The Best Vitamins and Minerals for Women Over 50

Key Takeaways

• After age 50, women’s nutrition needs can change due to menopause and lower estrogen levels, making balanced nutrition especially important for overall wellness.
• Key nutrients for women over 50 include calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, magnesium, vitamin E, potassium, and choline.
• The best vitamin or supplement routine for women over 50 starts with nutrient-rich foods, but vitamins, minerals or nutritional drinks may help fill gaps when meals and snacks aren’t enough.

Thanks to menopause and its effect on women’s bodies, their nutrition needs change over time, and women have quite a few distinct nutrient needs that differ from the men in our lives. It may not always be easy, but nourishing our bodies as we age is more than possible. Learn more about the different vitamins and minerals that women 50 plus need.

Estrogen and Its Effect on Women’s Bodies

We tend to think of menopause as the time in which we can no longer bear children. Estrogen, sometimes known as the female hormone, is what kicks off the reproductive cycle. When levels of estrogen circulating throughout the body drop – as it does during menopause – we lose the ability to become pregnant. But estrogen also plays an important role in the body, and declining levels during menopause are linked to bone loss and can also affect other areas of health.¹

With less circulating estrogen protecting our body after menopause, it’s important to focus on balanced lifestyle habits, including getting enough vitamins and minerals from foods and drinks to help keep us vibrant.

What Vitamins and Minerals Should Women Over 50 Take?

When it comes to vitamins and minerals for women to focus on, especially for women over the age of 50, these top the list:

1. Calcium helps support strong bones and teeth.² Women over age 50 need 1,200 mg of calcium per day.  It’s important that you don’t exceed 2,000 mg of calcium each day.²
2. Vitamin D is also important for bone health. It also helps your muscles, immune system, and nerves send messages from your brain to the rest of your body.³  Women ages 51-70 need at least 15 mcg (600 IU) of vitamin D daily.² And if you’re over 70, you need at least 200 mcg (800 IU) of vitamin D daily.² Don’t exceed 100 mcg (4,000 IU) of vitamin D each day.²
3. Vitamin B6 plays a number of important roles including supporting energy metabolism and immune function.  Women over the age of 50 need 1.5 mg of vitamin B6 per day.²
4. Vitamin B12 is essential for healthy blood and nerve cells, as well as energy metabolism.⁵  Sometimes, older adults have a harder time absorbing vitamin B12.⁵ It’s recommended that women over 50 get 2.4 mcg of vitamin B12 each day.²
5. Magnesium is a mineral that supports blood sugar, blood pressure and nerve function⁶. This mineral can also help regulate muscles and build protein. Women over 50 need 320 mg per day.
6. Vitamin E acts as a powerful antioxidant and is also important for immune support.  It can help widen blood vessels, which helps prevent blood clots.⁷ Women 50+ need 15 mg of vitamin E each day.²
7. Potassium is a mineral that helps supports heart health.  It can also help with kidney function, as well as muscle contractions and nerve transmission.⁸ Most people, including older adults, are not getting enough of this nutrient.⁸ Women who are 50 and older need 2,600 mg of potassium per day.⁸
8. Choline is an often-overlooked vitamin that’s important for your brain and nervous system.⁹  Choline helps with memory and mood regulation and muscle control.9 Women 50+ need 425 mg per day.²

In addition to vitamins & minerals, protein is an essential nutrient for everyday muscle health. Find out what your estimated daily protein needs are with this protein calculator tool.

If Your Diet Needs a BOOST® Shake

For women over 50 looking for supplement options, nutritional drinks can be one way to help fill protein, vitamin and mineral gaps when diet alone isn’t enough.
BOOST® nutritional shakes provide high-quality protein plus essential vitamins and minerals. BOOST® has a comprehensive line of products, including one drink that’s tailored to the specific nutritional needs of women:

• BOOST® WOMEN Balanced Nutritional Shakes provide tailored nutrition for women with 15 g high-quality protein, 180 nutrient-rich calories plus 24 vitamins and minerals, including:
  • Calcium and vitamin D to support strong bones  
  • Biotin and zinc to support skin and hair health  
  • Iodine and selenium to help support normal thyroid function
     

Don’t forget about other great-tasting and nutrient-packed BOOST® options, like BOOST® Original, BOOST® High Protein and BOOST Glucose Control®  Nutritional Shakes.

Talk to your doctor or dietitian about which BOOST® products may be right for you.

Learn more about BOOST® WOMEN Nutritional Shake and its benefits.
 

Sources
1.    Why Menopause Matters. National Council on Aging. https://redesign.qa.ncoa.org/article/why-menopause-matters/. Accessed 6/24/2026.
2.    Vitamins and Minerals for Older Adults. National Institute on Aging. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/vitamins-and-minerals-older-adults. Accessed 6/24/2026.
3.    Vitamin D. National Institutes of Health. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-Consumer/. Accessed 6/24/2026.
4.    Vitamin B6. National Institutes of Health. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB6-Consumer/. Accessed 6/24/2026.
5.    Vitamin B12. National Institutes of Health. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-Consumer/. Accessed 6/24/2026.
6.    Magnesium. National Institutes of Health. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-Consumer/. Accessed 6/24/2026.
7.    Vitamin E. National Institutes of Health. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE-Consumer/. Accessed 6/24/2026. 
8.    Potassium. National Institutes of Health. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Potassium-Consumer/. Accessed 6/24/2026. 
9.    Choline. National Institutes of Health. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Choline-Consumer/. Accessed 6/24/2026.