Our bodies are constantly changing, and our nutrient needs are changing with them. Menopause marks a pronounced shift, and our needs before and after are different. Here’s important info for you to know.

Women may need less iron after menopause.

It probably comes as no surprise that you need a lot of iron during the menstruating portion of your life. So it makes sense that after menopause, you just might not need as much.*

The average woman between 18-50 needs about 18 mg per day, 10 mg of which you normally get from foods like lean meats, spinach, eggs, and beans. After menopause, the need drops to 8 mg per day. If you don’t already ingest iron from food, Essential for Women would be fine, but the reality is that iron needs can probably be satisfied through diet alone.*

To account for these changes, Ritual formulated Essential for Women 50+.

Essential for Women 50+ was designed for women post-menopause with nutrients to help support healthy aging from within*. It features the same high-quality nutrient forms featured in Essential for Women, including:

• Omega-3 DHA from microalgae
• Certified vegan Vitamin D3
• Food-form Boron
• Non-soy Vitamin K2 MK7
• Chelated form of Magnesium
• Vitamin E from mixed tocopherols
• Methylated Vitamin B12
• Methylated Folate

The difference?

We’ve removed iron and increased the dosage of magnesium, K2, B12, and E.

Postmenopausal women may also need more of other things.

After menopause, you need more carotenoids, including beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, lycopene, and astaxanthin. Carotenoids have a very powerful antioxidant function in the body, helping everything from vision to the immune system. Carotenoids are abundant in healthy veggies, so load up on all the colors of the rainbow. Just make sure it’s a balanced mix of many different carotenoids.*

Polyphenols like the ones found in green tea are also important as you age. Load up on tea, apples, onions, and cherries. Even better? A nightly glass of red wine has a wealth of polyphenols.* (1)

Don't forget about macronutrients.

While focusing on evolving micronutrient needs is a good idea after 50, it’s equally crucial to mind your macros, too. Due to something called anabolic resistance, muscle breakdown naturally increases as we get older—making it harder to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. Supplementing with a high-quality protein powder can be a smart way to help support any dietary gaps as you age.

We formulated our Essential Protein 50+ with these changing protein needs in mind. It’s why we even added calcium HMB for adults 50+ to further support the maintenance of muscle mass.*

Always check with your doctor

It’s always best to talk to your doctor before starting a new supplement.

References

1. Pe´rez-Jime´nez, J., Neveu, V., Vos, F., Scalbert, A. (2010). Identification of the 100 richest dietary sources of polyphenols: An application of the Phenol-Explorer database. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.