Healthy Living

4 Supplements to Consider Taking in Your 30s

posted on September 13, 2018 | by Amanda Riddell

4 Supplements to Consider Taking in Your 30s

The world of supplements can be quite overwhelming. It goes without saying that our bodies change as we get older, and although a standard multi-vitamin is a good place to start, adding in age-relevant supplements can help better support your body and keep you healthy from the inside out. There are a ton of supplements you can add, but here are 4 of the most important to consider taking now that you’re in your 30’s:

Collagen

This essential protein is the building block that makes up your muscles, skin, bones, and ligaments. When you hit your 30’s, your body naturally stops producing as much collagen, which leads to the dreaded start of fine lines and wrinkles. No matter how healthy you are, collagen production just isn’t a top priority for your body in your 30’s anymore – and things like too much sun exposure and smoking can actually halt collagen production even more.

If you haven’t already added a collagen supplement to your routine, now is a good time to start! Benefits include glowing skin, joint health, healthy cartilage, improved gut health, and even a deeper sleep. I love the Vital Proteins brand collagen peptides because they’re high-quality and tasteless in coffee or tea.

Folic Acid

Most commonly associated with prenatal vitamins, folic acid (or folate in its natural form) is an important addition to your diet whether or not you’re tying to conceive anytime soon. This supplement helps your body produce and repair new cells. It can even prevent unwanted changes to your DNA. If you’re pregnant or if thoughts of a baby are in your near future, folic acid can actually help prevent miscarriage along with some pretty scary birth defects. You can buy folic acid separately, or just take it as part of a prenatal vitamin.

Fun fact – did you know you can take prenatal vitamins even if you have no intention of becoming pregnant anytime soon? You should check with your own doctor, but mine told me I can take them my whole life, and that they have added benefits over regular vitamins. I consider that a win!

Calcium

When you hit your 30’s, it’s really important to start thinking about how you can prevent future diseases, like osteoporosis. Calcium is actually a mineral (not a vitamin), and it’s a must-have to maintain bone density and prevent bone loss as we age. Although 99% of the calcium in your body is stored in your bones, in order to function properly, your heart, muscles and nerves also need this mineral.

Our soil used to be chock full of essential minerals including calcium, but not so much anymore with conventional farming. This means that a lot of the veggies that are notorious for their calcium (think spinach and broccoli) likely don’t provide all you need. It’s probably a good idea to take a calcium supplement just to be safe.

Vitamin D

Something magical happens when you take Vitamin D and calcium together. This is because Vitamin D actually helps your body absorb calcium. As an added bonus, Vitamin D could support better heart health, help with weight loss, and can even combat depression. Being in the sun does help your body with producing Vitamin D, but since deficiency is so common (and many of us are stuck inside working all day), it’s a great supplement to add in.

If you’re still not sure where to start, see your doctor! They can do blood work to determine which vitamins and minerals you’re deficient in. This is super helpful when you’re trying to figure out which areas of your health to focus on.

Do you already take any of these supplements, and if not, are you planning on adding them?