dubay factors out that estrogen deficiency “results in poor absorption of calcium, low vitamin D ranges, and B12 deficiency is quite common.” Dr. Sundararaman emphasizes that when menstruation stops, “your iron wants truly lower,” however nutritional vitamins like B12 and folic acid turn into important for power, nerve well being, and temper.
Vitamin B12 deficiency is particularly frequent in vegetarians and older girls who’ve diminished absorption. Dr. Sundararaman says omega-3s and magnesium can assist “enhance sleep high quality and scale back sizzling flashes.”
How to decide on dietary supplements
Physicians reject a one-size-fits-all strategy and worth individualization. The strategy must be individualized, they are saying, and girls must be evaluated for weight-reduction plan, life-style, solar publicity, and different danger elements akin to menopause, menorrhagia, and malabsorption.
Specialists additionally emphasize the significance of normal blood exams and medical indications in case of suspected deficiency.
Dr. Sundararaman added that whereas blood exams will not be obligatory for everybody, “Blood exams can assist you keep away from taking pointless tablets. It’s equally vital to concentrate on your personal physique situation.”
Dr Dubey says: “This choice ought to at all times be made beneath the steerage of your advisor, who will study your signs and carry out blood exams to decide.”
Specialists added that some postmenopausal girls may have hormone remedy in addition to multivitamins.
know your wants
Dr. Lakshmi explains, “Vitamin A, D, E, and Okay accumulate within the physique and may be harmful in extra.” “Extra will not be at all times higher,” Dr. Sundararaman factors out, particularly when girls unknowingly double-take dietary supplements containing vitamin D and vitamin B12, akin to multivitamins, hair dietary supplements, and collagen.
Dr. Lakshmi says extra calcium and iron “can hurt the kidneys, promote heart problems, and intervene with different vitamins.” Dr. Dubey added that overdosing on the mistaken age can result in problems. “Excessive doses or long-term consumption could cause issues with fat-soluble nutritional vitamins and minerals, together with weight achieve,” she says.
Specialists stress that dietary supplements ought to solely be used when medically indicated. They emphasize that by following the right dosage, reviewing dietary supplements commonly, and sustaining a weight-reduction plan of nutrient-dense entire meals, entire meals can guarantee a broader nutrient matrix that dietary supplements can not substitute.
issued – December 27, 2025 11:04 AM IST
